This expresses Rokeya's frustration with traditional practices and beliefs that confine women, calling on them to use education as a tool to overcome these barriers and gain their independence. It's a powerful call to action for societal change.
Quote by Begum Rokeya: “We are prisoners of custom and superstition. Let us break free, sisters, with the lamp of knowledge.”
We are prisoners of custom and superstition. Let us break free, sisters, with the lamp of knowledge.
Insight
Historical Context
Rokeya's collection 'Oborodhbasini' (The Secluded Women) was published, documenting the oppressive conditions faced by women. This period saw her intensified activism against the 'purdah' system and for women's social and educational reforms in Bengal.
About the Author
Bengali Muslim feminist, writer, and educator, born in Rangpur in 1880, who pioneered advocacy for women's education in colonial India. Her satirical science fiction story 'Sultana's Dream' imagined a society where women were free and men were secluded, and she founded the first school for Muslim girls in Calcutta.
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