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

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.