The release of Provoked, the film on Kiranjit Ahluwalia starring Aishwarya Rai, earlier this year, brought back the focus on Asian women in Britain. Kiranjit, a simple young Punjabi bride who came to Britain after an arranged marriage and was subjected to domestic violence, is the story of thousands of Asian brides in Britain. In most cases, the women commit suicide or are killed. Kiranjit poured kerosene over her husband and set him on fire. Her case fought by Southall Black Sisters, an organisation of women in Southall, showed also the militant side of Asian women, the power to organise, protest and fight for their rights, completely breaking the mould of the chappati-making, long-suffering Asian woman that the British media had seen before. When Kiranjit walked free from the court in September 1992, surrounded by the women from Southall Black Sisters and greeted by the cheers of her supporters, the landmark judgment was as much a victory for campaigning Asian women, as for victims of domestic violence in general. Kiranjit’s case led to the release of other British women in jail who had also been victims of violent partners.

But Kiranjit was not the first to highlight the militant side of Asian women, often from the most humble and traditional working class backgrounds. It was in the scorching summer of 1976 that a middle-aged Gujarati lady, Jayaben Desai, walked out in protest from a photo-processing plant in Willesden in North West London, leading to the famous Grunwick strike which made international headlines. Jayaben refused to work overtime and accused her employers of running a zoo not a factory. The workers – largely Asian women – had to endure inhuman conditions in the factory, had limited toilet breaks, were subjected to racial harassment and bullying and were paid wages far below the average. One summer day when workers were suddenly ordered to do overtime, Jayaben cracked. She took her son, who also worked in the factory and marched out in protest.

Wearing a sari and cardigan and carrying her white handbag, Jayaben, the unlikely campaigner, became the leader of the workers and stood with her son on the picket lines. Within hours the other workers had walked out and the Grunwick strike had begun. Police tried to beat up the protesters and Jayaben was arrested, but the strike continued. Jayaben went on a hunger strike, using every tool in the protester’s handbook. Images of sari-wearing protesters waving placards and grappling with riot police filled the newspapers and television bulletins. Jayaben, the average working class Gujarati lady, was the woman of the moment. The British miners supported the protest of the Indian workers and Arthur Scargill came to London and stood on the picket lines with Jayaben. The strike went on for two years and finished in 1978, giving a new image to Asian women.

Twenty years later in 2005, British Airways was paralysed by the strike of Gate Gourmet workers, who prepare meals for the flights. This time the focus was Southall and Punjabi women. They were workers in the food preparation firm, Gate Gourmet which provided airlines meals for flights from Heathrow. British Airways was their main client. Once again, it was the summer of discontent, and a dispute over pay and overtime led to the flash strike by the largely women factory workers. British Airways was virtually grounded and faced losses of millions of pounds. Working class Asian women were now taking on corporate giants like British Airways. Images of salwar-kameez clad women holding placards and shouting for fair pay brought back memories of the Grunwick strike. This time there was no Jayaben. The women had walked out spontaneously. In the end the workers had their way.Today, Kiranjit campaigns for other victims of domestic violence. Jayaben was given an award for the Asian woman of the Year on the 30th anniversary of the Grunwick strike last year. Both were ordinary women who managed to make their voices heard and opened up the way for other women and workers.