A short play on the life and contributions of India’s First Female Teacher, Savitribai Phule, was staged in April at LA Matheson School in Surrey. The play was written, directed, and acted by Surrey-based artist, Simran ‘Kranti”. The play was arranged by the Chetna Association of Canada and coordinated by the teacher, Ms. Gurpreet Kaur Bains.
On April 28, another play (I Will Rise) by Simran Kranti was staged at the same venue. I will Rise depicts the societal expectations of women to look “pretty” and behave as content, obedient, and compliant irrespective of how she feels. Both plays were staged as a part of the Dalit History Month celebrations.
Savitribai Phule is honored for being the woman who “helped set up the first school for women in India”. Phule was a trailblazer in providing education for girls and for ostracized portions of society. She became the first female teacher in India (1848) and opened a school for girls with her husband, Jyotirao Phule.
She went on to establish a shelter (1864) for destitute women and played a crucial role in grooming Jyotirao Phule’s pioneering institution, Satyashodhak Samaj, (1873) that fought for equality of all classes.Her life is heralded as a beacon of women’s rights in India. She is often referred to as the mother of Indian feminism.
Savitribai was born in Naigaon, a small village in the state of Maharashtra, India. As a young girl, Savitribai displayed a strong sense of curiosity and ambition. Savitribai was married to Jyotirao Phule in 1840 at the age of nine and become a child bride. She moved to Pune with him soon after.
More infoay be found at:
Savitribai Phule https://artsandculture.google.com/story/savitribai-phule-zubaan/mAWBW6eHcTWSLg
