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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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

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

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

photo of Samah Said 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

Santanina Tillah Rasul

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

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

no photo available Program Director of Maitri

Sarah Mendly

no photo available First Muslim to Enter & Win, Miss Nottingham Pageant; Participant, Miss England Beauty Contest

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

Senay Özdemir

no photo available Founder of SEN Magazine

Seyran Ateş

photo of Seyran Ateş Lawyer, Writer and Publicist

Shabana Azmi

no photo available Acclaimed Indian actress and activist

Shadi Ghadirian

no photo available One of Iran’s leading contemporary photographers

Shahdah “the Writer”

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

Shahina Akbar

photo of Shahina Akbar Attorney, High 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

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

no photo available 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

no photo available Artist

Siba Maraachli

photo of Siba Maraachli National Project Officer for the International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labor

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

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

Sri Wahyuni

photo of Sri Wahyuni Director, PATIMADORA

Sumbul Ali-Karamali

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

Sumi Khan

no photo available 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

no photo available First Lady of Egypt

Suzanne Mubarak

no photo available 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.