Meenambal Sivaraj, born on 12 December 1904 in Rangoon, Burma, was a leading voice for Scheduled Caste rights and women's empowerment. Her father, V.G. Vasudeva Pillai, became the first SC member of the Madras Legislative Council. She married Sivaraj in 1918, supported the Simon Commission in 1928 and worked closely with B.R. Ambedkar and Periyar. She was the first Dalit woman to join the All India Scheduled Castes Federation and the first woman president of the South India Scheduled Castes Federation. She chose the name Angiarkanni Siva Arasu, joined the University of Madras Senate in 1946 and later the Madras City Council. She died on 30 November 1992.