Urmila Pawar

Urmila Pawar
Urmila Pawar in 2017
Born1945
Argaon, Ratnagiri, Bombay Presidency, British India (now Maharashtra, India)
Occupation
LanguageMarathi
NationalityIndian
Subject
Literary movementDalit movement, Feminist movement
Years active1980s–present
Notable works
  • Aaidan (The Weave of My Life: A Dalit Woman’s Memoirs)
  • Kavach
  • A Childhood Tale
Notable awards
  • Matoshree Bhimabai Ambedkar Award (2004)
  • Laxmibai Tilak Award (declined)

Urmila Pawar (born 1945) is an Indian writer and activist in the Dalit and feminist movements. Writing primarily in Marathi, her works have often been hailed as a critique of social discrimination and the savarna exploitation by commentators and media outlets.

Pawar's short stories including "Kavach" and "A Childhood Tale" are widely read and form the part of the curriculum at various Indian universities. Her documentation with Meenakshi Moon on the participation of dalit women was a major contribution to the construction of dalit history from a feminist perspective in India.

Pawar's autobiography Aidan (Weave), which was one of the first of its kind account by a dalit woman, won her acclaim and numerous accolades. The book was later translated into English by Maya Pandit and released under the title The Weave of My Life: A Dalit Woman’s Memoirs. Wandana Sonalkar has written the foreword for the book.