Colonial India's women bore heavy toll of First World War

The First World War reshaped life across British India, extracting costs that fell heavily on women throughout the colonial territories. While millions of Indian soldiers served in the conflict, the civilian population—particularly women—endured significant economic strain and social upheaval as the British administration redirected resources to support the war effort abroad.

Women in urban centres and rural areas alike experienced inflation and scarcity of essential goods as India's economy was repurposed for military production and troop supplies. Agricultural disruptions and labour shortages affected household food security, forcing women to manage smaller rations and navigate markets with reduced purchasing power. Many women entered the workforce to compensate for absent male workers, taking on roles in factories and fields, yet often without proportional compensation or recognition.

Beyond economic hardship, the war created social fractures across Indian communities. Families faced prolonged separation as hundreds of thousands of men enlisted or were conscripted into military service. Women left behind assumed new responsibilities managing households, farms and businesses while contending with grief and uncertainty about relatives serving in distant theatres of war.

The mobilisation of India's resources for Britain's war effort underscored the asymmetries of colonial rule. While British institutions benefited from wartime contracts and military spending, Indian women absorbed disproportionate costs through deprivation, labour intensification and emotional toll. The First World War thus represented a pivotal moment when the structural inequalities of colonialism intersected with global conflict, leaving lasting impacts on generations of Indian women.