Pandita Ramabai (1858–1922)—Social Reformer and Educationist

Pandita Ramabai was born Rama Dongre in 1858 into a Marathi Brahmin family. She learned Sanskrit from her father, a scholar, and became a distinguished scholar herself. After losing her parents in the 1877 famine, she travelled across India, gaining fame for her knowledge. The University of Calcutta awarded her the title of ‘Pandita’ for her Sanskrit expertise and also called her ‘Saraswati’ for her deep understanding of texts.

In 1880, she married Bipin Behari Medhvi, a Bengali lawyer, in a bold inter-caste civil marriage. After her husband’s death in 1882, she dedicated herself to women’s education and social reform. She started the Arya Mahila Samaj in Pune to educate women and fight against child marriage. She also gave evidence before the government commission on education, recommending women school inspectors and the inclusion of women in medical education, which inspired the Women’s Medical Movement by Lady Dufferin.

Ramabai traveled to England and the USA, studying medicine and supporting women’s education. She converted to Christianity during her time abroad. On returning to India, she founded Sharada Sadan and the Mukti Mission to educate widows and empower women, despite facing criticism for her religious conversion.

Her contributions were recognized by the British government with the Kaiser-i-Hind medal in 1919. Pandita Ramabai passed away on 5 April 1922, shortly after the death of her daughter. In 1989, India issued a commemorative stamp in her honour.

Women play important roles both inside and outside the home.
Earlier, women’s work at home was not recognised as real work.
Many jobs were seen as “suitable for men” and others as “for women”.
Education became an important way for women to gain equality and opportunities.

👩‍🌾 Work and Gender Stereotypes

Stereotypes: Fixed ideas about how men and women should behave or what work they should do.
- Example: “Men are pilots, women are nurses.”
83.6% of working women in India are involved in agriculture, yet farmers are often thought of as men.
Because of stereotypes, girls often get less encouragement to study subjects like science or math.
Many families believe marriage is the main goal for girls.

🚆 Breaking Stereotypes – Example: Laxmi Lakra

Laxmi Lakra became the first woman engine driver for Northern Railways.
Came from a poor tribal family in Jharkhand.
Studied in a government school and earned a diploma in electronics.
She challenged gender roles and proved women can do any job.
Her motto: “As long as I am having fun, doing well, and helping my parents — I can live my own way!”

👦 Boys Also Face Pressures

Example: Xavier’s story — parents forced him to take Science instead of History.
Boys are often pressured to:
- Choose high-paying jobs.
- Not show emotions (e.g., “Boys don’t cry”).
Both boys and girls face different kinds of expectations from society.

📚 Learning for Change

Earlier, very few people knew how to read and write — especially girls.
In many families, sons were educated but daughters were not.
Girls were expected only to help in the house or in family work.
19th century brought new ideas — people began to believe in education for all.
Many men and women worked hard to educate girls despite opposition.

✨ Reformers Who Changed Women’s Education

🌸 (a) Rashsundari Devi (1800–1890)

Born in West Bengal.
Married young; worked all day doing household chores.
Women then believed learning to read would bring bad luck or widowhood.
Secretly taught herself to read and write.
Wrote “Amar Jiban” — the first autobiography by an Indian woman.
Her story shows her determination and love for learning.
She inspired others to value women’s education.

“I had to cook for twenty-five to twenty-six people twice a day… I was all by myself… I had to cover my face, my veil had to reach down to my chest, and, dressed in this way… I would start working at dawn, and I would still be at it until well beyond midnight.”

I was a woman, and a married one at that. I’d die if someone was to rebuke me. Nor was I supposed to talk to others, so my fears kept me nearly mute.

“It must be the place where I would always be present but which nobody else visited much. What else could it be but the kitchen?… My eldest son was practising his letters on palm leaves at that time. I hid one of them as well. At times, I went over that, trying to match letters from that page with the letters that I remembered… But after a quick look at them, I would hide them under the hearth once more.”

🌸 (b) Pandita Ramabai (1858–1922)

Never went to school but learnt from her parents.
Mastered Sanskrit, rare for women — given the title “Pandita”.
In 1880, Ramabai married Bipin Behari Medhvi, a Bengali lawyer. This was a bold move for that era as it was an inter-caste marriage. It was, therefore, a civil wedding.
Ramabai had a daughter Manorama. Tragedy struck in 1882 when Medhvi died.
After her husband’s death, Ramabai started Arya Mahila Samaj (Arya Women’s Society) at Pune.
The purpose of the Society was to provide education to women and to discourage and fight against the practice of child marriage.
The government of India appointed a commission to look into the matter of education in 1882. Ramabai gave evidence before the commission. She recommended that women school inspectors be appointed. She also suggested that Indian women be taken into medical colleges since women doctors were needed to treat women.
She left for England in 1883 to study medicine. During her stay, she converted to Christianity.
Founded Mukti Mission (1898) at Khedgaon near Pune for the education of child widows .
The mission helped widows and poor women become literate and independent.
Women were taught skills like carpentry, sewing, printing, etc.
Her institution still runs today.
She fought for equal education and dignity for women.
The British government presented her with the Kaiser-i-Hind medal in 1919.

🌸 (c) Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain (1880–1932)

Born in a rich family in Bengal.
Learnt Bangla and English secretly (girls weren’t allowed English education).
Wrote “Sultana’s Dream” (1905) — imagined Ladyland, where:
- Women were free, educated, and inventors.
- Men were in seclusion.
Started a school for girls in Kolkata in 1910 (still functioning).
Believed education gives women freedom and confidence.

📈 Schooling and Education Today

In 1961 → only 40% of males and 15% of females were literate.
In 2011 → 82% males and 65% females were literate.
In 2021 → 84% males and 70% of females were literate.
Education has improved, but gender gap still exists.

Dropout Rates:

Level	Boys	Girls
Primary (Classes 1–5)	4.36%	3.88%
Upper Primary (6–8)	3.49%	4.60%
Secondary (9–10)	17.21%	16.88%

Adivasi (ST) and Dalit (SC) girls leave school more often than others.
Reasons:
- Poverty
- Lack of schools/teachers
- Distance from home
- Early marriage
- Discrimination in school

What is the Women’s Movement and what are its main goals?

The Women’s Movement is a collective effort by women and men to achieve equality and justice for women. It works for better education, equal pay, health care, legal protection, and safety. The movement uses campaigns, protests, and awareness programmes to fight against issues like domestic violence, dowry, and sexual harassment.

Methods Used by the Women’s Movement

Campaigning – Against dowry, domestic violence, sexual harassment, etc.
- Example: 2006 law for domestic violence protection.
- 1997 – Supreme Court guidelines on sexual harassment.
Raising Awareness – Through songs, street plays, posters, and meetings.
Protesting – Public rallies and demonstrations against injustice.
Showing Solidarity – Support for women across nations and causes.
- Example: Candlelight march at Wagah border on 14th August.
- 8th March – International Women’s Day celebrated worldwide.

Key Terms

Stereotype: Fixed idea about how a group of people should behave.
Discrimination: Unfair treatment of people.
Violation: Breaking of a law or rule.

Summary

Women faced many barriers in education and work.
Reformers like Rashsundari Devi, Pandita Ramabai, and Rokeya Hossain fought to change that.
Education became the key to women’s empowerment.
The Women’s Movement continues to fight for equal rights and opportunities for all women.

1. How do you think stereotypes about what women can or cannot do affect women’s right to equality?
Answer:
Stereotypes about women affect their right to equality because they are often seen as weak and unable to do certain kinds of work. This makes people think women are less capable than men. As a result, they are sometimes given fewer opportunities and paid lower wages than men.
2. Why was learning the alphabet so important to women like Rashsundari Devi, Ramabai, and Rokeya?
Answer:
Learning the alphabet was very important for these women because it allowed them to read and write. After learning to read and write, they could share their own life experiences and speak out against the inequality they faced.
3. “Poor girls drop out of school because they are not interested in getting an education.” Why is this statement not true?
Answer:
This statement is not true because poor girls want to study, but they face many problems such as:
- Lack of proper schools in rural and Adivasi areas.
- Irregular or absent teachers.
- Schools being far from home.
- No transport facilities.
- Families being too poor to pay school expenses.
- Discrimination based on caste or gender.
- Families giving preference to boys for education.
4. Describe two methods used by the women’s movement to raise issues.
If you had to organise a struggle against stereotypes about women, which method would you choose and why?
Answer:
Two methods used by the women’s movement:
1. Campaigning:
  - Women’s groups protested against dowry deaths and sexual harassment.
  - Laws were made to protect women, such as the anti-dowry law (1980s) and laws against sexual harassment (1997).
2. Raising Awareness:
  - Women organised rallies, marches, and meetings to inform people about their rights.
Method I would choose:
I would choose raising awareness because it helps people understand the problems faced by women. It spreads knowledge in a peaceful and positive way and encourages more people to support the cause.

MCQs (10)

The belief that certain jobs are suitable only for men or women is called
a) Equality
b) Stereotype
c) Democracy
d) Freedom
Laxmi Lakra became the first woman
a) Pilot
b) Teacher
c) Engine driver
d) Scientist
Laxmi Lakra belonged to a tribal family from
a) Bihar
b) Jharkhand
c) Odisha
d) Assam
Pandita Ramabai worked mainly for
a) Women’s education
b) Trade development
c) Military training
d) Political reforms
Ramabai set up a Mission near
a) Delhi
b) Kolkata
c) Pune
d) Mumbai
Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain wrote the story
a) Ladyland
b) Sultana’s Dream
c) Women’s World
d) Freedom Land
Rashsundari Devi wrote the autobiography
a) Amar Jiban
b) My Life Story
c) Women’s Voice
d) Life of a Woman
Rashsundari Devi secretly learnt to
a) Cook
b) Teach
c) Read and write
d) Travel
The struggle to improve the position of women is called the
a) Freedom Movement
b) Women’s Movement
c) Social Movement
d) Reform Movement
Campaigns by women’s groups helped create laws against
a) Domestic violence
b) Farming problems
c) Water shortage
d) Trade issues

Fill in the Blanks (10)

Many people believe that women make better __________ because they are patient and gentle.
Laxmi Lakra became the first woman __________ driver in Northern Railways.
Pandita Ramabai supported the cause of women’s __________.
Ramabai started a Mission at __________ near Pune.
Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain wrote a story called __________.
Rashsundari Devi wrote the autobiography __________.
In the past, many girls were not allowed to learn the __________.
The struggle for equality by women is called the __________ movement.
Campaigns helped create laws against __________ violence.
Public rallies and demonstrations are used to draw attention to __________.

📝 Answer the Following (60–70 Words)

1. What are stereotypes?

Stereotypes are fixed ideas about people that assume they can only do certain things because of their gender, religion, or background. For example, many people think that only men can become engineers or pilots, while women should be nurses or teachers. These beliefs limit opportunities and prevent people from showing their real abilities and talents.

2. How did Laxmi Lakra break stereotypes?

Laxmi Lakra broke stereotypes by becoming the first woman engine driver in Northern Railways. She came from a poor tribal family but studied hard and completed a diploma in electronics. Despite social expectations that such jobs were not suitable for women, she successfully passed the railway exam and proved that women can succeed in technical and challenging careers.

3. How did Pandita Ramabai contribute to women’s education?

Pandita Ramabai strongly supported women’s education at a time when girls were rarely allowed to study. She learnt Sanskrit and earned the title “Pandita.” She later started a Mission in Khedgaon near Pune where widows and poor women were educated and trained in different skills. Her efforts helped women become independent and improve their lives.

4. What was special about Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain’s story Sultana’s Dream?

Sultana’s Dream was a unique story written by Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain. It described a place called Ladyland where women were free to study, work, and make inventions. In this world, women used their intelligence to create a peaceful society. The story showed Rokeya’s vision of gender equality and highlighted the importance of education for women.

5. Why was learning to read and write important for Rashsundari Devi?

Rashsundari Devi strongly wished to learn reading and writing, even though women were not allowed to study at that time. She secretly taught herself by matching letters and practising in private. Learning to read allowed her to understand religious texts and later write her autobiography Amar Jiban. Her story showed the struggles women faced in gaining education.

6. Why do some girls still leave school today?

Some girls still leave school because of poverty, lack of proper schools, and social discrimination. In many rural areas, schools are far away and families cannot afford transportation. Sometimes parents prefer educating boys rather than girls. Discrimination by teachers or classmates may also discourage girls from continuing their education.

7. What is the women’s movement?

The women’s movement is a struggle by women and supportive men to achieve equality and justice for women. It works to improve women’s rights in areas such as education, legal protection, health, and safety. Through campaigns, protests, and awareness programs, the movement challenges discrimination and encourages society to treat women equally.

8. What methods are used by the women’s movement to raise awareness?

The women’s movement uses several methods to spread awareness and fight discrimination. These include campaigns, street plays, songs, and public meetings. Women also organise rallies and demonstrations to protest against injustice. They approach courts and media to bring attention to issues such as violence, dowry deaths, and workplace harassment.

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Women Changed the World