Volume : 11, Issue : 4, APR 2025

IMPACT OF BEGUM ROKEYA’S EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES ON CONTEMPORARY WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT

ANTARA MITRA

Abstract

Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, a visionary social reformer and educator, played a pivotal role in advancing women’s education and empowerment in early 20th-century Bengal. Her educational philosophy emphasized that women’s liberation could only be achieved through education, challenging the patriarchal and religious constraints that confined women to domestic roles. Through the establishment of the Sakhawat Memorial Girls' School in 1911, she provided women with access to modern education, fostering intellectual, social, and economic independence. Rokeya’s legacy has had a lasting impact on contemporary women’s education in Bengal, inspiring ongoing movements for gender equality, increased female literacy, and broader participation in various professions. Her work also addressed the intersectionality of gender, class, and religion, particularly focusing on providing education to Muslim women from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Today, her vision continues to influence modern feminist movements, demonstrating the enduring importance of education as a tool for social and gender justice.

Article : Download PDF

Cite This Article

-

Article No : 4

Number of Downloads : 12

References

1. Ahmed, S. (2005). Begum Rokeya and her vision of women’s empowerment. Bangladesh Journal of Gender Studies, 12(1), 45-58.

2. Banu, M. (2018). Women’s education and empowerment in Bangladesh: A historical perspective. South Asian Studies, 13(2), 30-40.

3. Basu, A. (2018). Women’s education in Bengal: Progress and challenges. Journal of Educational Research, 32(4), 54-67.

4. Choudhury, M. (2009). Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain: A visionary for women’s rights. Kolkata: Naya Prokash.

5. Choudhury, S. (1998). Women’s education and social reform in colonial Bengal. Calcutta University Press.

6. Chowdhury, F. (2016). The transformative power of education: Women’s empowerment in contemporary Bangladesh. Journal of South Asian Studies, 24(1), 18-32.

7. Hasan, R. (2006). Begum Rokeya: A pioneer of women’s education in colonial Bengal. In M. K. Dasgupta (Ed.), Recasting women in South Asia (pp. 122-138). New Delhi: Sage Publications.

8. Hossain, B. R. (2002). Sakhawat Memorial Girls’ School: A Historical Overview. Dhaka: Bangladesh Academic Press.

9. Hossain, B. R. (2005). Sultana’s Dream and other writings. Calcutta: Rupa Publications.

10. Hossain, B. R. (2014). Sultana’s Dream (3rd ed.). University Press Limited.

11. Hossain, R. (1999). The educational contributions of Begum Rokeya. Bangladesh Journal of Education, 8(2), 45-60.

12. Hossain, S. (2001). Begum Rokeya: A Feminist Perspective. The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.

13. Islam, M. (2019). Begum Rokeya: A study in social reform and women’s education. Dhaka University Press.

14. Islam, N. (2017). Begum Rokeya: A study of her educational and social reforms. Dhaka University Press.

15. Kabeer, N. (2013). Gender and development: The empowerment of women. London: Routledge.

16. Khan, M. (2020). Girls’ education in Bangladesh: Progress and challenges. Gender & Development, 28(3), 351-365.

17. Khan, M. S. (2007). Begum Rokeya and the feminist movement in colonial Bengal. South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, 30(2), 56-72.

18. Moshin, M. (2014). Begum Rokeya’s vision of women’s education. South Asian Journal of Women’s Studies, 8(2), 95-110.

19. Rahman, M. A. (2017). Empowering women through education in Bangladesh: A critical review. Bangladesh Education Review, 5(2), 73-88.

20. Rauf, M. (2017). Begum Rokeya: A pioneer of women’s education in South Asia. Dhaka University Press.

21. Ray, S. (2005). Begum Roquiah and the quest for women’s education in Bengal. The Journal of Asian Studies, 64(3), 589-612.

22. Rokeya, B. (2005). Sultana’s Dream. New York: Feminist Press.

23. Saha, P. (2011). Women in early Bengali literature and social reform movements. Journal of South Asian Literature, 14(1), 77-89.

24. Sarkar, T. (2009). Begum Rokeya and her contributions to women’s education. South Asian Feminist Review, 6(4), 145-158.

25. Sen, A. (2001). Development as freedom. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

26. Sen, A. (1999). Development as freedom. Oxford University Press.

27. Sengupta, S. (2010). Begum Rokeya: A socio-political thinker. Indian Journal of Women’s Studies, 15(2), 101-115.

28. Sikand, Y. (2002). The religious thought of Begum Rokeya: A critical analysis. In A. Ghosh & A. A. Khan (Eds.), Women and social change in North India (pp. 201-220). New York: Routledge.

29. Sultana, R. (2010). Women’s education and empowerment in Bangladesh. South Asian Journal of Education, 32(1), 45-56.

30. Zaman, T. (2020). Feminism in Bangladesh: A review of contemporary movements and their educational impact. Journal of Women’s Studies, 31(2), 127-141.