Avabai Bomanji Wadia, who lived from September 18, 1913, to July 11, 2005, was a Ceylonese-born barrister, social worker and writer who became the first Sri Lankan woman to pass the bar examinations, doing so with honors in 1934. Born into an affluent Parsi family in Colombo, she moved to England at fifteen to finish her schooling, practiced law in London, and returned to Colombo in 1939 before her family relocated to India in 1941, where she settled in Mumbai. There she turned to social activism focused on contraception and family planning, founding the Family Planning Association of India in 1949 and serving as its president for 34 years, work that helped bring family planning into India's first five-year plan. In 1952 she organized the Third International Conference on Planned Parenthood, leading to the founding of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, which she later served as president of from 1983 to 1989 and remained patron of until her death. The Government of India awarded her the Padma Shri in 1971.
Facts
Nationality / Jurisdiction Place of Death Classification
Field of Law Role
Role (category) Role (category) FAQs
Did Avabai Wadia work as a lawyer, and how did she come to family planning?
She practised law in London, Colombo and India before family planning became her life's work.
Yes. She worked as a lawyer in London and Colombo, where she met with prejudice for her gender, and she continued working as a lawyer after coming to India while also volunteering with organisations such as the Women's Political Union and the All India Women's Conference. In the late 1940s, while working with the All India Women's Conference, she began collaborating closely with family planning advocates, and in 1949 this led to the founding of the Family Planning Association of India, where she served as president for 34 years.
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In Legal System
Source Avabai Bomanji Wadia (Wikipedia)
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Sources
1. Avabai Bomanji Wadia (Wikipedia)
IntroductionQuote, Introduction
Avabai Bomanji Wadia (18 September 1913 - 11 July 2005) was a Ceylonese-born Indian social worker, writer and the founder of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and the Family Planning Association of India, two non governmental organisations working to promote sexual health and family planning.
2. Avabai Bomanji Wadia (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIntroduction, gender
She was honoured by the Government of India in 1971 with Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award.
In Legal System: Indian Legal System, Wikipedia lead sentence
was a Ceylonese-born Indian social worker
View the Source 3. Wikidata: Avabai Wadia
Wikidata Q20054119, occupation/position claims
occupation/position claim resolves to: Judge and Barrister
Wikidata Q20054119, P27 country of citizenship claim
P27 (country of citizenship): Sri Lanka
Wikidata Q20054119, P569 date of birth claim (year)
P569 (date of birth): 1913
Wikidata Q20054119, P569 date of birth claim (full date)
P569 (date of birth): 1913-09-18
Wikidata Q20054119, P570 date of death claim (year)
P570 (date of death): 2005
Wikidata Q20054119, P570 date of death claim (full date)
P570 (date of death): 2005-07-11
Wikidata Q20054119, P19 place of birth claim
P19 (place of birth): Colombo
Wikidata Q20054119, P20 place of death claim
P20 (place of death): India
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