First Muslim Female Teacher || Fatima Sheikh

Fatima Sheikh is such an historical personality, whose birth date is so far away, majority people is not even aware of her name.  Fatima Sheikh has got the title of the first Muslim female teacher of India. Born on this day i.e. 9th January 1831 in Poona.

She started a movement of education for backward classes i.e. Dalits and Muslims. His love for backward section of the society cost him out of his own house. She started living with her brother Usman Sheikh.

Fatima Sheikh, along with Savitri Bai Phule, undertook mission of the education of marginalized Dalit and Muslim women and children, who were deprived of education on the basis of religion and gender during that period.

 In 1848, along with Savitri bai Phule, she founded the Indigenous Library, one of the first schools for girls in India. But this path was not so easy.  It was never acceptable to the upper class of the society. She was persecuted and whenever she went to Jyotiba Phule's school, people on the road would show their resistance by pelting her with dung. But her courage and passion did not let them deviate from her mission.

She would go door to door and invite women and children to come to the library. The importance of Fatima Sheikh is also increased because she started the joint struggle of Dalits and Muslims and the unity of the oppressed has always paved the way for the freedom.

 Although she has an important role in women's education but unfortunately neither the backward class  nor Dalits remember her, for which she sacrificed her entire life. And the Muslim society is equally unaware of them. We are grateful to Google, who made the world appreciate him by creating a Google Doodle on his birthday in 2022.

 Where Jotiba and Savitri Bai Phule have found a place in history, Fatima Sheikh has not been mentioned in this way. That is, they are mentioned together with Jotiba and Savitribai Phule, not as an individual personality.

And on the other hand, by naming the University of Poona after Savitri Bai Phule, the government has paid tribute to her, but the contribution of Fatima Sheikh in the field of women education is also unparalleled and the women of today, especially Muslim women should be grateful to her. And there should be a complete research on her freedom movement of women. So, that they can be better honored. Because these unsung heroes are like foundation stones, which are not visible but a strong building always makes its presence felt.