This document discusses the need to incorporate biographies of social reformers in school curriculums to promote gender awareness. It outlines the contributions of several key Indian social reformers from the 18th-19th centuries who fought against gender discrimination and women's oppression, including Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Dhondo Keshav Karve, and Mahadev Govind Ranade. These reformers advocated for abolishing practices like sati, child marriage, and purdah system and promoted women's education and widow remarriage. Including their biographies can teach students about gender equality, women's rights, and how social reformers historically worked to empower women in India

1. The Need for Incorporating Biographies
of Social-Reformists in Present Curriculum
for Instilling Gender Awareness
Anju A
Student
Keyi Sahib Training College

2. Abstract
This paper tries to investigate the need for incorporating biographies of social reformists in
present curriculum for instilling gender awareness. Students are expected to imbibe impetus
from the life and role of the reformers who raised their voice against gender discrimination.
Michael Crichton rightly says “If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You
are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree.” People like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar
Chandra Vidyasagar, Mahadev Govind Ranade, Dhondo Keshav Karve, fought against the
evils existing in the bygone society. They strongly agitated against sati, child marriage,
polygamy, female infanticide, purdah system, which discriminated women merely considered
to be as a ‘property’ which is to be used and sold according to its ‘owners’ choice, and it’s a
question against their identity. These reformers rightly viewed education as the primary way
for women to achieve emancipation from all the societal oppression they had to face at that
time. So they lobbied hard for opening schools for girls and even outlined a suitable curriculum
that not only did educate them but also enabled them to be self-reliant. They also advocated
widow remarriage, because Hindu widows were forced to live a life of abnegation. They were
denied basic pleasures of life, marginalized in the society, often exploited unfairly and treated
as a burden by their family. So the curriculum should be framed in such a way that students
should know their root, who are the people who really advocated the rights of women, and how
they fought to abolish gender discrimination. It is highly necessary to have root based gender
awareness among the present-day youths.

3. INTRODUCTION
If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is
part of a tree.” - Michael Crichton
India affords a diversified society where persons with different religions, castes,
colours, different gender and faiths etc. are abiding together. For unity in diversity, it is
expected that they all should live in harmony and without discrimination; ideal situation is
when there are equality, freedom and brotherhood among all sections of society. However,
human society all over the world shows that various types of exploitative practices are
prevalent there, all these are the result of human greed for power, authority and superiority;
that include so-called higher caste people would exploit so-called lower caste persons; a white
would exploit a black; males would like to dominate females; believer of one religion would
downgrade the other religions etc.
The human rights violation in India is considered to be one of the major problems since
centuries. Usually, the exploited category will be those who are outside the power holding
circle. According to Foucault, Power and knowledge entail one another. The power is exercised
through surveillance, monitoring and other forms of regulation of people’s lives. The early
18th
and 19th
centuries, these discriminatory and exploitative practices take the form of social
evils in the long run and became a scar on the face of India. Every country, in its history, has
had several radiant individuals who would live and works for the progress and upliftment of
the downtrodden persons in the society; and due to their efforts, it became possible to abolish
several extreme social evils.
Decades come and go but what persist are the impression and great acts of the social
reformists. India is privileged to have a number of great souls like Raja Ram Mohan Roy,
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Mahadev Govind Ranade, Dhondo Keshav Karve, Swami

4. Vivekananda etc. who fought against the evils existing in the bygone society. The managed to
bring revolutions by making radical changes in the society. Some of the reformers took up the
challenges of breaking the hoodoo of prevailing gender discrimination in the society, at that
time the most exploited and marginalized section were of girls and women. They were the
victims of sati, child marriage, polygamy, female infanticide, purdah system, Devadasi system.
Only the upper caste men got the chance to education. And it is noteworthy that the educated
men were the people who raised their voice for the then oppressed gender i.e., women.Their
actions and thoughts ushered the nation into a new outlet. So if we include the biographies of
these social reformists who extended support for the suppressed gender; women. Today the
children can imbibe lesson from the detailed study of those people and their efforts and can
raise their voice for the now oppressed gender which encompasses the real knowledge
regarding different gender in the society rather than the binary gender notions. So in this paper
I will try to deal with the lives and activities of major social reformers of India; alongside I will
also try to discuss who is a social reformer, what is really mean by having gender awareness,
and who are the present day oppressive gender sections, what the present generation can do to
uplift their rights if we incorporate the biographies of social reformists.

5. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
 To high spot the episodes from the social reform movements in India.
 To bring out the major iconic figures of social reformists in India.
 To understand the major changes brought about by these reformers.
 To identify the reasons for the rise and birth of social reformation.
 To understand the importance of including the chapters of the life of iconic figures.
 To apprehend the need for a gender-fair society.
 To ensure a positive outlook for children to their mixed surroundings.
 To get inspired by the history of different movements in India.
 To comprehend the ideologies of different movements and personalities.
 To understand how do the students perceive gender equality in the society.
 To know the level of gender awareness among students.
 To highlight the importance of imparting gender awareness among children.
 To understand the concept of gender variance and raise their voice for the
mainstreamed suppressed gender.

6. THE ADVENTEROUS BIRTH OF REFORMISTS
Social reformists are a rare boon to every society, whose life is sacrificed to humanity
and mankind, rather than anything else. They are people who are considered to change the
existing state of things for the betterment of the society; they are people with enlightened
thought process; a person who cannot bear the sufferings of the weaker section of people. They
believed in the principle of individual liberty, freedom, and equality of all human beings
irrespective of sex, race, caste, or religion. They attacked a number of traditional, authoritarian,
and hierarchical social institutions and launched social reform movements to liberate the Indian
women from their shackles.
We are fortunate to have such great people who devoted their lives for the betterment
of the society. Social reformers like Rammohan Roy, Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, Mahadev
Govind Ranade, Behramji Malabari, raised their voices against the prevailing religious and
social customs subjugating women (Heimsath 1964; Mazumdar 1976; Sen 1979; Chaudhari
1990).Their influence encouraged the British government to enact certain laws against the sati
system, permitting women to remarry, abolishing the custom of child marriage, etc. Efforts
were also made to spread education among girls. Some of these issues continue to affect women
even in this century.(Shah, Ghanshyam).
Following are the individuals who had made a great impact in the upliftment of women status.
CONTRIBUTIONS OF SOCIAL REFORMISTS
a. RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY
Ram Mohan Roy was born on 22 May 1772 in Radhanagar, Hugli district of Bengal. His father
was Ramakant Roy and mother Trivani Devi; father was at a very good position in the court of

7. the then Nawab of Bengal. He got his education at Patna and Varanasi. He also worked in the
East India Company from 1803 to 1814. Belonging to a traditional Brahmin family, Roy was
married off at a very young age and before attaining the age of ten he was married thrice. He
is considered as the architect of Indian Renaissance and father of modern India. His efforts
were instrumental in eradicating “Saha Marana” or Sati; the inhuman practice of self-
immolation of widows on the pyre of their dead husbands. While the custom in its original
form gave choice to the women to do so; it gradually evolved to be a mandatory custom
especially for a Brahmin and higher caste families. Often unwilling women are dragged by
fanatics and killed by burning. Young girls were married to much older men, in return for
dowry, so that these men could have the supposed karmic benefits from their wives’ sacrifice
as sati. Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s name is thus etched forever as a true benefactor of women not
just for helping abolish the custom of Sati, but also raising his voice against child marriage and
polygamy while demanding equal inheritance rights for women.
b. ISHWAR CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820–1891) was a philosopher, academic, educator, writer,
translator, printer, publisher, entrepreneur, actor, cricketer reformer, and philanthropist. His
efforts to simplify and modernise Bangla prose were significant. His real was Ishwar Chandra
Bandopadhyaya, due to his vast knowledge in several subjects he was given the name
as Vidyasagar (ocean of knowledge). He was a Bengali polymath and a key figure of the
Bengal Renaissance. He championed for elevating the status of women in India, particularly in
his native Bengal. Unlike some other reformers who sought to set up alternative societies or
systems, he sought, however, to transform orthodox Hindu society from within. Vidyasagar
introduced the practice of widow remarriages to mainstream Hindu society. In earlier times,
remarriages of widows would occur sporadically only among progressive members of the

8. Brahmo Samāj. Since he felt that his own life should set an example for others to follow, he
took a pledge that he would allow his daughters to study, and married all his daughters after
they were 16 years of age. He also pledged that if any of his daughters were widowed and they
wanted to get remarried, he would allow them to do so. He was also against the prevalent
custom of polygamy. He opened 35 schools for women throughout Bengal and was successful
in enrolling 1300 students. He even initiated Nari Siksha Bhandar, a fund to lend support for
the cause.He maintained his support to John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune to establish the first
permanent girls’ school in India, the Bethune School, on May 7, 1849.
c. DHONDO KESHAV KARVE
Dhondo Keshav Karve (18 April 1858 – 9 November 1962) was a social reformer of his time
in India in the arena of women's welfare. Karve was one of the pioneers of promoting women's
education and the right for widows to remarry in India. The Government of India recognised
his reform work by awarding him its highest civilian award, Bhārat Ratna, in 1958 (Incidentally
his centennial year). The appellation Maharshi, which the Indian public often assigned to
Karve, means ”a great sage". Those who knew Karve affectionately called him as Annā Karve.
(In Marāthi-speaking community, to which Karve belonged, the appellation Annā is often used
to address either one's father or an elder brother.) Maharishi Karve showed great concern for
the plight of widows and the problem of widow remarriages. He established the Widow
Remarriage Association and started the Hindu Widow’s Home. Karve also made efforts to
improve the education levels of girls as well as widows. He created the Kane Women’s
University. Karve became increasingly concerned with illiteracy among women, and on his
retirement from Fergusson College, he started Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey
Women’s University in 1916. His efforts in the movement to liberate the Indian women are of
great significance, and the extensive and successful work brought about a change in the

9. attitudes of people towards widows. In order to set an example for others, he married a widow
after the death of his first wife.
d. JUSTICE MAHADEV GOVIND RANADE
Mahadev Govind Ranade was an Indian social reformer, an eminent scholar and founding
member of Indian National Congress. He was born on January 18, 1842, in Niphad, a Taluka
town in Nashik district, Maharashtra in a Maharashtrian Chitpavan Brahmin family. As a judge,
he exercised his powers to promote equality of the sexes, the spread of education, rescuing
children and widows from social injustices, and protection of agricultural workers and land
tenants from exploitation. He always advocated the use of constitutional and legal ways for
attaining freedom and bringing in social reforms. He was instrumental in laying down the
foundation of an all Indian organization to carry on the struggle for social reform—the Indian
National Social Conference. This organization was the first national institution to carry on
collectively, in an organized way, and on a national scale the social reform movement, which
worked against child marriages, the shaving of widows' heads, and spending heavily in
marriages and other social functions. He took up the problems of widow remarriages and was
an active member of a society, which worked for widow remarriages. In fact, the
Shankaracharya had excommunicated him for attending the first widow remarriage in
1869. Ranade worked toward educating women. He and his wife started a school for girls in
1884.
e. KANDUKURI VEERESALINGAM
Kandukuri Veeresalingam was born on 16 April 1848. He was a social reformer who first
brought about a renaissance in Telugu people and Telugu literature. He was influenced by the
ideals of Brahmo Samaj particularly those of Keshub Chunder Sen. He got involved in the
cause of social reforms. In 1876 he started a Telugu journal and wrote the first prose for women.

10. He encouraged education for women and started a school in Dowlaishwaram in 1874. He
started a social organisation called Hitakarini (Benefactor). Unfortunately, he passed away on
27 May 1919.
THE INSTITUTIONS ESTABLISHED DURING THIS PERIOD
As a result of the social reform movement, a number of institutions and organizations were
established. The institutions started by the reformers covered the whole country with their
activities.
THE HINGNE WOMEN’S EDUCATION INSTITUTE (MAHARSHI KARVE STREE
SHIKSHAN SAMASTHA)
This institute was started in 1896 to meet the demand of women, whether married, unmarried
or widowed. By imparting training to young unmarried girls in various fields, it tried to prevent
early marriages. It tried to impart skills and education to married women to enable them to
carry on domestic life efficiently and economically. It also gave training to windows to make
them economically independent.
S.N.D.T. WOMEN’S UNIVERSITY: The first Women’s University in India as well as in
South-East Asia. The University was founded by Maharshi Dr Dhondo Keshav Karve in 1916
for a noble cause of Women’s Education. The first five women graduated in 1921 from this
University. This university was established to meet the needs for higher education for women
in such a manner that women’s requirements were satisfied. It provided education in the mother
tongue. It was established exclusively for the education of women.
THE INDIAN NATIONAL SOCIAL CONFERENCE:
Indian (National) Social Conference was founded by M.G. Ranade and Raghunath Rao. It was
virtually the social reform cell of the Indian National Congress. Its first session was held in

11. Madras in December 1887. Some of the activities taken up by this organization were—to deal
with disabilities of child marriages, the sale of young girls, and the issue of widow remarriages.
It also took up the problem of access to education for women. The Conference advocated
intercaste marriages and opposed kulinism and polygamy. It launched the famous “Pledge
Movement” to inspire people to take an oath to prohibit child marriage.
THE GUJARAT VERNACULAR SOCIETY (GUJARAT
VIDHYA SABHA)
This social institute was established in 1848 by a British administrator, Alexander Kinloch
Forbes with Dalpatram. The aim of this institute was to decrease the large-scale illiteracy and
superstitious beliefs that were a feature of the Gujarati society. It was associated with all social
reform activities concerning women in Gujarat. It published literature on women’s issues in
the vernacular press.The society worked for the cause of women through education. It started
a number of co-educational schools. It tried to organize elocution competitions and provide a
platform for women to talk about their issues and problems.
THE DECCAN EDUCATION SOCIETY:
This society was formed in 1884 by Vishnushasthri Chiplunkar who was one of the famous
writers of Marathi literature and the great freedom fighter; Bal Gangadhar Tilak.The society
started girls’ schools and encouraged education of women in Maharashtra. It runs 43
educational establishments. One of the main goals of the DE Society was to provide education
to wider sections of society by making it cheap and affordable.
THE RAMAKRISHNA MISSION:
Ramakrishna Mission is named after the great saint Ramakrishna Paramhamsa. It is an Indian
socio-religious organisation which forms the core of a worldwide spiritual movement known

12. as the Ramakrishna Movement or the Vedanta Movement. It was founded by Ramakrishna's
chief disciple Swami Vivekananda on 1 May 1897. It sets up homes for widows and schools
for girls. It also refuges to invalid and destitute women, ante and postnatal care for women, and
provide training for women to become midwives.
THE ARYA SAMAJ:
Founded by Dayananda Saraswati on 7 April 1875. Though started as a revivalist organization,
the Arya Samaj emphasized women’s education. Girls received instructions in home science
and domestic affairs. Fine arts were also included in the curriculum for girls.It also included
instructions in religion and religious ceremonies for women. It provided shelter to distressed
women in times of difficulty.
THE CONCEPT OF GENDER: YET TO BE REDEFINED
Still, people are doubtful about the concept of gender, most of them haven’t realized the
existence of ‘gender variant’. Gender is, however, a broader outlook encompassing every
single aspect of social, cultural, legal, topographical and political spheres. Gender is a set of
expectations from society about behaviours, manners, characteristics, attitudes, and mindsets.
Gender is not so inherently connected to one’s physical anatomy. While we surf on internet the
idea that we get about gender awareness is that it is of the differences in roles and relations
between women and men. It recognizes that the life experiences, expectations and needs of
women and men are different. Here also we could the see the mainstream canonical way of
giving a definition, which assumes the gender only in terms of binaries of men and women.
Gender roles are in contrast with gender identity. Because gender identity necessarily needn’t
to be in perfect correlation with assigned sex at birth. It’s a feeling that begins very early in
life. The American Psychological Association defines “transgender” as “an umbrella term for
persons whose gender identity, gender expression, or behaviour does not conform to that

13. typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth.” People should know and have an
awareness about of LGBT category of gender fluidity.

14. SUGGESTIONS
 Gender awareness should be inculcated right from the lower classes itself, which
will help the students to have a broader idea of the concept of gender. Total gender
equality must be made one of the major aims of education.
 As part of creating a gender-fair society, the significant episodes from the life of
the social reformists in India should be included in the syllabus beginning from UP
as it is the best time to create awareness.
 The different movements initiated by these great people and their struggle and hard
work for the realization of women emancipation should not be forgotten.And each
and every citizen of India who enjoys these rights fought out by the struggles of
many great personalities should learn this with utmost significance.Only then the
upcoming generation right from their childhood will be able to appreciate everyone
irrespective of the differences in gender and accept as human beings.
 The increased atrocities and crimes against women can be limited to a certain
extent by properly educating the young ones about the need to give and take
respect.Women were always given high status in the society and this status should
be maintained in each and every level and fields.The inclusion of the chapters from
the inspiring lives and actions that lead to the creation of history will ensure that
the students escalate the hard work of the major people and will try to keep the
status of the Indian society.
 Curriculum should be framed in such a way that the right from the lower classes
itself biographies of social reformers in India should be included in textbooks, to
learn about their life history and also their contributions to the upliftment of the
Indian women.This can be initially done with small chapters in the beginning levels
and then to a wider and deep extent as the level goes high. The activities initiated
by males for the upliftment of women can be taken as an emblem for a gender-fair
society.

15.  Students should be involved in debates and discussions on how the reformers in
India has worked towards equality in pre-independent and post-independent period
and also in the modern era.
 This will also help in the analysis of the present society and the status enjoyed by
women of different communities and it may lead to an inspiration for the young
generation for the removal of the discrimination and inequality.
 High school children should be given more awareness on the present day issues
taking the motivation and drive from these historical moments.Through this, we
can hope for an equal and gender fair surroundings in the nearest future.
 When we include biographies of social reformists who are mainly male, students
of present generation will also understand that they should also work for having a
gender-fair society, and also when they realize that then they fought for the rights
of then oppressed gender women, nowadays they need to work for the upliftment
of now sidelined gender variants like LGBT category.

16. CONCLUSION
To quote Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most important weapon which you can use
to change the world”. So inorder to create gender awareness among students the curriculum
should be framed in such a way that biographies of social reformists should be included in
present curriculum for instilling gender awareness. Students are expected to imbibe impetus
from the life and role of the reformers who raised their voice against gender
discrimination.These reformers rightly viewed education as the primary way for women to
achieve emancipation from all the societal oppression they had to face at that time. So they
lobbied hard for opening schools for girls and even outlined a suitable curriculum that not only
did educate them but also enabled them to be self-reliant. They also advocated widow
remarriage, because Hindu widows were forced to live a life of abnegation. They were denied
basic pleasures of life, marginalized in the society, often exploited unfairly and treated as a
burden by their family. So the curriculum should be framed in such a way that students should
know their root, who is the people who really advocated the rights of women, and how they
fought to abolish gender discrimination. It is highly necessary to have root based gender
awareness among the present-day youths. When they study the life of those reformers who
fought for the then oppressed gender, women;students of present generation will be able to
raise their voice for the now oppressed gender. The curriculum should be reformed in way that
will encourage students to question and dispute the canonical mainstream notions regarding
gender. The classroom is an ideal environment to raise their awareness of these stereotypical
gender and encourage critical analysis in students so as they will be equipped to come to their
own informed conclusions and call for actions. The changes that we wish to see in society can
be achieved only through education. Therefore, we can say as a first step towards creating
gender awareness among present day generation, is through properly educating the history and
development of Indian culture,tradition on present attitude of the society.Through the inclusion

17. of the biographies and contributions of social reformistsfor the revivification of women’s rights
will give the children a better awareness on the gender issues and the need for the equal
treatment.

18. REFERENCES
American Psychological Association. Answers to Your Questions About TransgenderPeople,
Gender Identity, and Gender Expression. (Washington, D.C.: Author, 2008)
Foucault, Michel.and Faubion,J. (2000).Power.New York:The New Press.
Heimsath,Charles H.Indian Nationalism and Hindu Social Reform.Oxford University Press,
1964.
IAS POINT, 15 June.2016<https://academy.gktoday.in/article/indian-national-social-
conference/>
Mägia1,Eve,et al. “Gender awareness and attitudes toward gender equality among students
participating in teacher training”
Shah, Ghanshyam. “Social Movements In India A Review Of Literature.”
Shodhganga.Inflibnet.Ac.In/Bitstream/10603/38596/9/09_Chapter%201.Pdf