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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Suraya Pakzad

photo of Suraya Pakzad

Known For: Founder of the Voice of Women Organization (VWO)
Country: Afghanistan

About

Suraya Pakzad founded the Voice of Women Organization (VWO) in 1998 in Afghanistan. The organization operates across the country and teaches women and girls how to read in groups. Initially, VWO’s work was conducted in secrecy but after 2001 the organization has been able to operate openly. Ms. Pakzad firmly believes that Afghanistan cannot prosper without the contributions of its women.  To this end, VWO now runs a range of projects that support disadvantaged and oppressed women.

Ms. Pakzad was the recipient of the “Women of Courage” award by the US State Department in 2008. That same year she was also awarded the “Malali Medal” by the President of Afghanistan. More recently, in May 2009, she was recognized as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine. Ms. Pakzad graduated from Kabul University where she later became a faculty member in the literature department. She was married at 14 and is a mother of six.

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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.