Cornelia Sorabji

Cornelia Sorabji is the first Indian woman graduate from Bombay University, the first woman to study law at Oxford University, the first female advocate in India and the first woman to practice law in India and Britain.

Sorabji was one of nine children of Reverend Sorabji Karsedji and his wife Francina Ford, who had been adopted and raised by a British couple. She was born on 15 November 1866 in Devlali. Sorabji had five surviving sisters and a brother, and two more brothers that died in infancy. She spent her childhood initially in Belgaum and later in Pune. She received her education both at home and at mission schools.

Cornelia Sorabji was denied a scholarship to study in England, allegedly because of her gender. She had to petition to the National Indian Association to help her complete her studies. Life at Oxford too was not easy for Sorabji as she was the first woman to study law, she was not allowed to write her exam by her London examiner and She was bullied by the men in Oxford. She finally graduated in 1892.

She returned to India in 1894 to practice law in her own country. Her breakthrough came after 10 years since she struggled in India, and in 1904, she was appointed the Lady Assistant to the Court of Wards of Bengal. She started to work in the provinces of Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Assam. It is estimated that in her next 20 years of service, Sorabji helped over 600 women and children.

Sorabji retired in 1929 and moved to London, where she died in July 1954. Years later, Sorabji's incomparable talent and personality was finally recognized in India and abroad. In 2012, she was honoured at Lincoln's Inn in London.


Bravo! True Role-Model!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Savitribai Phule

Image
Savitribai Phule is one of the First-Generation Modern Indian Feminists . She established the first women school in India and became the first woman teacher of our country. At a time when the protest of women could hardly be heard, Savitribai broke all the traditional obstacle of the 19th Century to boost the young budding women during British Colonised India. Savitribai was born on 3rd January 1831 into a family of farmers in the Naigaon District of Maharashtra. Savitribai was married at a tendering age. She was just 9-year-old when she was married to a 12-year-old Jyotirao Phule in 1840. Impressed by her thirst for learning her husband encouraged her to read and write. She then started her career as a trainer at Ms.Farar’s Institution in Ahmednagar and in Ms.Mitchell’s school in Pune. Savitribai becomes the First Female Teacher who inspired young girls of her time to pursue their dreams. It was a time when the rights of women were almost non-existent. She along with h
Read more

Sarla Thakral

Image
Sarla Thakral was the First Indian woman to fly an aircraft and to earn an aviation pilot license at a very young age. She was just 21 years old when she owned her pilot license. She was a mother of a 4-year-old girl child.  when equality and women's empowerment were still just arbitrary concepts She flew a Gypsy Moth solo and was dressed in a saree. She was born in 1914 in Delhi. She was married at the age of 16. Her husband PD Sharma had 9 pilots in his family and motivated Sarla to fly. She got Licence A after successful 1,000 hours of flying. Her husband was the first Indian pilot to get pilot’s license to fly between Karachi and Lahore. Unfortunately, Sarla lost her husband in a plane crash in 1939. And she was not able to attain Licence B as world war 2 broke out. She then returned to Lahore and joined the Mayo School of Arts and got a diploma in fine arts. She was re-married to PP Thakral and moved to Delhi. Sarla succeeded in establishing herself as a renow
Read more