Savitribai
Phule
Savitribai Phule (born January 3, 1831,
Naigaon [now in Maharashtra state], India—died March 10, 1897, Poona [now
Pune]) was social reformer and pioneer of education for
women in India. She was
one of the first female teachers in India and opened several schools for girls
with her husband, Jyotirao
Phule. She also played a key role in the Satyashodhak Samaj
(“Society of Truth Seekers”), a society founded by Jyotirao Phule in 1873 to
promote social equality. Savitribai Phule is often cited as a role model for
women’s empowerment and feminism in
India.
Key Contributions & Activism
- Pioneering
Education: With Jyotirao, she
founded India's first school for girls in 1848, facing intense social
backlash, including physical abuse, and carried a spare sari for when she
was pelted with mud.
- Multiple
Schools: They established over 18 schools for girls and
marginalized communities, teaching science, math, and social sciences,
outnumbering British-run schools.
- Satyashodhak
Samaj: Co-founded this society
for social equality, advocating for inter-caste marriages and challenging
Brahminical dominance.
- Women's
Rights: Campaigned against child
marriage, female infanticide, and the practice of shaving widows' heads,
establishing a shelter for pregnant widows (Infanticide Prohibition Home).
- Literary
Work: A pioneer of Marathi
poetry, her works like Kavya Phule (1854) inspired social
change.
Later Life & Legacy
- Leadership: Took
over leadership of the Satyashodhak Samaj after Jyotirao's death, even
lighting his funeral pyre herself, defying tradition.
- Plague
Relief: Established a clinic for plague victims and died
on March 10, 1897, from the disease while caring for patients.
- Enduring
Symbol: Remembered as a feminist icon, a champion of the
oppressed, and a catalyst for women's empowerment in India.
Library activities-
On 3.1.2026, the biography speech on Savitribai Phule was delivered in the Vidyalaya assembly by Kanishka class 9B.
In library session, discussion was held on Savitribai Phule and her contribution.
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