How Maharani Sethu Parvathi Bayi Challenged Restrictions On Menstruating Women

Maharani Sethu Parvathi Bayi of the Kingdom of Travancore defied patriarchal restrictions on menstruating women and set a precedent for women's rights in the early 20th century.

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Tanya Savkoor
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In an era bound by the patriarchal chains of gender discrimination, casteism, and rigid societal norms, Sethu Parvathi Bayi emerged as a rulebreaker. The Maharani of Travancore challenged the deeply entrenched traditions that marginalised women and excluded them from public spheres. Parvathi Bayi's courageous efforts to reform religious spheres made her a pioneer in normalising the conversation around menstruation and women's rights in the early 1900s.

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Who Was Sethu Parvathi Bayi?

Sethu Parvathi Bayi (1896-1983), also known as Amma Maharani, was the granddaughter of the famous painter Raja Ravi

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