Savitribai Phule: Battling Stones, She Paved the Way for Women's Education

• Savitribai Phule, India's first female teacher, born Jan 3, 1831, pioneered women's and Dalit education despite severe social opposition.
• Married at 9 to Jyotirao Phule, she was educated by him and later trained as a teacher in Ahmednagar and Pune.
• In 1848, she and Jyotirao opened India's first girls' school in Pune, where she served as headmistress, welcoming girls of all castes.
• She faced extreme hostility, including stones and cow dung, but persevered, carrying extra clothes and offering scholarships to students.
• A powerful social reformer, poet, and philosopher, she promoted inter-caste marriages, opened her well to Dalits, and established 18 schools.

Why It Matters: Savitribai Phule's unwavering courage broke barriers, establishing women's education and social reform in India.