Hapsa Khan was born in the Kurdish city of Sulaimania to a prominent family in 1881. She later married into a revolutionary family to Shaikh Qadir, brother of Shaikh Mahmud. She is believed to have been the first woman in Sulaimania to stress the importance of education for women as a means to gain freedom.



She was active during Shaikh Mahmud's autonomous government in the early 1920's and was a supporter of the nationalistic cause.

She established what is considered the first Kurdish women's organization in Iraq.