Savitribai Phule was an Indian social reformer, educationist and poet who significantly promoted women's education and their empowerment in India during the 19th century. She was born on January 3, 1831, in Naigaon, Maharashtra, and died on March 10, 1897. Today on March 10, her death anniversary, let us unravel some of her contributions to the country as the first female teacher in India.
Who was Savitribai Phule?
Savitribai Phule was a prolific writer and poet, and she wrote numerous poems in Marathi that dealt with social issues such as the plight of women and the lower castes. Her poems continue to inspire people today and are considered an essential part of Marathi literature.
Savitribai Phule's contribution to Indian society and the cause of women's education and empowerment is immense. She is remembered as a pioneer who dedicated her life to improving the lives of others.
What were some of the key achievements in her life?
Savitribai Phule worked tirelessly to promote women's education and empowerment in India. She believed that education was the key to social and economic progress, and she played a significant role in breaking down the social barriers that prevented women from accessing education. She and her husband founded the Satyashodhak Samaj, an organisation aimed at promoting social and religious equality. They worked to eradicate caste-based discrimination and to promote the rights of lower castes and women.
What are the challenges she had to overcome as the first female teacher?
As the first female teacher in India and along with her husband, Jyotirao Phule, she established the first school for girls in Pune in 1848. She faced a lot of opposition and discrimination from society for promoting education for girls and women, but she persisted in her efforts.
She faced opposition and discrimination from society and from a few parents, who did not believe that a woman was capable of teaching. As a female teacher, Savitribai Phule did not have access to the same resources as her male counterparts.
How did Savitribai Phule fight for the cause of women's education and empowerment?
Savitribai Phule believed that education was the key to social and economic progress, and she worked tirelessly to promote women's education and empowerment in India. Apart from establishing the first school for girls in Pune with her husband, she started a separate school for adult women who had missed out on education in their childhood.
She also worked to improve the social and legal status of women in Indian society. She fought against child marriage, the practice of Sati, and other social evils that oppressed women. Sati was legally banned in India in the 1820s itself. She fought against communities that were still practising it illegally.
