Margaret Cousins

Margaret Elizabeth Cousins (; 7 November 1878 – 11 March 1954), known as Gretta Cousins, was an Irish-Indian educationist, suffragist and Theosophist, known for founding the All India Women's Conference (AIWC) and co-founding the Women's Indian Association (WIA). The eldest of 15 siblings, Cousins was raised in an Unionist and Methodist household.

In 1894, Cousins was awarded a scholarship to study at Victoria High School for Girls in Derry. Cousins co-founded the Irish Women's Franchise League with Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington in 1908, serving as its first treasurer. In 1910 she was one of six Dublin women attending the Parliament of Women, which attempted to march to the House of Commons to hand a resolution to the Prime Minister. After 119 women marching to the House of Commons had been arrested, 50 requiring medical treatment , the women decided to break the windows of the houses of Cabinet Ministers. Cousins was arrested and sentenced to a month in Holloway Prison. The women demanded to be treated as political prisoners, and went on hunger strike to achieve release. James Cousins initially worked for New India before Besant was forced to dismiss him for an article praising the Easter Uprising.

She was a member of the Flag Presentation Committee, which was a committee of 74 Indian women led by Hansa Mehta at the Constituent Assembly. The committee presented the National Flag of India on behalf of the women of India to the House on 14 August 1947.

Personal life On 9 April 1903 Cousins married James Cousins, whom she had met in 1900.

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