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.

  • By Category
  • By Name
  • By Century
  • By Country
  • Search

Joumanah El Matrah

photo of Joumanah El Matrah Executive Director, Islamic Women’s Welfare Council of Victoria

Judge Kholoud Al-Faqih

photo of Judge Kholoud Al-Faqih Judge, Sharia Court of Ramallah

Kamela Sediqi

no photo available Women business owner under the Taliban

Khadija Haffajee

photo of Khadija Haffajee Educator and Community activist

Kulsum Dawood

photo of Kulsum Dawood Trustee on the Board of Dawood Foundation

Laila Al-Askari

photo of Laila Al-Askari Director of Administration and Finance, The Brick Presbyterian Church

Laila Al-Marayati

no photo available Activist for Muslim women’s issues

Laisa Masuhud Alamia

photo of Laisa Masuhud Alamia Program Manager and co-founder of Nisa Ul Haqq Fi Bansamoro / Partner at ALCAP Law Offices, Shura Council Member

Lana Antaki

photo of Lana Antaki Board member and a trainer Al Moubadara Al Nissa’yeh

Lena Alhusseini

photo of Lena Alhusseini Executive Director, Arab American Family Support Center (AAFSC)

Leyla Pervizat

photo of Leyla Pervizat Women’s rights defender; Feminist researcher

Lily Munir

no photo available Director of Center of Pesantren and Democracy Studies (CEPDES)

Livia Iskandar

photo of Livia Iskandar Co-Founder /International Director of PULIH Center for Trauma Recovery and Psychosocial Intervention, Shura Council Member

Luma Mufleh

no photo available Coach, CEO of the Fugees Family

Maha ElGenaidi

photo of Maha ElGenaidi President, CEO of Islamic Network Groups

Maha G. Abouelenein

no photo available Managing Director, Organizational Consultants Inc., Egypt

Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh

no photo available Founding member of several initiatives to promote women’s rights

Mahfuza Folad

photo of Mahfuza Folad Director, Justice for All Organization

Mahveen Hussain

photo of Mahveen Hussain Medical Director

Malina Fahiz

photo of Malina Fahiz Managing Director of the Afghan Women Enterprise Network

Manal Qassim Shaheen Abdulla

no photo available Executive Director, Nakheel

Mari Folad

no photo available Member, Jalal Foundation

Maria Bichra Ep El- Hamzaoui

photo of Maria Bichra Ep El- Hamzaoui Director, Publishing Agency

Mariama Shaheed-Carson

photo of Mariama Shaheed-Carson Assistant Principal

Markhabo Zununova

photo of Markhabo Zununova Founder and Chairperson of Marriage and Family

Mary Batool Al-Toma

photo of Mary Batool Al-Toma Director, New Muslims Project

Marzia Basel

no photo available Founder and director of the Afghanistan Progressive Law Organization

Massumah Kabir

photo of Massumah Kabir Manager of Jalal Foundation

Meeran Karim

photo of Meeran Karim Political activist and organizer

Mino Akhtar

no photo available Speaker and civil rights activist in the American Muslim community

Moliah Hashim

photo of Moliah Hashim Chief Executive Officer, Yayasan MENDAKI

Mouna Ghanem

photo of Mouna Ghanem Director, Center for Development

Moushumi Khan

no photo available Cofounder of the Muslim Bar Association of New York

Mozn Hassan

photo of Mozn Hassan Head of Nazra for Feminist Studies

Mufuliat Fijabi

photo of Mufuliat Fijabi Independent Consultant on Women’s Rights and Development Issues

Mukhtaran Mai

photo of Mukhtaran Mai Women’s rights advocate

Muna AbuSulayman

photo of Muna AbuSulayman Executive Director of the Kingdom Foundation, Saudi Arabia / Fashion Designer

Nabila Freidji

photo of Nabila Freidji CEO, Cash One

Nadia Malik

photo of Nadia Malik Board Member/Treasurer, Muslim Women’s Fund

Nafis Sadik

photo of Nafis Sadik Special Advisor to UN Secretary General

Nahid Angha

no photo available Cofounder and Codirector of the International Association of Sufism

Naish Hasan

photo of Naish Hasan Women’s rights activist, writer

Najah Amro

photo of Najah Amro Head of Research and Islamic Jurisprudence, Office of Chief Justice of Shariah Court

Najah Bazzy

no photo available Registered nurse, social activist

Najmi Sarwar

no photo available Advocate for primary and secondary education for girls in rural Pakistan

Nani Zulminarni

photo of Nani Zulminarni National Coordinator, PEKKA (Women-headed Household Empowerment)

Nawal Haddadin

no photo available General Secretary at the Arab Women Organization of Jordan

Naz Ahmed Georgas

no photo available Advocates for building interfaith relationships

Naziema Jappie

no photo available Women’s rights activist; Executive Director: Advancement, Durban University of Technology

Nazira Moosa

no photo available Business Development Director, Motlekar Holdings

Nazli Kayahan

photo of Nazli Kayahan Board Member, Turkish Women’s Cultural Association Istanbul

Ndeye Andujar

photo of Ndeye Andujar Co-founder and Vice-President, Junta Islamica Catalana

Necva Solak

no photo available Attorney, Shura Council Member

Nese Tas

photo of Nese Tas Board Member, TURKKAD; Board Member, Nefas Publishing

Nisreen Haj Ahmad

no photo available Senior Academic Manager, The Columbia University Middle East Research Center

Noor Inayat Khan

no photo available British Secret Agent during World War II

Norhayati Kaprawi

photo of Norhayati Kaprawi Muslim Woman Activist

Nuzhat Jafri

photo of Nuzhat Jafri Executive Director, Office of the Fairness Commission (Ontario)

Pamela Taylor

photo of Pamela Taylor Co-founder of Muslims for Progressive Values, On Faith panelist

Parvin Ali

photo of Parvin Ali CEO, FATIMA Women’s Network

Princess Adela

no photo available National Family Safety Program, Vice Chair

Raissa Jajurie

photo of Raissa Jajurie Moro Program Coordinator, Alternative Legal Assistance Center

Randa Ayoubi

no photo available Chief Executive Officer, Rubicon

Rasheeda Ahmadi

no photo available Interpreter/ Report Writer for Help Poor Women Organization (HPWO)

Rashida Manjoo

photo of Rashida Manjoo United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women

Ratnawati Osman

no photo available Sisters in Islam Program Manager

Rawya Mansour

photo of Rawya Mansour Founder and Chairperson, RAMSCO for Sustainable Development and Environmental Protection

Rebecca Rafique

photo of Rebecca Rafique Senior Consultant, Whitepaper Consultancy

Rehab El-Bakry

no photo available Deputy Editor, Business Monthly, Egypt

Robina Niaz

photo of Robina Niaz Executive Director of Turning Point for Women and Families

Rumana Goolam Mohamed

photo of Rumana Goolam Mohamed Chairperson of the Coalition of Muslim Women

Sabah Al Hallak

photo of Sabah Al Hallak Member of the Syrian Women League

Sabeeha Rehman

photo of Sabeeha Rehman Founder & Past President, National Autism Association New York Metro Chapter / Director of Interfaith Programs, ASMA

Sadia Atta Mehmood

photo of Sadia Atta Mehmood Project Officer for the Youth Program of the UNFPA Pakistan

Safa Shehada

photo of Safa Shehada Ma'an Forum Director

Sajia Behgum

photo of Sajia Behgum Gender and Policy Advisor in the GTZ Gender Mainstreaming Project

Saleemah Abdul Ghafur

no photo available Author and Activist

Salma Maoulidi

photo of Salma Maoulidi Executive Director, Sahiba Sisters Foundation

Saltanat Baetova

photo of Saltanat Baetova Member of the Supervisory Board of the PA Human Rights Center for Citizens against Corruption (CAC)

Samah Said Helmy

photo of Samah Said Helmy Team Leader of Violence against Women Project for the National Council for Women in Cairo

Sameera Fazili

no photo available Activist for religious freedom and international human rights

Sanaa Nadim

no photo available First female Muslim Student Association chaplain

Santanina Tillah Rasul

photo of Santanina Tillah Rasul Chair, Magbassa Kita Foundation, Inc., Shura Council Member

Sara Farooqi

no photo available Board member of Muslims for Progressive Values

Sara Khan

photo of Sara Khan Women’s rights and advocacy

Sarah el-Khatib

photo of Sarah el-Khatib Social worker/ Project Coordinator at the Women Charity League

Sarah Khan

photo of Sarah Khan Program Director of Maitri

Sarah Syeed

no photo available Professor of communication

Sarwat Malik

photo of Sarwat Malik Vice Chair & founding member of the Muslim Women's Fund

Sayyeda Mirza-Jafri

photo of Sayyeda Mirza-Jafri Strategic Philanthropy Consultant

Sema Süvarioglu

photo of Sema Süvarioglu Founder and Mangar, Pusula Training and Management Consultancy

Seyran Ateş

photo of Seyran Ateş Lawyer, Writer and Publicist

Shahina Akbar

photo of Shahina Akbar Attorney, Supreme Court

Shahnaz Taplin-Chinoy

photo of Shahnaz Taplin-Chinoy Executive Director - Shahnaz Taplin-Chinoy and Associates

Shaikha Al Bahar

no photo available Deputy Chief Executive Officer, National Bank of Kuwait

Shakila Hamidi

photo of Shakila Hamidi Principal, Afghan School Inc.

Shamsia Sharifi

no photo available General Director, Help Poor Women Organization
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.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
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.