Begum Rokeya: A Pioneer of Women’s Education and Empowerment

 

A pioneer of women’s education and equality—Begum Rokeya’s ideas and writings continue to inspire generations.

Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain was one of the most influential feminist thinkers, writers, educators and social reformers of Bengal. At a time when women’s education was severely restricted and conservative social practices limited women’s freedom, Rokeya spoke boldly for equality, education and dignity. Through her writings and educational initiatives, she challenged the social barriers that kept women away from schools, workplaces and public life.

Begum Rokeya was born on 9 December 1880 in Pairaband village of Rangpur, then part of the Bengal Presidency under British rule. She came from an aristocratic Bengali Muslim family. Her father, Zahiruddin Muhammad Abu Ali Haidar Saber, was a zamindar and a multilingual intellectual. Like many girls of her time, Rokeya did not have easy access to formal education. However, her elder brother Ibrahim Saber and elder sister Karimunnesa played important roles in encouraging her intellectual development.

Rokeya learned Bengali and English despite the social restrictions surrounding women's education. Her early experiences helped shape her belief that education was essential for women's freedom and social advancement. She later argued that keeping women uneducated contributed directly to their economic and social dependence.

In 1898, at the age of 16, Rokeya married Khan Bahadur Sakhawat Hossain, a deputy magistrate from Bhagalpur. Her husband was educated and comparatively liberal-minded. He encouraged her to continue her studies and supported her literary activities. His encouragement helped Rokeya develop her writing and express her ideas through the Bengali language.

Rokeya became particularly famous for using literature to challenge gender inequality. One of her best-known works, Sultana's Dream,

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Source: Collected from various sources for public awareness and knowledge.