Updated Dec 31, 2020 | 20:53 IST Savitribai Phule did not just preach the importance of education and equality. She lived it. The Phules nearly died at the hands of attackers who despised their pioneering work. But they soldiered on. Savitribai and Jyotiba Phule Savitribai Phule, the spouse and partner in every campaign of Jyotiba Phule, was born 190 years ago. Yet, Savitribai is naturally relevant to mankind today. Born on 3 January 1831 in Naigaon taluka of Satara district, this woman leader from rural Maharashtra who fought against huge odds for the rights of the oppressed and women’s empowerment remains an icon. Wearing many hats of a social reformer, a pioneer in education, and poet - Savitribai lived the revolution she preached. She was the first woman teacher of the first women’s school in India and a pioneer in modern Marathi poetry.