The All India Mahila Congress was given a separate entity in 1983, with a status of a Frontal Organization of the AICC from a Women’s Cell or a Women’s Wing of 1952. A meeting of Congress women attending the AICC session was held at Shanmugam Hall Bombay on 21^st October 1983. The Prime Minister, Smt. Indira Gandhi took time off from the session to address them. A meeting of the State Conveners of the Congress Women’s Front was also held during the AICC Session. Shri Rajiv Gandhi M.P and General Secretary, AICC attended the meeting and listened to their problems. A Resolution was passed, that an independent & full fledged status should be given to the party’s women’s organization which was till then regarded as a ‘Wing’ or a ‘Front’ Cell of the party. Smt. Abida Begum was the Chairperson of the Cell and Smt. Margaret Alwa was the Convener. The Resolution was referred to the AICC for necessary approval.

A Constitution Review Committee was constituted to recast the Constitution of the Women’s Front to make it’s functioning more dynamic. The members of the Committee were:- Smt. Abida Begum, MP, Chairperson Women’s Front; Smt. Margaret Alva, MP, Convener, Women’s Front, Miss Mehmooda Begum, Joint Secretary AICC, Smt. Sunanda Bandari, Advocate, Smt. Vidhyawati Chaturvedi, MP (Former) Chairperson Women’s Wing and Smt. M. Chandrasekhar, MP, Member Parliamentary Board. A provision was made to start a membership drive separately.

Just before the Plenary Session in Calcutta in December 1983, Mahila Congress was very fortunate to have housed at new Headquarters at No. 1, Talkatora Road, New Delhi on 17^th November 1983. This historic day was celebrated by Shri Rajiv Gandhi, the then General Secretary of AICC, traditionally lighting the ceremonial lamp.

A 2-day National Convention of Mahila Congress was held at Bangalore on 15^th – 16^th September 1984. The convention was inaugurated by late Smt. Indira Gandhi and valedictory address was delivered by Shri Rajiv Gandhi. A new Constitution was approved and adopted at the Convention to convert the Congress Mahila Cell into a Frontal Organization and name it as All India Mahila Congress. The All India Mahila Congress started functioning as an independent Frontal Organization with the approval of President AICC from 1984 at National Level and spreading to State, District, Mandal and Block level. First Membership drive was launched on June 1, 1984.

The 1984 Bangalore convention of the Mahila Congress was in a way a milestone in the history of the women’s movement in the country. From Bangalore till today, the Mahila Congress has come a long way. The Congress party under the dynamic leadership of Smt. Indira Gandhi and Shri Rajiv Gandhi has paid special attention to women in the past and it continues to do so under the inspiring leadership of Smt. Sonia Gandhi who has brought enormous political changes into the body politic so much so that we can once again look towards the future with hope and confidence.