A Feminist Critical Evaluation of How Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain’s Language of Protest Deplored Patriarchy and Social Anachronism in the British Bengal

Abstract

Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain (1880-1932), a Bengali writer and a social activist in the British Bengal during late 19 th and early 20 th century, is well known for her severe discontent with the on-going suppression, oppression and deprivation of Muslim women in particular by the patriarchal family and society of the age. Her dissatisfaction amounted to pinching criticism with the language of protest when she saw women being refused to enjoy equal rights and privileges like their male counterparts in the lame excuse of religion. She found misinterpretation of Islam and social backwardness to cling to patriarchal tradition to be the root causes behind women’s unspeakable misery. She also witnessed how women were falling behind with men in all spheres of life due to lack of exposure to modern education. So, she felt the urgency of lifting women out of the dungeon of ignorance to light in order to establish a balanced participatory society where women would no longer remain dependent on men. With this end in view, she kept writing profusely and campaigning selflessly for securing a dignified position for women in general within the family and society. The present paper simultaneously documents her vocal voice of protest against various social anomalies and critically evaluates her immense literary and social contribution to promoting women’s general and vocational education in a formal setting.