In Maharashtra, Pandita Ramabai Saraswati, a renowned social reformer, fought for the rights of women and spoke against the practice of child marriage.
She promoted girls education and started the Arya Mahila Samaj in 1881, in Pune, to improve the condition of women, especially child widows.
She pleaded for improvement in the educational syllabus of Indian women before the English Education Commission which was referred to Queen Victoria.
This resulted in medical education for women which started in Lady Dufferin College. Later Ramabai Ranade established a branch of Arya Mahila Samaj in Bombay.
Arya Mahila Samaj