As a Bengali Muslim woman, sometimes I wonder what if I was born in the pre Begum Rokeya period instead of the post Begum Rokeya period? Would I or could I have the same voice, thoughts and education that I have now? Â
How someone like Begum Rokeya was so ahead of her own time, even being born in a society where women, especially Muslim women were merely prisoners of the society and religion? It is amazing how some history making characters change their time, and change lives of many.Â
Every step of her life teaches us something, how to be positive, strong and progressive. Born on this day, December 9 of 1880, she was married at sixteen, became a widow at twenty-nine. Generally, that would be the end of a women’s life back then. But she transformed the memories of her husband into strength, and established a school, Sakhawat Memorial Girls’ School at Bhagalpur for Muslim women.  It was not an easy task for her at that time to convince parents to send their daughters to school.  Even she, herself couldn’t go to school when she was a child.  Muslims girls were not allowed to go to school then, nor even they could get educated at home. She was grateful to two men at her life; her brother who taught her in her childhood, and her husband who was always a great patron in her pursuit for women’s liberation. Against all odds in the society, she took small steps with a much larger dream.  Not only she was able to establish the school, but she made a permanent impact in the society with her diligence and compassion for women’s advancement. Her writings are one of the earliest feminist writings from a Bengali woman. Although she maintained purdah, which was very customary at that time, she never thought purdah, or burkah should be used to confine women. Throughout her entire life she was proactive in the social reform for women.  Her dream as she writes in her “role-reversal†utopian story, Sultana’s Dream and in many other writings was to liberate women from their social imprisonment. She dreamt of smart, strong, educated women who would carry equal importance and responsibility as men in the society. Â
When I look at her life, I am not so sure that women of Bangladesh these days have advanced as much as they could have; or has that diligence and determination now, as Begum Rokeya had at that time against all odds. After seventy years of her death (December 9, 1932), have we, Bengali women been able to fulfill her dream yet, or do we still have a long way to go?    Â
Additional resource to read:Â Â Â Â
Selection from the Secluded One
December 9th, 2006 at 9:45 pm
The fact that Begum Rokeya was able to make a big positive impact on the society by virtue her determination and hard work makes me a big fan of her. She was not like many other hot headed feminist of these days who sees everything as “wrong” and does nothing but talk about it to get attention from the media.
Rokeya’s writing shows the strong sense of humor she had even though she wrote about such serious matters.
We take her for granted but really, when I think about all these I get so astonished! Where did she got all the courage and strength from? What kept her motivated all those time. (In some place I found that Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was very heartbroken towards the end of his life and lost his enthusiasm for his lifelong mission.)
Thinking about me, when I think about how I made my parents agree to let me come to the US all by myself and go through all those hardship to get to where I am today, I sometimes feel enough is enough, if I have to do similar thing again I am no way going to make it :). But for Begum Rokeya, she never showed any lack of energy to keep pursuing her dreams. How can we be like her?
-Sharmin
December 14th, 2006 at 1:41 pm
It makes me proud that we, Bangali women, have such great female role models - Rokeya Begum, Sufia Kamal, Jahanara Imam, NurJahan Begum. They were trailblazers for their time and paved the way for us so that now we take many righs for granted which they had to fight for. When I went to visit Adhunika’s IT center in Dhaka, I was happy to see that young Bangladeshi women (in their 20s)are coming into their own - they want to further their education, get a job, stand on their own feet. I felt that these younger women were more passionate, more vocal about their wants, rights than the older generation of Bangladeshi women. So, yes I think that we have progressed and hope the next generations of Bangladeshi women will continue to carry the torch of progress passed onto them by their mothers and grandmothers.
January 5th, 2007 at 6:45 pm
Interesting read on Rokeya S. Hossain:
“An Unfulfilled Dream”
Thanks,
Zerin
January 6th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Quite informative piece. I am wondering why no one visits the library in that Rokeya memoreal institute? Isn’t that open to all or what?
We always say that due to lack of opprtunity people (women) are suffering, but from this article its not clear why ppl won’t utilize such a resource.
January 16th, 2007 at 4:24 am
Dear Oneza,
Thanks for writing about Begum Rokeya.We have a very little opportunity to know about Begum Rokeya.Most of we know she is only a pioneer of muslim women education but her fiminism approach,view about religion and scientific knowledge are not discussed.Now the discussion should be more elaborate.
Thanks
Jinat
April 7th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
I really appreciate BEGUM ROKEYA’S view of women’s life. I am impressed about your approach. Now a days, woman is furicious about their freedom. But, unfortunately most of them are failed to realize women’s freedom. I must say that women should understand who they are and how they should maintain they need by practicing Begum Rockey’s lifestyle.
Thanks Oneza.
Keep it on
June 28th, 2007 at 9:21 am
FYI,
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BEGUM ROKEYA
For the first time in North America, BAFI presents a discussion and a documentary on Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossein (1880-1932). Mrs. Shaheen
Choudhury Westcombe, MBE, will lead this discussion at the
Bangladeshi-American Convention on July 7th at Hilton McLean in Tysons
Corner, Virginia.
Rokeya Sakhawat Hossein was a social reformer, a prolific writer, a
committed feminist, a determined campaigner for women?s rights and freedom,
a leader and a pathfinder for Bengali Muslim women. She broke all barriers,
struggled throughout her life for a better society and led the way to
empowering and enlightening women. Apart from scholars and researchers, few
people in the western world know about Rokeya who should be honored amongst
the early feminists who fought for women?s rights.
Shaheen Westcombe, a descendant of Begum Rokeya, will tell the story of
Rokeya?s life and achievements, particularly in education where she founded
the Sakhawat Memorial School which still stands in Calcutta (Kolkata) today.
A short film of Rokeya?s life will be shown and brief extracts will be read
from her books.
Shaheen was one of the first three women to qualify as an architect in
Bangladesh. After a short teaching career as Lecturer in Architecture at the
then East Pakistan University of Engineering and Technology (now BUET,
Dhaka) she went to Japan in 1969 on a scholarship and secured a Masters
degree in Architecture from Kyoto University. In 1972, she went to Britain
where she currently resides and worked as an architect in an international
firm specializing in hospital design. Her interest in women?s empowerment
and community development led to a change in career. She joined local
government in London in 1985 and has worked in various capacities in senior
management. She enjoys traveling and writing. Her articles and poems have
been published in a number of newspapers and magazines.
In 2001, Shaheen Westcome was awarded an MBE by Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II in recognition of her contribution to community relations. She
continues to be actively involved with a wide range of voluntary and
community organisations. She is married to an architect, Alan John Westcombe
and has one son, Nabil.
For further details on the Bangladeshi-American Convention on July 6-7,
2007, please visit http://www.bafi.org
July 23rd, 2007 at 4:42 pm
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