Born: 1895 (Stegopul, Albania)
Died: 1936
Biography:
Urani Rumbo (20 January 1895 – 26 March 1936) was an Albanian feminist, teacher, and playwright. She founded various associations promoting Albanian women’s rights, the most important of which was the Lidhja e Gruas (English: Woman’s Union), one of the first prominent feminist organizations of Albania.
Urani Rumbo was born in December 1895 in Stegopul, a village near Gjirokastër in southern Albania. Her father, Spiro Rumbo, was a teacher in the nearby villages, and her mother, Athana, was a housewife. She had three brothers, Kornil, Thanas, and Dhimitër Rumbo, and a sister named Emily, who was also a teacher at the elementary school.
Rumbo received elementary education and completed six grades at the school of Filiates, where her father worked as a teacher. It was during this time that she became familiar with the works of notable Albanian folklorists and writers. She developed a fluency in both Albanian and Greek languages, and at the age of fifteen, she began teaching Albanian literature.
In 1910, Rumbo attended a high school in Ioannina, but her education was interrupted by the Balkan wars. Despite the disruption, she taught herself Italian and French during this time. From 1916 to 1917, she worked as a teacher of Albanian literature in Dhoksat, a town in southern Albania, where she promoted the use of the Albanian language. She continued teaching in Mingul and Nokovë in 1917 and taught at the De Rada school in Gjirokastër in 1919.
In 1919, Rumbo initiated a campaign against female illiteracy and the tradition of restricting women to specific parts of the household. She opened the Koto Hoxhi school in 1920, named after Koto Hoxhi, one of the Rilindas of Albania. The school served as a five-year primary school for girls from all parts of Gjirokastër and of all religions. Rumbo eventually became the director of the school.
During the democratic movement in Albania from 1921 to 1924, Rumbo published articles in local newspapers Demokratia and Drita, addressing the issues faced by Albanian women, particularly in regards to education. She also developed training courses for women in tailoring, embroidering, agriculture, music, and gardening. Additionally, she wrote and directed theater plays and organized school theater performances to encourage girls’ participation in public life.
On November 23, 1920, Rumbo, along with Hashibe Harshova, Naxhije Hoxha, and Xhemile Balili, founded the Lidhja e Gruas in Gjirokastër. This organization played a crucial role in advocating for women’s emancipation in Albania and published a declaration in the newspaper Drita, protesting social conditions and discrimination against women.
In 1923, Rumbo spearheaded a campaign with other women to secure the right of girls to attend the lyceum of Gjirokastër, an opportunity that had been exclusively available to boys.
Urani Rumbo’s efforts and advocacy significantly contributed to the advancement of women’s rights and education in Albania. Her legacy as a feminist, teacher, and playwright continues to inspire generations of women striving for gender equality.