Question

Write a short note.

Reforms for women by Savitribai Phule.

Answer 1

Savitribai Jyotirao Phule (3 January 1831 – 10 March 1897) was an Indian social reformer, educationalist and poet. She is considered the first lady teacher of India. She was the wife of the great social reformer Jyotirao Phule. Her role in improving women's rights in India during British rule was huge.

The following are her main social reforms:

1. Savitribhai Phule, along with her husband, founded the first girls' school in Pune run by native Indians at Bhide Wada in 1848.
2. To check the school dropout rate, Savitribai on the go did the practice of giving stipends to children for attending school. She remained an inspiration for the young girls she taught. She encouraged them to take up activities like writing and painting.
3. She worked to abolish the discrimination and unfair conduct of people based on caste and gender.
4. Together with her husband, she taught children from different castes and started a total of 18 schools.
5. The couple also opened a care centre called Balhatya Pratibandhak Grihafor pregnant rape victims and helped deliver their children.
6. In 1863, Jyotirao and Savitribai also started a care centre called ‘Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha,’ the first-ever infanticide prohibition home founded in India.
7. She was also connected with a social reform society called ‘Satyashodhak Samaj’ founded by Jyotirao on September 24, 1873, in Pune.
8. She and her husband worked hard during the famines starting in 1876. They distributed free food in different areas and also launched 52 free food hostels in Maharashtra.
9. She also raised her voice against caste and gender discrimination.
10. She has become an icon in particular for the Dalit Mang caste and other marginalized people.
11. She was the leader of the ‘strike of barbers’ which was against shaving the heads of Brahmin widows.

Thus, Savitribhai Phule is considered one of the most efficient women in the 19^th century. Her acts are so noticeable because the condition of women in those times was so feeble and horrible. She empowered other women. She is regarded as an important figure of the social reform movement not only in Maharashtra but also in whole India.