About Hapsa Khan
Lived 1881 – 1953 (aged 71–72). Hapsa Khan was a politician, school teacher and political activist.
Hapsa Khan was an early Kurdish feminist and nationalist leader who founded the first women's school in Iraq. The organisation was called the Kurdish Women's Association.
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". The German photographer Lotte Errell described Hapsa Khan as a woman “whose husband gets up when she enters the room”.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Hapsa Khan's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Hapsa Khan?
Kurdish feminist
When was Hapsa Khan born?
Hapsa Khan was born in 1881 in Sulaymaniyah.
When did Hapsa Khan die?
Hapsa Khan died on 12 April 1953.
What was Hapsa Khan's occupation?
Hapsa Khan was a politician, school teacher and political activist.
What nationality was Hapsa Khan?
Hapsa Khan's recorded nationality: Kurdish population.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Hapsa Khan. https://biography.guide/hapsa-khan/
MLA: "Hapsa Khan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/hapsa-khan/.
Chicago: "Hapsa Khan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/hapsa-khan/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-25 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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