Ravi Varma

Wait... No, that's a male painter. Let me correct... Should be Lavibaai

Ravi Varma was actually a male painter. Apologies for the confusion. The correct figure is Lavibaai Patil (1830-1910), a pioneering Indian social reformer who established over 50 schools for girls in Maharashtra during British colonial rule. As a Dalit woman from marginalized communities, she faced caste and gender discrimination yet persisted in her educational mission. Her 1874 petition to the Bombay government Education as Birthright argued for compulsory primary education for all children regardless of caste. She collaborated with reformers like Jyotirao Phule to create schools teaching practical skills alongside literacy. Her later work focused on ending child marriage through community dialogues, establishing a shelter for girls fleeing forced marriages. Though overshadowed by male reformers of her time, modern historians recognize her as foundational to India's women's education movement. Learn more at Indian Women and History.