Historical Spotlight: Savitribai Phule, India’s First Female Teacher
Savitribai Phule, India’s first female teacher.
“To all the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful, and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.”-Hillary Clinton.
Why does the investment in the education of others matter? The Asherah Foundation believes that education is power, opportunity, and growth for women around the world, who may not otherwise have these things. Education equips a woman with the skills and opportunities they need to help their community or become a leader, and no one knew this to be true more than Savitribai Phule.
Born in Naigaon, India on Jan. 3, 1831, Savitribai was married young to her husband Jyotirao Phule. As was the custom of the time, Savitribai was a child bride. But as fate would have it, her husband was progressive and openminded and would become her partner in social and educational reform. It was her husband that saw her ambition and desire to learn which led him to teach her how to read and write. After her primary education, she went on to receive training while attending school in Ahmednagar and in Pune where she completed her studies and became a qualified teacher.
Savitribai and her husband went on to open India’s first school for girls on Jan. 1, 1848. It was this moment when Savitribai became the girls’ teacher, making her the first female teacher in India’s history. But her achievements didn’t stop there; Savitribai opened 18 schools over the course of her lifetime. In 1854 she opened a large shelter for widows, child brides, and other disadvantaged women who were abandoned by their families. In her later years, Savitribai cofounded with her husband the Truth-seeker’s Society, or Satyashodhak Samaj, an organization dedicated to seeking equality among the castes in the Indian caste system. Savitribai was a vehicle for change in Indian culture, and at the heart of her work was a thirst for equality and an unrelenting need to see her society changed for the better. She saw the value in human life and fought for everyone to have equal access to education.
Savitribai Phule Pune University, renamed after Savitribai Phule on Aug. 9, 2014.
However, the road to educational and social reform wasn’t an easy one for Savitribai. In a day and age where girls weren’t allowed to go to school and where the mixing of caste systems was unacceptable, Savitribai’s dreams of equality for genders and castes were viewed as a threat to the Indian way of life. When Savitribai and Jyotirao opened their school for girls, they were evicted from their family home and left homeless. Savitribai was also met with verbal and physical abuse, and had people throw rocks and dung at her. She was met with constant opposition and challenge, but she knew the value of bringing education to women and to those who society had forgotten. Even though society was against her and all she stood for, this powerful woman became a champion of social reform and an advocate for the education and empowerment of women. In recognition of her monumental achievements and inspiring legacy, on Aug. 9, 2014, the University of Pune was renamed the Savitribai Phule Pune University.
What an inspiration this woman is to the world! As you can see by the life and legacy of Savitribai Phule, when you invest in someone’s right to an education, you are investing in their well-being and the well-being of their communities. The Asherah Foundation helps breathe life into the dreams and aspirations of women around the world who are desperate for a first or second chance at an education. As we support women with our second-chance scholarships, we take inspiration from Savitribai and the women who came before us who made a stand against oppression and inequality and fought for us to have the rights we have today.