Challenging Patriarchy: The Inclusive Feminist Vision of Savitribai Phule in Colonial India

Abstract

This study examines the feminist thought of Savitribai Phule and analyses her role in shaping an inclusive feminist vision in colonial India. Savitribai is widely recognized as a pioneer of women’s education and social reform in India. However, her ideas are often not fully situated within broader feminist debates on patriarchy. This study places her thought within the Indian social context, where patriarchy functioned through interconnected structures such as caste, class, family, religion and social authority. The article argues that Savitribai developed a comprehensive critique of patriarchy that addressed women’s subordination alongside caste oppression, social inequality and economic dependence. Significantly, many of the concerns central to modern feminist theory, such as the intersection of caste and gender, the control of women’s bodies and the social regulation of their lives, were already reflected in the writings and activism of Savitribai. Her interventions in education, critique of religious norms and advocacy for Stree–Shudra–Atishudra demonstrate a holistic understanding of oppression. The article argues that her feminist vision represents an early and inclusive form of intersectional feminism rooted in lived social realities. By historically locating her thought in colonial India, this article highlights her continued relevance to contemporary debates on patriarchy and gender justice.