Savitribai and Jyotirao Phule : Fought for women empowerment

In 18th-century India, women faced severe restrictions, often married young, deprived of education, and considered inferior. Savitribai Phule was born into such a world.

As a young girl, she felt a deep love for reading and writing, but this was seen as inappropriate for her caste and gender. When her father caught her trying to read, he tore the book from her hands, telling her that education was only for upper-caste men. This hurt young Savitribai deeply but didn’t extinguish her dream.

At just nine years old, she married Jyotirao Phule, a man who would become her greatest ally. One day, Savitribai gathered the courage to tell him about her desire to study. Jyotirao not only respected her dream but decided to teach her himself. His support wasn’t easy; their community condemned him, and even his own family expelled him from home yet Jyotirao stand still for her wife like a unwavering mountain.

With his support, Savitribai learned to read and write. On January 1, 1848, they opened India’s first school for girls, and Savitribai became India’s first female teacher.

Both dedicated their life to empowering women through education and promoting equality. In gratitude, she once expressed, ‘My Phule, you are the one who showed me life, who stood with me against the darkness of ignorance. Together, we will bring light to those kept away from knowledge and create equality through education.’