Born: January 3, 1831
Died: March 10, 1897
Place of Birth: Naigaon, Satara district, Maharashtra
Caste/Community: Mali (OBC – historically a marginalized backward caste)

In the India of the 19th century, where girls were married before puberty, widows were condemned to silence, and education for women — especially from backward castes — was unthinkable, Savitribai Phule emerged like a flame in the darkness. Her name is etched in history not merely as India’s first female teacher, but as a revolutionary who dared to rewrite the destiny of millions.

Born into the Mali community, considered socially backward, Savitribai was married off at the age of nine to Jyotirao Phule, a young man who, unlike most of his time, believed that true progress could only come through education and equality. Recognizing Savitribai’s intelligence and potential, Jyotirao began teaching her to read and write — a radical act in itself. She didn’t just learn; she flourished. And soon, she took up the mission herself: to teach others like her.

In 1848, Savitribai Phule opened the first school for girls in India at Bhide Wada, Pune. The students were girls from oppressed castes — daughters of farmers, workers, and untouchables — those society had discarded. This was more than a school; it was a rebellion in brick and mortar. The act of educating a girl was seen as sacrilege. On her way to school, Savitribai was routinely abused, pelted with cow dung, and threatened. Yet, every day, she walked those hostile streets with poise, carrying extra saris in her bag to change into once she reached school.

But education was just one front. Alongside Jyotirao, she challenged the caste system, fought against child marriage, and advocated for widow remarriage — a subject so taboo that they were often ostracized and ridiculed. The couple also started a home for pregnant rape survivors and widows — unheard of at the time. They named it Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha (Home to Prevent Infanticide) — a safe refuge where women could give birth with dignity.

Savitribai also emerged as one of India’s first published female poets. Her poems weren’t delicate verses of nature and love — they were powerful cries for justice, equality, and resistance. Through her words, she awakened the conscience of a sleeping society.

Her courage continued till the end. During the bubonic plague pandemic in 1897, Savitribai, now in her mid-60s, risked her life to serve the afflicted. She set up a clinic for the plague-stricken. In the course of this selfless work, she contracted the disease and died — not in comfort, but in service.

🌟 Legacy

Today, Savitribai Phule stands as a towering figure in Indian history — not just in the realm of education, but in the broader landscape of social justice, feminism, and reform. Statues and institutions bear her name. January 3rd is celebrated as Balika Din (Girl Child Day) in her honor in Maharashtra. Her life is taught in schools — the same schools she once had to fight to build.

She didn’t just teach girls to read — she taught an entire nation how to fight for its daughters. Savitribai Phule’s legacy is not confined to history books. It breathes in every girl who enters a classroom, in every woman who finds her voice, and in every marginalized soul that dares to dream of dignity.