Savitribai Phule: Pioneer of Women’s Education in India

This is from that time when even men had to struggle a lot to study. At that time, if a woman talked about the welfare of women, it was like giving life to dry leaves.

There was a time when the whole world was touching the wings of progress, at that time talking about women’s education in our country was like talking about useless things. When the whole country was sleeping in the chains of slavery, Savitri Bai Phule worked to emphasize on women’s education.

The importance of women’s education is immense for social, economic and cultural progress. A great social reformer like Savitri Bai Phule made a unique contribution in the field of women’s education. Savitri Bai Phule holds an important place in Indian history as a woman.

She made an unparalleled contribution in the field of women’s education and social reform. Her courageous actions led society on the path of positive change and proved the importance of women’s education for modern Indian women.

On 3 January, a auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule, we will know in detail about the life of Savitribai Phule, her important work and her contribution to women’s education.

Thousands of great personalities were born from time to time in this whole world and even today this process is going on continuously. Someone has rightly said that as long as this world exists, great people will keep on being born.

Every day we see this society being made and destroyed around us, because every day the good and bad behavior of people keeps changing the environment around us.

If we talk about those civilizations which kept us as slaves for centuries and even today we are bound by the thoughts of some civilization, some community.

Even after so many restrictions, some people emerge like a fish reaches the ocean by breaking the river, at the same time it leaves behind so many possibilities that people like it get inspired by it and are able to pull themselves out of the swamp. Savitribai Phule has also been such a personality.

This is about that time when even men had to struggle a lot to get educated. At that time if a woman talked about the welfare of women, it was like someone talking about giving life to dry leaves. There was a time when the whole world was touching the heights of progress, whether you talk about America or Russia. At that time, talking about women education in our country was like talking about useless things.

When the whole country was sleeping in the chains of slavery, Savitri Bai Phule emphasized on women education. Due to such a great work, today the whole world knows her as India’s first female teacher, social reformer and Marathi poetess.

Need for Women’s Education:

Women’s education is necessary for the society. It not only develops the personality and self-reliance of women, but also makes the society prosperous and progressive. Through women’s education, women gain independence, strategicity, confidence, and self-esteem.

Women’s education is needed because educated women can contribute to social, economic, political, and cultural development to their full potential. Educated women understand their rights and have the ability to exercise them. This increases the active and strategic role of women in society, leading to the completeness and prosperity of the society.

Women’s education gives women a feeling of independence. Educated women take their decisions freely and have control over the progress of their lives.

Women get the ability to fulfill their needs, dreams, and plans independently. Through education, women develop new ideology and make themselves socially, economically, and culturally self-reliant. They can discover new opportunities in their lives and achieve success in their career fields.

Women’s education makes them feel strategic. Educated women gain a place in society through equality and protect their rights. They actively involve themselves in social and political decisions and show courage to express their ideas and opinions. Women’s education inspires them to play an active role in the affairs of their family, society, and country.

Contribution of Savitri Bai Phule:

Savitri Bai Phule was the first teacher and social reformer of Indian women’s society. She made a unique contribution in the field of women’s education. She established educational institutions for women, where women could study. She gave the message of empowering women through knowledge, self-reliance and independence. The schools and educational institutions established by her brought the benefit of education to thousands of women.

Savitri Bai Phule established shelters for widows and disabled women, where they got health services, food, clothing and education facilities. She fought against women exploitation and discrimination and struggled to improve the condition of women.

Savitri Bai Phule’s dedication to women’s education made her prominent as a social reformer. She raised the voice of women and their education from social, economic and political perspective. Savitribai Phule’s dedication towards women’s education made her prominent as a social reformer. She fought to ensure the recognition and respect of women in the society. She encouraged women to pursue higher education and tried to empower them from social, economic and political perspective.

Her struggle filled women with a sense of self-confidence, self-reliance and equality. She made women aware of their rights and inspired them to take independent decisions. She laid the foundation for change in society through women’s education.

Savitribai Phule made women’s education her important objective as a social revolution. She is respected by the Indian society for her unique contribution as a freedom fighter. Her life journey full of courage and valor created a new map in the field of women’s education.

Savitribai Phule fought for women, liberated them and provided them a new direction. She raised her voice especially in favor of widows, disabled and socially backward women.

Her struggles attracted Indian society towards women’s education and moved it towards freedom, equality and progress. She worked to awaken the society and provided women with opportunities for higher education. Her efforts improved the status of women and raised voices to make them a part of society.

Savitribai Phule worked continuously throughout her life to advance women’s education. The educational institutions and women’s assemblies established under her leadership are still a proof of her reputation.

What kind of school was she established and her death

This is about the time when her husband said that to uplift women, we will need to establish a school. Then on 3 January 1848, she established a school for women with nine students of different castes in Pune along with her husband.

In one year, Savitribai and Mahatma Phule succeeded in opening five new schools. The then government also honoured them. How difficult it would have been for a female principal to run a girls’ school in 1848, it is perhaps impossible to imagine even today.

At that time, there was a social ban on the education of girls. Savitribai Phule not only studied herself in that era, but also made arrangements for other girls to study.

Though, talking about her death on the occasion of her birthday today seems a bit baseless. But the real destiny of life is that death is a poignant truth and truth cannot be hidden. Let us tell you that this great heroine Savitribai Phule died on 10 March 1897 due to plague.

Savitribai Phule as a poet

Apart from being a social reformer, Savitribai Phule also became famous as a poet. She expressed her struggles, movements, and the importance of women’s education through her poems. Her poems served to enlighten the society, sensitize the public and inspire them for justice.

Savitribai Phule’s poems contained social and moral messages that reflected the demand for freedom, equality and advancement of women. Her poems raised their voice against the obstacles, circumstances and injustices of the society. She was one of the leading examples of the women’s movement and through her poems she raised her voice for mutual harmony, equality and justice.

Savitribai Phule’s poems have a deep emotional and sensitive feel that reveals the demand for social change and women’s empowerment.

Savitribai Phule’s poems are a testimony to literary excellence and her literary instincts reflect her sensitivity and social awareness towards women and society.

Savitribai Phule’s poems clearly reflect the demand for women’s rights, self-reliance, self-respect and independence. Through her poems, she indicated a change in the lives of women. Her poems reflect a sense of thoughtfulness and sensitivity by adding her voice to various issues of the society.

Her poems also reflect her social and national ideology. She understood the importance of women empowerment and tried to spread it in the social life of the society through her poems. Her poems raise topics like women’s education, child marriage, dowry system, social contradictions, caste-religion discrimination, women’s inaccessibility, freedom struggle, etc.

Savitribai Phule’s poems have a deep emotionality and sensitivity that reveals the demand for social change and women empowerment.

Social work of Savitribai Phule

Savitribai Phule made a significant contribution to empowering women society through her social work. She gave priority to women’s education in Indian society and started many schemes to empower women from economic, social and political point of view. She not only established new institutions in the field of education, but also ensured the arrangement of vocational training of women.

Savitribai Phule established a free education institution for women named “Balika Vidyalaya”. Through this institution, she used to provide basic education to women as well as vocational and scientific education to women. This strengthened the self-confidence and self-confidence of women and they started feeling empowered in the society.

Savitribai Phule fought strongly against caste-religion discrimination for women. She struggled to empower women by challenging social and cultural traditions. She exposed the practices of forced marriage and child marriage and fought for the right to education despite the barriers of caste-religion.

She conducted various movements and campaigns to eliminate caste-religion discrimination in society. She participated in social gatherings, public meetings, movements, and demonstrations to empower women to struggle. She fought against caste-religion discrimination and made women experience the values of freedom and equality.

Savitribai Phule made women aware against caste-religion discrimination through education.

Savitribai Phule made women aware against caste-religion discrimination through education. She opened a free education institute for women and provided them opportunities from where women got the path to get higher education. She fought against discrimination in education on the basis of caste, religion, or gender.

In her free education institute “Balika Vidyalaya”, women were taught important subjects like science, mathematics, English, and social sciences. She ensured that women were taught to make proper use of their rights to education so that they could empower themselves and move ahead in society.

Savitribai Phule adopted several measures to make women self-reliant in education.

Conclusion:

Savitribai Phule adopted several measures to make women self-reliant in education. She made women aware about vocational training, skill development, and employment opportunities. Her main aim was to make women economically independent and encouraged measures to make them self-reliant.

Savitribai Phule ensured employment opportunities for women in construction works and industries. She trained women in textile industry, potkari, kacchi kari, kitab bindi, and various crafts and trade fields.

Apart from this, she organized skill development programs where women were provided with the necessary qualifications to get jobs.

Savitribai Phule organized Nari Satyagrahas for women empowerment.