Savitribai Phule (3 January 1831 – 10 March 1897) was an Indian social reformer, educationalist, anti-abortionist and poet from Maharashtra.
She is regarded as the first female teacher of India. Along with her husband, Jyotirao Phule, she played an important role in improving women’s rights in India during British rule.
At the time of her marriage, Savitribai Phule had not been educated because Brahmins forbade it for people of her low caste and gender.
But Jyotirao, recognized her love for education, and taught her at home.
Soon she Completed her education, after completing her teacher’s education, Savitribai Phule started teaching girls at the Maharwada in Pune.
Unfortunately, Savitribai and Jotirao Phule’s success did not come without much resistance from the conservative community that they were surrounded by. It is said that Savitribai often travelled to her school carrying an extra sari because she would be assailed by her conservative opposition with stones, dung, and verbal abuse. The Phules faced such strong opposition because of the conservative and marginalized caste to which they belonged.
The Sudra community had been denied education for thousands of years.
But Savitribai was adamant on giving education to girls and women.
Together with her husband, she taught children from different castes and opened a total of 18 schools. The couple also opened a care centre called Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha,(literally, “Child-killing Prohibition Home”) for pregnant rape victims and helped deliver and save their children.
Savitribai Phule was also a prolific author and poet, here is her famout poem
Go, Get Education