NEW YORK: Over 200 Muslim women activists, academics, religious scholars, lawyers and community leaders will meet to launch the first Global Women’s Shura Council, Muslim Women’s Fund and Muslim Women’s Online Portal this summer. They will come from over 40 countries to meet in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 16-19, 2009 at a conference entitled “Muslim Women: Building Institutions, Creating Change.”
As part of the larger Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE) program, the event aims to build a network of Muslim women to challenge distorted interpretations of Islam, increase the socio-economic self-determination of Muslim women worldwide, and create positive social change. The conference “is a historic moment for Muslim women’s activism and an opportunity to build on the change US President Barack Obama highlighted in his speech in Cairo,” said WISE founder Daisy Khan. “We’re thrilled to build upon the collective experiences of Muslim women from around the world and establish a true global support network of Muslim women working for social change at the dawning of this new political era.”
The event will launch three initiatives aimed at empowering Muslim women and increasing their connectivity and socio-economic capacity.
