“Begum Rokeya, Pioneer of Women’s Education”

Nishat Tasnim :
Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain is the most famous and intelligent woman known in history as the pioneer of women’s education. With her unquenchable interest in women’s awakening, she emphasized the importance of women’s education. It is not possible to move forward equally without women’s education, and it is not possible to move society forward equally with only men. At a time when the patriarchal attitude was strongly prevailing among the people of Bengal, her appearance became the beacon of women’s education in this Bengali sky. In the time of her contemporaries, women were under siege. Women were not sent to any institution outside of home education. Women are no longer under siege; today they are carriers of independent and free thoughts. As a member of global society, women today have climbed to the highest peak of development, and the great lady Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain is the shining light of this development.
Begum Rokeya, while talking about women’s awakening, said that women’s liberation will not come without education and the opportunity to choose a profession according to their choice. Rokeya considered ornaments a symbol of slavery and encouraged women to give up ornaments, gain self-esteem, and strive for socio-political freedom. Women should not be kept under siege by religious restrictions. To spread it in the society, she established the “Sakhawat Memorial Girls’ School” in Bhagalpur with five students on October 1, 1909. This was the beginning of women’s education. Based on this beginning, women’s education and women’s society today are equal to men’s.
The need for women’s education developed with Begum Rokeya’s hands. The main purpose of her progress was the improvement of women’s society and its subsequent development. She was the first protestant voice for women’s independence and women’s freedom in Bengali Muslim society. At the beginning of the renaissance of Bengali Muslims in the early 20th century, she was the main leader in women’s education and women’s awakening. Begum Rokeya’s role in the awakening of women during the dark ages of Muslim society was unique. She broke the shackles of the siege system and came out with extraordinary courage, great confidence, and determination. Begum Rokeya for the first time raised the demand for equal rights for women as well as men in Bengali Muslim society and propagated her doctrine in favor of women’s freedom.
In continuation of that, in Rangpur in 2008, to remember his contribution to education
Begum Rokeya University was established. This university should highlight the outstanding role of Begum Rokeya in the struggle movement and education. This university named after Begum Rokeya is spreading light in the northern region like her. The education of men and women is spreading around the world through this university. Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hussain cherished such a dream. She promoted the doctrine that women and men deserve equal rights to the world of humanity by eliminating religious orthodoxy, and Begum Rokeya University is a practical example of its successful application.
Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, the guide of the path of light from the dark ages of women’s education, will be written in gold letters on some indelible page of history for her unique common initiatives and efforts. Her contribution will be remembered by the nation as long as the key to the transition, called education, remains on the face of the earth. Women’s awakening and women’s education This noble woman has taught Bengali women to live with their heads held high in the court of the universe through expansion.

(Nishat Tasnim, Student, Department of Sociology, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur.)