Savitribai Phule

Savitribai Phule (pronunciation^ⓘ; 3 January 1831 – 10 March 1897) was an Indian educator, social reformer, and poet, widely regarded as the first female teacher of modern India. Along with her husband, Jyotiba Phule, she played a pivotal role in advancing women's rights and education in Maharashtra, leaving a legacy that continues to influence social reform movements across India. She is also considered a pioneer of India's feminist movement. She worked to abolish discrimination and the unfair treatment of people based on caste and gender. Savitribai Phule and her husband were trailblazers in women's education in India. In 1848, they established their first school for girls at the residence of Tatyasaheb Bhide, known as Bhide Wada in Pune.

Born and raised in the Mali community, Savitribai was married to Jyotirao Phule at a young age and was initially illiterate. Her education was initiated by her husband through studies at home and later under the mentorship of Sakharam Yeshwant Paranjpe and Keshav Shivram Bhavalkar. She received teacher training in Pune and Ahmednagar, becoming India's first professionally trained female headmistress and teacher. In 1848, together with Jyotirao and Sagunabai Kshirsagar, she opened the nation's first girls' school at Bhidewada in Pune on a progressive syllabus of mathematics, science, and social studies, in spite of strong opposition from society.

Savitribai’s career was marked by her relentless efforts in advancing education for girls and marginalized communities. By 1851, she and Jyotirao managed three girls’ schools in Pune with around 150 students. They opened a total of 18 schools, alongside initiatives such as "Mahila Seva Mandal" in 1851 to promote women's rights and the "Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha", an infanticide prevention center for widows in 1853. Savitribai’s literary contributions include Kavya Phule (1854) and Bavan Kashi Subhodh Ratnakar (1892). She died of bubonic plague in 1897. Today her legacy as the “Mother of Modern Education in India” endures, commemorated through memorials, institutional names, and cultural representations.