Mehta, Hansa (1897–1995)

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Mehta, Hansa (1897–1995)

Indian legislator and activist for women's rights. Born Hansa Mehta, July 3, 1897, in Surat, Bombay, India; died 1995; dau. of Sir Manubhai Mehta (prime minister of Baroda and Bikaner) and Harshad Kumari M. Desai; granddau. of Ras Bahadur Nandshankar Mehta (novelist); Baroda College, degree in philosophy, 1918; attended London School of Economics; m. Dr. Jivraj Narayan Mehta (chief medical officer for state of Baroda), 1924; children: daughter Anjani and son Harshraj.

Educator, justice of the peace, legislator and nonviolent revolutionary, was a member of the 1st session of the All-India Women's Conference (1927); for participating in Gandhi's civil disobedience campaign, spent 3 months in prison (1930) and 5 months (1941); elected to Bombay Legislative Council (1937, 1940), serving as parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Education and Health (1937–39); was Indian delegate to United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (1946); also served on UN Commission on Human Rights (1946), for which she presented a draft resolution for an international Bill of Rights (1947).