Search engine giant Google has created a new Doodle on its homepage to celebrate Begum Rokeya Day, marking the 137th birth and 85th death anniversary of the pioneer of women rights in the subcontinent.
Born on December 9, 1880 at Pairaband village in Rangpur, Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain passed away on December 9 in 1932.
A pioneer in Bengali feminist thinking and writing, she was also a persistent advocate for female education in the region, helping set a new precedent for the era.
Royeka’s literary career flourished as she published essays, poems, short stories, and books, but her most well-known work is Sultana’s Dream, a science-fiction piece depicting a feminist utopia.
She was one of the first Muslim women to express these progressive opinions and witty insights, championing equality in the treatment of men and women.
Royeka was a major advocate for women’s education, believing deeply that the disparity in available education for men and women was the root cause of inequality, UNB reports.
A few years after writing Sultana’s Dream, Royeka established the first school for Bengali Muslim women in Kolkata(then Calcutta), which remains a successful school for girls and women.
Later she created the Muslim Women’s Association to support female education and employment causes. A firm believer in narrowing the opportunity gap between men and women, she dedicated her life to the cause.
