India's pioneer woman educator, Savitri Phule was born on January 3, 1831 in Naigon, Maharashtra. Credited with paving the path for education opportunities for Indian women and fighting for women's rights, Phule worked tirelessly as social activist and fought against prevalent practices of her time such as Sati tradition and child marriage.
Phule wrote extensively on need of women's education and eradication of discrimination against them.
As was the custom during that time, Savitri was married off at just nine years old to 13-year-old Jyotirao Phule. Savitri received her education at home by Jyotirao. Both Jyotirao and Savitri worked extensively for women's education and rights. Savitri went on to become India's first lady teacher as the couple opened more than a dozen schools exclusively for girls.
One of the most important icons of the Social Reform Movement in the states of Maharashtra, Savitri also fought to eradicate untouchability. The University of Pune was renamed to Savitribai Phule University in the year 2014 in her honour.
Savitribai and her son, Yashwantrao Gupta, opened a clinic to treat those affected by the bubonic plague in 1897; she contracted the disease and breathed her last on 10 March 1897.