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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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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S. Ayse Kadayifci-Orellana

photo of S. Ayse Kadayifci-Orellana Visiting Assistant Professor, Georgetown University; Founding member & Associate Director, Salam Institute for Peace and Justice

Sa’diyya Shaikh

photo of Sa’diyya Shaikh Senior Lecturer of Islamic Studies and Feminist Theory at the University of Cape Town

Saadia Boussana

photo of Saadia Boussana Head of PR and Communications at My Woman Magazine

Sabah Al Hallak

photo of Sabah Al Hallak Member of the Syrian Women League

Sabeeha Rehman

photo of Sabeeha Rehman Director, Interfaith Programs at American Society for Muslim Advancement

Sabiha Gokcen

photo of Sabiha Gokcen World’s First Female Fighter Pilot

Sadia Dehlvi

photo of Sadia Dehlvi Columnist

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

Safiye Sultan

no photo available Advisor and Valide Sultan of the Ottoman Empire

Sahar Al-Qwasmi

photo of Sahar Al-Qwasmi Member, Palestinian Legislative Council

Sajia Behgum

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

Sajida Amin-Sabjee Khan

photo of Sajida Amin-Sabjee Khan Educator/Artist/Activist

Salima Tlemcani

no photo available Algerian journalist

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)

Salwa Baccar

photo of Salwa Baccar English teacher, High Institute of Management, University of Tunis

Samah Said Helmy

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

Samar Fatany

photo of Samar Fatany Chief Broadcaster, Radio Jeddah

Samina Bashir

no photo available Assistant Professor, Faculty of Shariah & Law, International Islamic University

Sanaa A. M. Makhlouf

photo of Sanaa A. M. Makhlouf Senior Instructor, Department of Rhetoric and Composition at the American University in Cairo

Santanina Tillah Rasul

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

Sara Silvestri

photo of Sara Silvestri Assistant Professor in International Politics at City University London

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 Mendly

photo of Sarah Mendly First Muslim to Enter & Win, Miss Nottingham Pageant; Participant, Miss England Beauty Contest

Sarah Hashwani

no photo available Chairman of Hashoo Foundation and creator of Plan Bee

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

Sayyida al-Hurra

no photo available Pirate Queen

Seemi Bushra Ghazi

photo of Seemi Bushra Ghazi Lecturer in Classical Arabic, University of British Columbia

Sema Süvarioglu

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

Senay Özdemir

no photo available Founder of SEN Magazine

Seyran Ateş

photo of Seyran Ateş Lawyer, Writer and Publicist

Shabana Azmi

photo of Shabana Azmi Acclaimed Indian actress and activist

Shadi Ghadirian

photo of Shadi Ghadirian One of Iran’s leading contemporary photographers

Shahdah “the Writer”

no photo available Calligrapher and one of the most distinguished Islamic scholars (ulema)

Shahien Taj

photo of Shahien Taj Founder & Executive Director of Henna Foundation

Shahina Akbar

photo of Shahina Akbar Attorney, Supreme Court

Shahla Sherkat

no photo available Journalist

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

Shajarat al-Durr

no photo available The first woman in Islam to assume the throne on her own right

Shakila Hamidi

photo of Shakila Hamidi Principal, Afghan School Inc.

Shamsia Sharifi

no photo available General Director, Help Poor Women Organization

D. Sharifa Khanam

photo of D. Sharifa Khanam Founder, STEPS Women’s Development Organization

Sharifa Akhlas

no photo available Journalist

Sheika Hanan al-Thani

photo of Sheika Hanan al-Thani Business trainer at the Qatar Foundation

Sheikh Hasina Wazed

photo of Sheikh Hasina Wazed Prime Minister of Bangladesh

Sheikha Rima Al-Sabah

no photo available Philanthropist

Shelina Zahra Janmohamed

photo of Shelina Zahra Janmohamed Author of “Love in a Headscarf”

Sherin Khankan

no photo available Founder and leader of the Critical Muslims and Face to Face organizations, co-founder of consultancy firm Mesopotamia

Shireen Zaman

photo of Shireen Zaman Director for Middle East and North Africa, Vital Voices Global Partnership

Shirin Ebadi

photo of Shirin Ebadi First Muslim woman and Iranian to Receive the Nobel Peace Prize

Shirin Neshat

photo of Shirin Neshat Artist

Siba Maraachli

photo of Siba Maraachli Programme Support Manager, United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA)

Sidra Humayun

photo of Sidra Humayun Coordinator, WAR Against Rape (Lahore, Pakistan)

Sima Quraishi

photo of Sima Quraishi Executive Director Muslim Women Resource Center

Siti Musdah Mulia

photo of Siti Musdah Mulia Research Professor, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI)

Sobia Malik

photo of Sobia Malik Educational Consultant

Solafa Sawalha

photo of Solafa Sawalha Director of Family Counseling and the Rehabilitation Department, Shar’iah Court

Somayya Jabarti

photo of Somayya Jabarti Managing Editor of Arab News

Sophia Abdi Noor

photo of Sophia Abdi Noor Member of Kenya’s 10th Parliament, Shura Council Member

Souad Slaoui

no photo available Associate Professor in Linguistics and Gender Studies, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University

Sri Wahyuni

photo of Sri Wahyuni Director, PATIMADORA

Sumbul Ali-Karamali

photo of Sumbul Ali-Karamali Lawyer; Writer; Shura Council Member

Sumi Khan

photo of Sumi Khan Journalist

Suraiya It

no photo available Activist and academic

Suraya Pakzad

photo of Suraya Pakzad Founder of the Choice of Women Organization (VWO)

Suzanne Mubarak

photo of Suzanne Mubarak First Lady of Egypt

Syeda Sultana Razia

photo of Syeda Sultana Razia Associate Professor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology

Sylvana Lakkis

no photo available President, The Lebanese Physical Handicapped Union

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.