Long before “girls’ education” became a buzzword, Arya Samaj was trailblazing efforts to bring Vedic learning and modern schooling to young women across India. Rooted in Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati’s insistence on gender equality under the Vedas, the movement left no stone unturned in challenging deep-seated taboos.

Schools and Pathshalas: Starting in the late 19th century, Arya Samaj launched its Dayanand Anglo-Vedic (D.A.V.) schools, deliberately opening classrooms to girls. Throughout Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and beyond, D.A.V. institutions offered everything from Sanskrit chants to arithmetic and science—long before most state schools did. By weaving Vedic ideals with English-medium education, they created a curriculum that felt both rooted and relevant.

Teacher Training and Female Preachers: Recognizing that role models matter, Arya Samaj set up training colleges for women teachers. Figures like Shankari Devi and Savitri Mer went on to deliver discourses on Vedic rights, touring villages and hosting shivir (camps) where women learned to read, write and debate. Those gatherings often doubled as empowerment workshops—discussions on health, legal rights and even small-scale entrepreneurship.

Social Reform Campaigns: The movement aggressively campaigned against child marriage and purdah, championing widow remarriage decades before government legislation. Public sabhas (forums) exposed the social ills that kept women in the shadows, urging families to embrace progressive change. During pilgrimages to Haridwar or Kurukshetra, women speakers led havans (fire rituals), symbolically reclaiming religious authority.

Long-term Impact and Today’s Resonance: Arya Samaj’s early push for female literacy planted seeds that still bear fruit: countless DAV alumnae now lead in medicine, law and STEM. Its blueprint—melding traditional values with modern skills—resonates with current “Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao” campaigns and rural e-learning initiatives. Just as smartphones bring knowledge to remote corners now, Arya Samaj’s mobile shiksha vans once did the same, peddling books and life skills door to door.

By treating education as both a birthright and a social lever, Arya Samaj didn’t just educate women—it empowered them to rewrite their own stories.