Mythili Sivaraman

Mythili Sivaraman (14 December 1939 – 30 May 2021) was an Indian women's rights and trade union activist. She was a co-founder of All India Democratic Women's Association and leader in the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Through her writings and activism she brought attention to the Keezhvenmani massacre of 1968 and the Vachati mass rape cases of 1992. She led efforts to drive women's empowerment, particularly of women from the disadvantaged communities, and trade union and labour activism. She was a contributor to Economic and Political Weekly, and wrote for publications including Mainstream and the Radical Review. Sivaraman was born on 14 December 1939 in Kakinada in present day Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. She completed her higher education from the Syracuse University in the United States. She worked as a research assistant in the Permanent Mission of India to the UN (between 1966 and 1968). During this time she was involved in research related to non-self-governing territories. She also participated in the Anti-Vietnam war movement. At the end of her stint at the UN, she returned to India to work with the left and became a trade union organizer and women's rights activist working with women in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. She was a co-founder of the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) with women's leader and fellow activist Pappa Umanath. She later served the organization as its vice-president. She was also a trade union activist affiliated with the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU). She was also a member of the Indian political party Communist Party of India (Marxist). She also served the party as a member of its Tamil Nadu state committee.