An inspiration for today's generation

It is remarkable that despite constantly being held back by a patriarchal society, women in this country have been able to stride forward and reach remarkable heights. The increasing number of girls in schools, universities and in the workforce is testament to the resilience and determination of women to fight the odds. But to do this there have been trailblazers who have painstakingly paved the path for the next generations to follow. Begum Rokeya would be the first name in that exalted list for her extraordinary vision of women's emancipation as an essential component to development. Following her footsteps is another pioneer of women's freedom and independence. Begum Sufia Kamal's life was a treasure trove of inspiration that today's generation of young women can benefit from.

I first learned about Sufia Kamal in the 8th grade, at an age far too young to appreciate the worth of her accomplishments. At the time, she was a chapter in a textbook I was required to read, for an exam I was required to take, not realising how much of a privilege that was, one that she had had to struggle for. Born to a Barisal-based Nawab family on June 20, 1911, Sufia Kamal had spent her early years at her conservative grandparents' home after her father passed away. She was surrounded by books but devoid of formal education, home-schooled in Urdu, Arabic and Persian until she reached a certain age. As I grew up drowning myself in literature, I remained oblivious of how Sufia Kamal had done the same in her formative years. She was taught to read and write Bangla by her mother and, under the guidance of her brother and uncle, immersed herself in Bangla and translated Sanskrit readings. I didn't know at the time, but we had a shared history – we'd both been young girls who sneaked books into our beds to read late into the night.

Sufia Kamal married her cousin Syed Nihal Hossain at the age of twelve with whom she had a daughter Amena Kahar. A few years after her husband's death, she married Kamaluddin Ahmed and they had two sons and two daughters - Sultana Kamal, Saida Kamal, Shahed Kamal and Sajed Kamal, all of whom were inspired by her revolutionary spirit. At a very early age, she established herself as a writer and social worker. Bracing against the concept still prevalent today - of marriage meaning the end of freedom for women – Sufia engaged in welfare activities for disadvantaged women with the Matri Mongol organisation, spun thread on a spinning wheel inspired by her encounter with Mahatma Gandhi and emerged as a young writer through her short story Sainik Bodhu (A Soldier's wife). But it was poetry that was her calling and which expressed her innermost emotions, aspirations and vision. They were about everything that surrounded her – nature, relationships, social and political incongruities.

Her struggle for freedom as a writer provides the biggest source of encouragement for me. Furious to have found her name published in a literary journal, her uncle moved Sufia back to Shaistabad. It was deemed unheard of for Muslim women of creed to receive that kind of exposure at the time. In defiance of such stifling norms, Sufia's move to Kolkata with her husband jumpstarted her literary and activist career. She found a mentor in poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, a champion of women's emancipation, and built close ties with Saogat editor Mohammad Nasiruddin. Under the tutelage of both, she printed her first poem titled "Basanti". Sufia's resilience as a poet and litterateur against all odds gives me the motivation to work harder. It tells me that if a woman barred from social participation can go on to command respect for decades after her demise, we can do the same.

We live in a culture where women pursuing a career or vocation are undervalued. Society still tells its women that household duties come first, the career a distant second. But even at a time when women doing anything outside their designated role in society was considered sacrilegious, Sufia built a career as a teacher at the Calcutta Corporation Free Primary School for girls and went on to publish her first book of poems. By then, she was already the first Muslim woman to have been elected for the Indian Women's Federation, and a member of Anjuman-i-Khawatin-i-Islam, a Muslim women's organisation established by Sufia's role model Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain. While bringing up her children, Sufia went on to become the editor of a women's magazine, Begum. Thus her literary passion was inseparable from her constant desire to help the disadvantaged and marginalised, to make society more humane and equitable.

Female writers and readers today face considerable struggle to break through the stereotypes of topics considered 'feminine'. It is inspiring to read of Sufia Kamal who, having been a woman in a time period that actually did stifle women's reach to social subjects, chose to write about a range of very real issues – from nature to human rights, politics and of course, feminism.

In the years to come starting from 1948, Sufia Kamal made leaps and bounds in social and cultural activism. She led the Martyrs Day march in February 1952 as well as the Sanskritik Swadhikar Andolon – a movement for cultural autonomy in 1961. She was a constant voice against state oppression. She became the founding president of Chhayanaut, the renowned cultural organisation that has served as a symbol of Bengali culture and identity. She stood for equality of people, secularism, religious tolerance and freedom. She was also a founder of Mahila Parishad , an organisation dedicated to fight for women's rights. During the Liberation War, she was an inspirational figure for freedom fighters, helping them secretly. She even sent her two daughters to participate in the Liberation War, such was her conviction in fighting oppression. Looking back from an age in which communication and culture are striving to bridge the divide between religions and communities, these efforts seem more seminal today than ever before.

Sufia Kamal's memory lives on through the stories and poetry she has left behind and her life-long activism to stand up for what is right. However, it is also true that few of today's young women truly know of her contributions to their own empowerment. I was one of them not too long ago as well. As this date marks seventeen years since Sufia Kamal's passing away, it is perhaps time to bring back her memories to the youth of today. It will be a source of pride and hope for the innumerable young women of today to realise that our struggles, our dreams and our aspirations need not look too far to find a role model.

The writer is a student of English and Economics at North South University, and an intern at the Editorial section of The Daily Star.