Journal of Turkish World Studies

Abstract

The emergence of female poets and writers in Azerbaijani literature began with the 12th century with the pioneering figure of Mehseti Ganjavi. In this century, which witnessed the emergence of pioneering female poets, the impact of social and cultural changes was clearly reflected in literary works. In the 19th century, the social role of women began to change gradually; developments such as the opening of the first girls’ schools, the discussion of women’s rights and the women’s independence movement paved the way for social transformations that enabled women to take more part in literature and art. During 20th century transformation era, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic established in 1918, that accelerated the women’s independence movement and women were given the right to vote and be elected in 1919. Later, the onset of Soviet rule in Azerbaijan was also among the developments that supported women to be active in social life despite its oppressive attitude. In this respect, female poets and writers achieved significant success in literature, art and print media. In this period, educationist women such as Govher Khanim Kajar played a critical role in social change. In addition, while dealing with the themes of independence and social equality in their works, fe4male writers had the opportunity to reach a wide audience by publishing their works in magazines and newspapers. In this study, the development of Azerbaijani female poets and writers in the field of literature is analysed by considering their historical perspectives.