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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Maliha Ahmed Alshehab

“I hope my book will [impel women] … to take their destiny into their own hands and not to rely on male relatives to define themselves and their lives.”

Wanted to Be Free of Her Guardian: Maliha Alshehab

Known For: Board member, contributor to Al-Waref Institute; Activist
Country: Saudi Arabia

About

Maliha Alshehab is a Saudi writer who has made a name for herself as an outspoken advocate of women’s emancipation in Saudi society. From 2007 to 2010 she was a columnist for Al Watan, a leading Saudi newspaper. Due to the controversial nature of her articles, particularly on the issue of child marriage, her column was terminated and she for some time, could not find another Saudi media outlet to publish her work. She is currently a weekly columnist for the Kuwaiti paper Al Rai and published her debut book “Saudi Woman: Image and Voice.”

An active speaker on many American campuses, Alshebab highlights domestic violence abuses Saudi women face, as well as what she calls the “paralyzing” effect of male guardianship. Alshebab is also a board member and contributor for Al-Waref Institute, an Islamic organization devoted to increasing the knowledge of the Middle East among Americans.

She has published numerous articles through a variety of outlets on Saudi women and their human rights struggles, as well as her publicly renowned work entitled “No Guardianship.” She earned several awards, including the King Faisal University Award and the Imam Mohammed University award, for many of the articles she has written.

Sources

No Guardianship

Al Waref & AIC with Project Nur Present: Women’s Rights Abuses in the Arab States of the Gulf

More Information

Maliha Ahmed Alshehab discusses Women’s Rights Abuses in the Arab Gulf

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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.