Francina Sorabji Biography 
Francina Sorabji was a woman activist from India who worked towards women education and empowerment. She was adopted by British army officer Sir Ralph Darling’s daughter, and later she was married into a Parsi family. Her husband Reverend Sorabji Karsedji was a missionary who advocated for girl child education and a key figure to play an important role in admitting girls as students to Bombay University. She enjoyed an influential position in the society then. She along with her husband brought up their children in a progressive environment.
Among the 9 children they had together, Cornelia Sorabji is a prominent name, who was India’s first female lawyer and graduate from Bombay University. She was also the first woman to study law at Oxford University and also the first woman to practice law in India and Britain. She was also the first woman to be admitted as a reader to the Codrington Library of All Souls College, Oxford. Francina Sorabji and her daughter are known high in regard in the matters related to the rights of female child for education as well as women empowerment. Well-known educator Susie Sorabji, and medical doctor Alice Maude Sorabji Pennell are also her children, while Philosopher Sir Richard Sorabji is her grandson.
Her birth name is Francina Santya. She was born to a tribal family in southern India. She practised Hinduism during childhood and was brought up in a Christian environment. She later married a Parsi Christian missionary from Nasik. She was adopted at age twelve by a British woman, Lady Cornelia Maria Darling Ford, daughter of Sir Ralph Darling. Later she was brought up in Maharashtra.
Francina Sorabji is best remembered for her efforts towards educating girls and she also opened schools for this purpose. She started Victoria High School for girls at Pune, and later two more. She also ran a teacher-training program, and went to England to fundraise for her work. She also gave shelter to orphans and widowed women. During an outbreak of plague in 1896, she also provided medical help and sanitation work.
Published: February 03, 2019
Updated: February 03, 2019
