Learn About The 19th-Century Reformer Savitribai Phule On The Occasion Of Her Birthday
Savitribai Phule, the first female teacher in India, was born 192 years ago on January 3. Savitribai Phule, a 19th-century social reformer and poet who was born on January 3, 1831, worked to advance females’ education.
The first girl’s school in India was established at Bhide Wada in Pune by Savitribai and Jyotirao Phule in 1848.
Early life
On January 3, 1831, Savitribai Phule was born into a farming family in Naigaon, Maharashtra. She wed Jyotirao Phule, then 13 years old, when she was nine years old. Savitribai Phule had a high-caliber education thanks to the efforts of her husband, who supported women’s education. He prepared her for teaching by imparting knowledge to her at home.
Savitribai Phule later established 18 schools for girls alongside her husband and went on to become India’s first female teacher and headmistress. The reformer, who together with her husband played a crucial part in the fight for women’s rights in India during the British Raj, was also among the first feminists of modern India.
Work
Savitribai Phule led campaigns against child marriage and the Sati custom, among other societal vices, and worked tirelessly to eradicate them. She established a care program for widows and spoke out against prejudice based on caste. Additionally, she criticized the custom of widows shaving their hair.
Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha is a facility Savitribai Phule established for pregnant rape victims, where she assisted in childbirth.
Savitribai Phule worked for Dalits, backward castes, and peasants in addition to women’s rights. She spoke out against discrimination and underlined the importance of getting an education through her poetry. On March 10, 1897, Savitribai Phule passed away while attending to a patient.
In honor of the social reformer, the University of Pune has renamed Savitribai Phule University in 2014.
News Mania Desk
