Before the Second World War, It was considered derogatory for women to take up jobs, the world over. In India, however, it was the struggle for independence which changed the conditions and brought women to the fore. From Rani Lakshmi Bai to Sarojini Naidu, women were instrumental in the achievement of freedom in 1947. Since then, encouraged by the views of world leaders like mahatma Gandhi, they have not looked back.