Contribution Of Savitribai Phule

The government is running many schemes regarding the education and health of women in India, due to which women have become aware. But the campaign to educate women and make them stand on their own feet was started by Savitribai Phule was social worker and teacher, who not only defeated the evils of society by taking education but also worked to open the doors of education for girls in India. Savitribai Phule stood firm in her struggle to educate women without grit and self-confidence, overcoming many obstacles and achieved success. Savitribai Phule along with her husband Jyoti Rao fought against the evils of women's rights, education, sati, child marriage, and widow- marriage also spread superstition spread in society in the 19th century. Savitribai Phule and her husband Jyoti Rao Phule laid the foundation of women's education in India. The two first opened the country's first modern women's school in Pune in 1848. Savitribai Phule and Jyoti Rao Phule also fought against the cast system and gender discrimination. Savitribai was born in a wealthy farmer family; in 1940 at the age of 9, she married 12-year-old Jyoti Rao Phule. Savitribai and Jyoti Rao had no children, they adopted Yashwant Rao. Savitribai was taught to read and write by her husband, they both opened a women's school in Pune and started working as a teacher in it. Later Savitribai also opened a school for the untouchables.

Savitribai took up the responsibility of educating other women as well and together with Jyoti Rao founded the Girl's school in Pune in 1848, in which a total of 9 girls enrolled and Savitribai became the headmistress of this school. After this the path became easy and she also fought to get the right to education and other fundamental rights to the girls and women in India as well. Before independence, Pune was located in the Bombay presidency; the British rulers helped the Phule couple to run programs of social reform. Child marriage was prevalent among Hindus in the 19th century; many girls became child widows due to the high mortality rate. Widow girls could not get married again due to social customs and traditions. The Phule couple also launched a reform movement against child marriage. Savitribai Phule is also credited as the woman in modern India who raised her voice and advocated for women's rights at a time when women were being oppressed and living in a sub-human existence.

By: Srishti Rathod

Contribution Of Savitribai Phule In Women’s Education