Savitribai Phule

Married at nine and unable to read, Savitribai was taught at home by her husband Jyotirao. In 1848 the couple opened one of the first schools for girls in Pune.

People threw mud and stones at her on the way to class, so she carried a spare saree to change into. She went on to open many more schools, a shelter for widows, and wrote poetry against caste and gender injustice. She died in 1897 while caring for plague patients.