Begum Rokeya was the dreamer of small and medium industry: Speakers

Speakers at a webinar said Begum Rokeya worked for women education and empowerment defying enormous social barriers and uncertainty. She tried to economically empower the poor women by giving them training in the small and medium industry in addition to providing them education. She was the dreamer of the small and medium industries. The necessity of Begum Rokeya will remain until the dignity of women is established as a complete citizen in the country.

They made these remarks at the webinar titled “Life and literary works of Rokyea” organised by the Sociology and Gender Club of the Central Women's University on Thursday marking the Rokeya Day 2021. The webinar was broadcast live on Facebook page of private television channel Deepto TV.

Thursday, 9 December marks the birth and death anniversary of Begum Rokeya Shakhawat Hossain, the pioneer for establishing women's rights in the subcontinent.

Chairperson of Sociology and Gender Studies department at Central Women's University, Maleka Begum delivered the welcome speech.

Maleka Begum said Begum Rokeya played a pioneering role for the progress of the society. Creating a background for social, political and human rights movement, she worked for establishing human rights. The fight of Begum Rokeya is still relevant today, she added.

Addressing the event, Central Women's University registrar Elias Ahmed said the depth of Begum Rokeya’s works could not be felt unless the time, context and reality are not taken into consideration what she had spoken about at that time. Stories from that time depicted how conservative the society was and Begum Rokeya identified perfectly how women’s emancipation would come, he added.

Jannatunnesa Namra, a second-year Sociology and Gender Studies student, read out a selected part from Begum Rokeya’s works at the webinar.

Central Women's University vice chancellor professor Perween Hasan, in her concluding remarks, said Begum Rokeya had dreamt a world for women where love would be the religion. Women would be educated so that they can learn about their rights and also demand their rights, she added.

Perween Hasan further said men and women have not got equal rights in all sectors in the country as yet. Women also enjoy equal rights in several field but they are not fully aware of it. The necessity of Begum Rokeya would remain till the dignity of women is established as full citizens in the country through proper education.

Central Women's University’s Sociology and Gender Studies teacher Naznin Sultana moderated the webinar.