Muslim Women: Past and Present

Recommend a Muslim Woman

Throughout the ages, from the earliest days of Islam to contemporary times today, Muslim women have been and continue to be active leaders in their communities and countries across the world. This directory is a growing archive of leading Muslim women scholars, activists, writers, politicians, artists, religious and spiritual leaders, civil society leaders and more. Please contribute to this archive by suggesting Muslim women to be featured through our recommendation form.

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Gihan Abdu Zaid

photo of Gihan Abdu Zaid

Known For: Regional Consultant, Regional Bureau of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Country: Egypt

About

Gihan Abou Zeid is an Egyptian activist of the development field and an authority on women’s rights in development in Egypt and the Arab world. Currently she is a consultant for the regional bureau of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); she supports the integration of religious leaders in the UNFPA’s regional programs. In 2010, Ms. Zeid worked as a policy adviser for the Minister of Family and Population in Egypt. She developed a nation-wide study of initiatives on violence against women as part of a larger attempt to present concrete recommendations to the Egyptian government and civil societies.

Ms. Zeid has 20 years of experience in research, training, editing, and program direction and management in gender, human rights, and democracy. She has participated in international research projects on youth, democracy, gender, and development with UN agencies, the Arab League, universities, and civil society organizations. She has written two books and contributed to scholarly books and journals. She is also an honorary member of numerous youth and human rights initiatives in the Arab world.

Ms. Zeid has always worked with a strong commitment to women’s rights. She has been actively engaged in women’s networks; she served for nine years as a board member of the NGO Forum for Women in Development.

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This search feature will enable you to find Muslim women alphabetically by their first names. Many Muslim names have alternative spellings once rendered into English so if you cannot find the name you are looking for, please try the general search tab where you can enter keywords of your choice.
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This search feature will enable you to find Muslim women chronologically by the Common Era century. We are actively building the archive of Muslim women leaders from the past, as well as from today, and we would welcome your recommendations of women to feature. Please complete our “Recommend Muslim Women” form and check the site again in the near future as we actively expand this section of the portal with your suggestions.
This search feature will enable you to find Muslim women by their Country. We are actively building the archive of Muslim women leaders from the past, as well as from today, and we would welcome your recommendations of women to feature. Please complete our “Recommend Muslim Women” form and check the site again in the near future as we actively expand this section of the portal with your suggestions.
This search feature will enable you to find Muslim women leaders by entering the keyword(s) of your choice. If you cannot find a particular woman that you are looking for, please let us know by completing our “Recommend Muslim Women” form and check the site again in the near future as we actively expand this section of the portal with your suggestions.