Today, March 10, 2018 marks the 121st death anniversary of Savitribai Phule, one of the foremost and earliest women reformers in India. In an age when girls and women were not even allowed to step out of the house without permission, let alone pursue higher education, Savitribai along with her equally remarkable and dedicated social reformer husband, Jyotirao Phule, pioneered and fought for the education of girl child. Here are some important facts about the social reformer and the woman who many consider to be the first woman teacher in India:

1. Savitribai Phule was born on January 3, 1831 and was married to social reformer Jyotirao Phule at the young age of 9, as child marriages were the practice back then. Jyotirao was only 12 years old at the time of their marriage. However, this did not stop Jyotirao Phule from educating Savitribai and himself.

2. It was Jyotirao Phule's dream to educate girls and it was his vision that women should be educated as they form the base of family and hence, society. After obtaining education, Savitribai joined her husband in the mission to educate girls. Savitribai Phule set up the country’s first women’s school in Pune in 1848  and has the distinction of being the first woman teacher of India. She did not stop there and went on to open 17 more schools despite all the opposition she had to face.

3.  Savitribai had to face great opposition for her attempts in educating girls. She had to endure insults such as cow dung thrown at her and mud as she walked towards the school. To counter this she had to carry two sarees with her and also helped girl students by providing them stipends. She was a poet too and wrote some really progressive poems.

4. Google had honoured Savitribai with a doodle on the eve of her 186th birth anniversary on January 3, 2017 and mentioned that " Savitribai’s legacy lives on today. The Government of Maharashtra has instituted an award in her name and in 2015, the University of Pune in western India was renamed: Savitribai Phule Pune University in her honor. " Surely, her legacy lives on in more ways than one.

Savitribai Phule was well ahead of her times and her actions demonstrated that aptly. She supported women education, inter-caste marriages and fought for the eradication of untouchability. Professor Surendra Jadhav, who has been teaching Economics for almost about two decades says that, "Savitribai Phule began the education movement for women in India. In this regard, Savitribai Phule and Fatima Bibi are the real pioneers of women's education in India." Savitribai and her efforts has and will keep inspiring all those looking to make the society a better place. She was not only an educationist and reformer but is also a great role model for the society in general and women in particular.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 10, 2018 11:19 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).