Many of my Punjabi sisters, along with my own ਦਾਦੀ (paternal grandmother), have shared stories of our women elders who, barred from formal education, ingeniously devised their own methods for learning. Using sticks and the ashes of firewood, they practiced the Gurmukhi script within the domestic sphere. In a world that denied them academic spaces, these women turned everyday objects and nature’s resources into tools of empowerment. I envision them hastily completing their household tasks to carve out precious moments for self-enrichment. Through resourcefulness and resilience, they equipped themselves to experience and engage more deeply with the world around them.

Reflecting on their efforts, I often wonder what these women might have achieved if afforded the same educational opportunities as their male counterparts, and how history might have recognized them had their contributions received due acknowledgment. Their legacy, though uncredited in conventional histories, lives on in our extrapolations, woven from dreams and animated by the strength and accomplishments of women today.

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