Feminist Discourse and the Contemporary Relevance of Dayanand

Abstract

Feminist discourse in modern India has often been framed through Western paradigms of gender equality and social justice. Yet, nineteenth-century reformers such as Swami Dayanand Saraswati (1824–1883) articulated a vision of women’s emancipation deeply rooted in Indian philosophical and cultural traditions. This paper examines Dayanand’s reinterpretation of the Vedas and his advocacy for women’s education, freedom of choice in marriage, and moral and intellectual equality. By situating his ideas within the broader context of socio-religious reform movements and early feminist thought, the study highlights how Dayanand anticipated core feminist concerns related to agency, autonomy, and equality long before their formal articulation in modern feminist theory. The paper also explores the contemporary relevance of his ideas in confronting gender-based inequalities in twenty-first-century India, suggesting that his call for a return to Vedic dharma can be reimagined as an appeal for gender justice grounded in spiritual and ethical rationality. In this light, Dayanand’s feminist insight emerges as both historically significant and enduringly relevant for rethinking feminist ethics in contemporary Indian society.