Blog| Women’s Day 2026: Why Savitribai Phule Still Deserves Greater Recognition

When I hear it’s International Women’s Day on March 8, the first face that comes to my mind is Savitribai Phule.

There are many great women in history.

Many names appear in textbooks, speeches, and social media posts every year.

But for me, Savitribai Phule stands apart. She was not just a teacher. She was a revolutionary educator, a fearless reformer, and a pioneer who changed the future of millions of women in India.

Sometimes I wonder why Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s birthday on September 5 is celebrated as Teachers’ Day in India.

He was certainly a respected philosopher and teacher. But if we look at the history of education in India — especially education for girls and marginalised communities — the person who truly transformed it was Savitribai Phule.

If you ask me, January 3, Savitribai Phule’s birthday, should be celebrated as India’s Teachers’ Day.

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Savitribai Phule was born on January 3, 1831, in Naigaon village in present-day Maharashtra. She belonged to the Mali community, which was considered a lower caste in the rigid social structure of that time.

Like most girls in 19th-century India, Savitribai was married very young. She was just nine years old when she married Jyotirao Phule, who was only thirteen.

At that time, girls were not allowed to study. Education was considered unnecessary for women. Many people even believed that teaching girls was sinful.

Savitribai herself was illiterate when she got married.

Jyotirao Phule believed that education was the most powerful tool to fight inequality.

He began teaching Savitribai at home. Slowly, she learned to read and write. Later, she received formal teacher training and became India’s first professionally trained female teacher.

That moment alone changed Indian history.

In 1848, Savitribai Phule and Jyotirao Phule did something revolutionary. They opened India’s first school for girls in Pune.

The school started at Bhide Wada, the residence of Tatyasaheb Bhide. This was not just another school. It was a social revolution.

The curriculum included mathematics, science, and social studies, subjects that girls were never allowed to study before.

But society did not accept this change easily.

Every day when Savitribai walked to school, people threw stones, mud, and cow dung at her. They abused her for teaching girls.

Yet she continued.

In fact, she carried an extra sari in her bag, because she knew people would throw dirt on her before she reached the classroom.

That is the level of courage she had.

Savitribai Phule did not stop with one school.

By 1851, she and Jyotirao were running three schools for girls in Pune, with around 150 students. Eventually, they helped start 18 schools.

Even more inspiring was their commitment to educating children from marginalised castes, who were completely excluded from the education system at that time.

They were supported by another remarkable woman, Fatima Sheikh, who became one of India’s first Muslim women teachers.

Together, they challenged both caste discrimination and gender discrimination.

Savitribai Phule’s work was not limited to classrooms. She understood that women faced many forms of oppression, child marriage, widow discrimination, and social stigma.

To support women, she founded Mahila Seva Mandal, an organisation that raised awareness about women’s rights and equality.

She also started Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha, a shelter for widows who were often forced to hide their pregnancies or abandon their babies because of social shame.

At this shelter, widows could safely give birth and leave their children for care and adoption.

In the 19th century, this was a radical humanitarian act. Savitribai Phule was also a powerful writer and poet.

Her poetry collections Kavya Phule (1854) and Bavan Kashi Subodh Ratnakar (1892) carried strong messages about social equality and education.

One of her famous poems encourages oppressed communities with a powerful call:

“Go, get an education.”

She believed education could break the chains of caste and patriarchy.

Even today, those words feel incredibly relevant. Savitribai Phule’s life ended in an act of extraordinary bravery.

In 1897, a bubonic plague epidemic spread around Pune. Savitribai and her adopted son, Yashwant, opened a clinic to treat infected people.

One day, she heard that a young boy in a nearby settlement had the plague. Savitribai rushed there, carried the sick boy on her back to the hospital, and saved him.

But during the process, she caught the infection herself.

She died on March 10, 1897.

Even in her final moments, she was serving others.

Today, Savitribai Phule is remembered as the “Mother of Modern Education in India.” Her legacy continues through institutions like Savitribai Phule Pune University, which was named in her honour.

But beyond statues, memorials, and textbooks, her real legacy is visible in every girl who goes to school today.

However, despite her extraordinary contributions, Savitribai Phule still does not receive the recognition she truly deserves across India.

While she is remembered as the first female teacher of modern India and a pioneer who opened the country’s first school for girls, many students and young people still know very little about her life and struggles.

Her courage in fighting caste discrimination, promoting women’s education, and challenging social injustice in the 19th century was revolutionary.

Yet her story is often limited to a few lines in textbooks or occasional speeches. Compared to the immense impact she had on Indian society, the awareness about Savitribai Phule remains surprisingly small.

Every International Women’s Day, we celebrate empowerment, equality, and progress.

But Savitribai Phule lived those values more than 175 years ago, when the world around her refused to accept them. She walked through humiliation, resistance, and danger just to ensure that girls could learn.

That is why when March 8 arrives, I don’t just think about Women’s Day campaigns or hashtags.

I think about Savitribai Phule walking to school with an extra sari in her bag, determined to teach girls despite the hatred around her.

And honestly, that is why I still believe that January 3, the birthday of Savitribai Phule, deserves to be celebrated as India’s Teachers’ Day.

Because without her courage, millions of women in India might never have entered a classroom at all.

And perhaps that is the greatest lesson a teacher can ever give.