Hasnija Berberović

Drage hanume! Drage sestre!

Moje ime je Hasnija Berberović. Rođena sam 1893.godine u Sarajevu, u vrijeme austro-ugarske vlasti u Bosni.  PRVA sam učiteljica Bošnjakinja u Bosni i Hercegovini, ali vidite  li VI  teee naše VLASTI? Žene su mogle biti učiteljice SAMO ako su bile neudate ili udate za učitelja.

Ja sam sa 16.godina postala učiteljica i voljela sam svoj poziv. Željela sam da SVE DJEVOJČICE iz naše sredine pohađaju školu. Međutim, to je bila MUKOTRPNA misija, s obzirom da naše muslimanske porodice nisu blagonaklono gledale na to, školovanje ženske djece se smatrano IZDAJOM. Jedine obrazovane muslimanske žene bile smo MI učiteljice. A s Prvim svjetskim ratom položaj nas žena, muslimanki, je postao naročito težak.  Većina žena je bila nepismena,  rijetko su izlazile iz kuća i nisu radile. Vladalo je siromaštvo. I to je dalo povoda meni i još nekolicini učiteljica da se aktiviramo početkom 1919.godine.  Sačinile smo proglas koji je objavljen u listu Vrijeme, u kome smo pozvale žene da se pokrenu, da izađu iz kuća i iz neznanja, a MI ćemo im pomoći da nauče pisati i da se osnaže. Naša je akcija svuda pozdravljena najtoplije, kako riječju, tako i djelom, novčanim prilozima. Taj nam odziv dade i oduševljenja i snage, te krenusmo korak naprijed da osnujemo jedno naše islamsko ŽENSKO udruženje „OSVITANJE“. Kao pojedinke koje su imale privilegiju obrazovati se u TO VRIJEME, željele smo omogućiti bolji život drugima. Borile smo se na NAŠ NAČIN.

U udruženju organizujemo kurseve krojenja i šivenja, radionice tkalačkog i vezilačkog rada. Osnivamo našu zanatsku školu i biblioteku udruženja, kurseve pisanja, izložbe ručnih radova. Osnivamo i našu radionicu u kojoj se zapošljavaju ŽENE. Izlažemo preko 200 naših  radova u Zagrebu, pa čak i u Parizu…

Naše Udruženje je radilo do 1931.godine, i bilo je primjer za osnivanje drugih udruženja koja su se borila za zaštitu, afirmaciju prava i ekonomsko osnaživanje žena u Bosni.

Moje ime je pomalo već zaboravljeno. Ja sam Hasnija Berberović, prva učiteljica Bošnjakinja u Bosni i Hercegovini i borkinja sam za prava žena.

English version

Dear sisters!

My name is Hasnija Berberovic. I was born in 1893 in Sarajevo, during the Austro-Hungarian time in Bosnia. I am the first Bosniak* teacher in Bosnia and Herzegovina. But do you see our law? Women could only be teachers if they were not married or married to a teacher.

I became a teacher at the age of 16 and I loved my job. I wanted all the girls from our environment to attend school. However, it was a difficult mission, since our Muslim families did not look favorably on it, they considered it a betrayal if female children went to school. The only educated Muslim women were us, teachers. But the World War I, life of Muslim women became especially difficult. Most were illiterate, rarely left their homes and did not work. Poverty prevailed. And that gave me and a few other teachers a reason to be active at the beginning of 1919. We made a proclamation that was published in the newspaper Vrijeme (Time), in which we called other women to get out of their homes and out of ignorance, and we would help them learn to write and to empower themselves.

Our action was warmly accepted everywhere, both in word and deed, and with financial contributions. This gave us more enthusiasm and strength to take a step forward to establish Islamic women’s association “Osvitanje” (Dawn). As individuals who had the privilege of being educated at that time, we wanted to enable a better life for others. We fought in our own way. In the association, we organized tailoring and sewing courses, weaving and embroidery workshops. We founded our own craft school and library, writing courses, exhibitions of handicrafts. We established our workshop which employed women. We exhibited over 200 of our works in Zagreb, and even in Paris. Our Association worked until 1931, and was an example for the establishment of other associations that fought for the protection, affirmation of rights and economic empowerment of women in Bosnia.

My name is a bit forgotten. I am Hasnija Berberović, the first Bosniak teacher in Bosnia and Herzegovina and I am a fighter for women’s rights.

* Bosniak in this text refers to Bosnian Muslims.