Muslim women in India have been at the forefront of the nationalist and feminist discourse in the country, during and after the independence movement. They have contributed to many aspects of national life including politics, literature, education, and social work. Uttar Pradesh is home to many of these amazing women from history, who had broken barriers and challenged the patriarchal order in their time and do not fit the stereotypical representation of ‘oppressed Muslim women’. These women took up various professions and dedicated their lives to ensuring equality and greater opportunities for women. Some of the historical stalwarts from Uttar Pradesh include Begum Hazrat Mahal, born in Faizabad in 1830, who was a prominent leader of the 1857 war of independence against the British. Hajara Begum who fought against the British to liberate the nation and worked for the toiling masses of the country was born in Saharanpur in 1910. A politician and activist, Begum Anis Kidwai, born in Barabanki in 1906, worked tirelessly in refugee camps after partition and also served two terms in the Rajya Sabha. Begum Nishatunnisa Mohani, whose notion of ultimate freedom was adapted by Mahatma Gandhi, was born in Awadh in 1884. Abadi Bano Begum, who took active part in the Indian National Movement, was born in 1852 in Amroha. Saeeda Khurshid, born in Kaimganj in 1927, was the founder of the Muslim Women’s Forum. Hamida Habibullah of Lucknow, born in 1916, was a parliamentarian, educationist and social worker and the president of the Mahila Congress. Mumtaz Jahan Haider, who was appointed the principal of the Aligarh Women’s College in 1937, worked for women’s education her entire life. Razia Sajjad Zaheer, the recipient of the Nehru Award and Uttar Pradesh State Sahitya Academy Award, wrote novels like Sar-e-Sham, Kante and Suman. Safia Akhtar from Rudauli, was a brilliant writer, poet, author and teacher. Her works include the letters that she wrote to her husband “Hurf-e-Ashna” and “Zer-e-lab” and a collection of short essays “Andaz-e-Nazar”. Rashid Jahan, born Aligarh in 1905, was a doctor, writer, political activist, and member of the Communist Party of India born in 1905. And these are just a few of the names...
Standing on the shoulders of the stalwarts from history, Muslim women of Uttar Pradesh continue to make contributions to nation building. I am very happy to launch the second edition of the Rising Beyond The Ceiling (RBTC) 100 Uttar Pradesh. I congratulate our RBTC Uttar Pradesh Coordinator, Ms. Sabiha Ahmad, and the entire team on their work over the year to put this together. I particularly celebrate all the one hundred women in this list. The RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh 2023 honorees have displayed exemplary resilience and success in various fields. They are shattering stereotypes in uniform, in government departments and agencies, they are change makers in social development, they have made difference in medicine and science, have achieved excellence in academics, demonstrated leadership in the business sectors, and have made an impact as founders and entrepreneurs and in the media, they are award winning authors, writers and poets, are creative contributors to the arts and are shining is a range of sports, hockey, shooting, others.
Uttar Pradesh is home today to 440 lakh people who identify themselves as Muslims and make up approximately 19.3 percent of the total population. Of this population nearly 220 lakhs are Muslim women. The 100 Rising Beyond The Ceiling stories are a small sliver from among these 220 lakh Muslim women of Uttar Pradesh. The over 10 crore women of India, who identify themselves as Muslim, reach across all states and union territories, are from a spectrum of ethnicities and languages, do not look the same or sound the same and contribute to progress and development in a myriad way. However, there is a stereotype narrative surrounding Muslim women of India, particularly around education, marital rights, and freedom. Muslim women are often imagined and portrayed as oppressed victims, docile, powerless, voiceless, and marginalized. It is also commonplace to view Muslim women of India, and globally, as a monolithic category, even though they are highly differentiated and heterogeneous. The stereotypical image of a Muslim woman as uneducated and lacking ambition is neither true nor fair. It obscures the complex realities of life for many millions of Muslim women ― incorrectly attributing their low levels of educational attainment to a lack of desire, as well as to the strictures of Islam, rather than to a broader range of socioeconomic and political roadblocks.
Rising Beyond The Ceiling was founded in 2020 out of the need to change the stereotypical narrative about Muslim women of India. I believe we ourselves must work to put forward and build our own narrative. Through sharing the stories of the lived reality of Muslim women’s lives, in all their diversity, RBTC aims to dismantle their negative societal stereotypes. The hundreds of profiles of courage and excellence of Muslim women across India and globally, demonstrate how they have overcome and addressed the hierarchies of gender, class, and location. Through shining a light on the untold stories and celebrating the achievements of Muslim women of India, RBTC proposes to make them more visible and drive a new narrative.
I review the profiles for Rising Beyond The Ceiling and read about and talk to inspiring Muslim women of India, looking for what they have in common. The many biases and barriers that have derailed women from exploring their full potential could fill pages. However, the bigger fascination for me is not the women who were stopped, but those who refused to be slowed down. And what does that say about what we all can do going forward. While all women achievers are distinctive and individualistic, I see some common pointers emerging. Most achievers have a supportive person or mentor at some point in their lives, whom they mention in different ways – father, mother, spouse, mostly family – who was instrumental in their career selection and pursuance. Many women pursued a childhood dream which carried them through failure and disappointment to keep trying and finally succeed. There are stories of taking on professional careers later in life after marriage and motherhood, after exploring different professions. Several faced brickbats and backlash but were firm in their belief which helped them continue in their chosen path. RBTC honorees tend to redefine themselves as individuals without limitations of gender stereotypes, and this belief was also encouraged and supported in their families. The whole world doesn’t need to be on the side of Muslim women, and it almost never is. But one mentor, or teacher or parent or spouse offering encouragement is vital. I continue to learn about and from Muslim women of India. They diversify my perspectives and reiterate that Muslim women are heterogeneous, and not a monolith.
As we take charge of the new narrative, inspired by these stories of success, and recognizing the tenacity of women, let us start shedding the narrow definitions of success and of us, Muslim women of India. Change occurs slowly, but it does occur. I feel we are making progress….
Dr. Farah K. Usmani , Founder & Chairperson, Rising Beyond The Ceiling
New York30 October 2023
