Pandita Ramabai: Pioneer of Women's Education

Born into a Marathi Brahmin family, Ramabai was taught Sanskrit by her father at a time when women were forbidden from learning the sacred texts. After her parents died during the great famine of 1876-78, she travelled across India with her brother.

Her extraordinary knowledge of Sanskrit texts deeply impressed the scholars at Calcutta University. In 1878, they bestowed upon her the highest titles of 'Pandita' (scholar) and 'Sarasvati' (goddess of learning). She was the first woman to receive these titles.

Ramabai dedicated her life to improving the horrific conditions of Indian women, especially child widows.

• Arya Mahila Samaj: Founded in Pune in 1881 to promote women's education and campaign against child marriage.
• Mukti Mission (1889): Established in Kedgaon (near Pune), this was a refuge and educational centre for young widows, orphans, and destitute women. It provided shelter, education, and vocational training, making women self-reliant.
• Sharada Sadan: A school specifically for child widows.

Ramabai travelled extensively to England and the United States to raise funds for her missions in India. She wrote a highly influential book, 'The High-Caste Hindu Woman' (1887), which exposed the dark reality of child marriage and the subjugation of women in orthodox Hindu society to an international audience.