At a time when people hardly identified the grievances of women in India, Savitribai Phule along with her husband stood up to fight the injustice against women.

Savitribai Jyotirao Phule, born on 3 January 1831, was a social reformer and poet. She played an important role in fighting for women's rights in India during British rule and is described as "one of the first-generation modern Indian feminists".

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Phule along with her husband founded the first women's school at Bhide Wada in Pune in 1848.

The child bride who stood up against discrimination

Born into a family of farmers in Naigaon, Maharashtra, she was married to 12-year-old Jyotirao Phule at the age of nine.

The practice of child marriage was prevalent in the 19th century and since the mortality rate was high at the time, many young girls often became widows even before attaining puberty.

Such widows used to shave their heads, wear a simple red sari and live a life of austerity. It was Savitribai who decided to stand up against this practice and organized a strike against the barbers in order to persuade them to stop shaving the heads of the widow.

She noticed the plight of women who after falling prey to sexual exploitation, and becoming pregnant, either committed suicide or killed the newborn due to fear of banishment by the society. To cater to such women she opened a care center for pregnant rape victims and helped deliver their children.

The care center was called "Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha" (Infanticide prohibition house).

Challenging the casteist patriarchy

Phule also worked to abolish discrimination and unfair treatment of people based on caste and gender.

She found the treatment of the untouchables problematic and opened a well in her house in 1868 so that, people who were refused drinking water by the upper caste can use it.

She died while taking care of the patients suffering during the worldwide Third Pandemic of the bubonic (bacterial infection) plague.