begum_rokeya

Pioneer of women's education in British India through her <em>Saratchandra</em> school movement.

Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain (1880–1932) founded the first school for Muslim girls in India at Saratchandra School in 1916. Her Sultana's Dream (1905) — full text — imagined a feminist utopia where women governed, influencing global gender studies. She established the Rokeya University and wrote The Secluded Ones (PDF) exposing child marriage practices. Her 1926 speech at Dhaka University argued for women's access to higher education, later cited in UNESCO's gender equality reports. Her pedagogical methods remain used in Bangladesh's BRAC education programs.