Hyderabad: January 3, the birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule, will hereafter be celebrated as ‘Women Teachers’ Day’. The state government announced the decision on Thursday through a government order to recognise the contribution and impact of Phule’s work in promoting education for women and the underprivileged.
A social reformer and an advocate of women’s rights, Savitribai’s birth anniversary will be commemorated every year as a state function. District collectors have been instructed to organise the event, with the required expenditure covered under the education department’s budget. The order mentioned that the education department must take all necessary steps to ensure appropriate implementation of the initiative.
This declaration honours Savitribai Phule’s legacy, particularly her efforts in the 19th century to establish schools for girls, challenging societal norms that hindered access to education for women.
The initiative aligns with the state’s ongoing efforts to promote educational equality and acknowledges the importance of women educators in shaping society.
Welcoming the move, Telangana State United Teachers’ Federation (TS UTF) state president Chava Ravi and general secretary A. Venkat applauded the state government’s decision to honour Savitribai Phule, calling her as the ‘mother of education’.
They also noted that for the past ten years, the TS UTF at the state level and the School Teachers Federation of India (STFI) at the national level have been demanding the government to declare her birth anniversary as ‘national women teachers' day’. Despite the lack of response from the Centre, the TS UTF appreciated Telangana’s proactive decision to celebrate the occasion at the state level.
