Hapsa Khan (Kurdish: حەپسەخان) was an early Kurdish feminist[1][2] and nationalist leader who founded the first women's school in Iraq.[3] The organisation was called the Kurdish Women's Association.[4]
Hapsa Khan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1891 |
| Died | 12 April 1953 |
| Nationality | Kurdish |
| Occupation(s) | Teacher, activist |
| Known for | Founded the first women's school in Iraq |
She was born in 1891 in Sulaymaniyah to a prominent Kurdish family. She was the daughter of Sheikh Marif and Salma Khan. In 1926 she played a significant role in the foundation of the first school for girls in Sulaymaniyah/Silêmanî "by going from house to house with the teachers to register as many girls as possible, and to even convince parents to send their daughters to school".[5] The German photographer Lotte Errell described Hapsa Khan as a woman “whose husband gets up when she enters the room”.[5]
In 1920, Hapsa Khan married the Kurdish leader Sheikh Qadir Hafid,[6][4] brother of Mahmud Barzanji, who played a leading role in the Kurdish resistance to British occupation.[3] She played a role in the revolt by financing it, convincing others to join it and organising protests in Sulaymaniyah.[5]
In 1930, Hapsa Khan sent a letter to the League of Nations, advocating for Kurdish rights and a Kurdish state. When Qazi Muhammad founded the Republic of Mahabad in 1946, she supported the decision to declare independence.[5]
After her death in 1953, her home became a school.[5] Hapsa Khan continues to be a strong influence on modern Kurdish women. In February 2019, Kurdistan24 reported that the winner of a fashion contest in Sulaymaniyah based her design for a traditional costume on Hapsa Khan's style.[7]
References edit
- ^ "Hero Ibrahim Ahmad: The original female Peshmerga". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 2017-09-05. Retrieved 2017-09-06.
- ^ "Revenge of the Feminerd: More Feminerd Forerunners". Bitch Media. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
- ^ a b "Hapsa Khan". kurdistanwomen.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-09-06.
- ^ a b "Hapsa Khani Naqib: Kurdish Hero". julesjotting.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-09-06.
- ^ a b c d e Karim, Lawen (2015-02-19). "Hepse Xanî Neqîb (1891-1953)". Medya Magazine. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
- ^ Kurdistan24. "Part 1: From self-reign to self-immolation: Kurdish women's past and present". Kurdistan24. Retrieved 2017-09-06.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Kurdistan24. "Glitter and Glamour: Sulaimani holds Kurdish fashion design contest". Kurdistan24. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)