KOCHI: The Ernakulam Women’s Association (EWA) has been working for the welfare of women for over a century now. From its early days as a recreational den to its evolution into a social instrument with teeth, the association has come a long way.
History tells us the association’s genesis was during a closed-door meeting held by four learned men at the Ernakulam Public Library on March 23, 1918.
“They were T K Krishna Menon of the Thottakkat family; Justice Pallathil Narayana Menon; Justice T S Narayana Iyer, the chief judge of erstwhile Cochin state; and Ambady Sankara Menon. These men were advocates of women’s empowerment as early as the 1920s,” local historian V N Venugopal tells TNIE.
However, consigning the association’s formation as the sole idea of the four men would mean dismissing women’s role. Sreekumari Menon, former president of the EWA, says the men were simply helping materialise the desire of a clutch of women who deemed it necessary to have a place of their own for recreational purposes.
“Eminent ladies of the time, including Parukutty Valiya Nethiaramma (consort of the Cochin ruler), wanted a place to play cards and engage in conversations. They met for a while at Maharaja’s school. But as their numbers grew, they decided to have a permanent home,” she says.
This yearning was also the outcome of a large discourse happening all over the world. The advent of the Great War had seen women engage in activities once reserved for men. This change was profound in Cochin, where rulers, as historians acclaim, had always held progressive views.
“When these women made their desire public, the four men put together a plan and approached the them for their consent to act on it,” Sreekumari adds.
Parukutty Valiya Nethiaramma was the founder and V K Lakshmikutty Nethiaramma, consort of the third prince of Cochin, became the association’s president.
“Ambadi Kartyainiamma, one of the first woman graduates of the state and the first headmistress of the Girl’s School, was the secretary. Their first meeting was at the Rudra Vilasom near Pallimukku,” Venugopal says.
Soon, the body outgrew its initial purpose as a recreational den. “During the Second World War, women came together and donated items to be sent to soldiers,” says Gita Menon, the current president.
This social responsibility continues to this day and was made evident during the 2018 floods and, recently, the 2023 Brahmapuram fire. Years later, the association, which boasts about 600 members, remains a sanctuary for women, especially those who arrived from other places.
“It is a perfect vehicle to learn about the city whilst also contributing to its social and cultural upliftment. We wish more young women would join us,” Gita says.