The Global Conference on Women’s Rights in Islam will present several international speakers from several countries. They will explore various ideas about women’s rights in contemporary Islam.
Haedar Nashir
Haedar Nashir (born 1958) is the leader of Muhammadiyah, one of the biggest Muslim organizations in the world. He is among the 100 top social sciences scientists in Indonesia and the world’s 500 influential Muslims. He is also known as a professor and lecturer in the Governance Science program at Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta.
Abdul Mu’ti
Abdul Mu’ti (born 2 September 1968) is an Indonesian Islamic Scholar. He serves as General Secretary of the Muhammadiyah Central Leadership for the 2022-2027 period. He completed his basic education in Kudus in 1986. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the Tarbiyah Faculty of IAIN Walisongo Semarang in 1991. Then he received and completed his master’s degree at Flinders University, South Australia in 1996. He continued his doctoral education at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah and was a Professor at the campus.
Peter K. Munene
Peter is the Executive Director of Faith to Action Network, a global interfaith network with members from Baháʼí, Buddhist, Christian, Confucian, Hindu, Muslim, and African Traditional religions. The Network promotes mutual learning and increased interfaith collaboration between religious organizations as well as faith-based organizations, governments and other stakeholders to advance family health and well-being; women’s rights and gender justice; and peaceful, just and inclusive communities. We amplify faith voices, conduct advocacy and communicate messages for change, including social and behavioural change.
Siti Ruhaini Dzuhayatin
She is a lecturer in Sociology, Law and Human Rights, Law and Gender at the Faculty of Sharia and Law, and a Postgraduate at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. She also teaches similar courses at the Faculty of Law UGM, Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS) UGM, and other universities in Indonesia and abroad such as Emory University, South Carolina University, and others.
She was a senior researcher at the Center for Policy and Population Studies (PSKK) UGM in 1999-2002, recipient of the Australian AIDAB Scholarship in 1991-1993; Human Rights Covumentation Training, Manila, Philippines, 1994, Women Fellowship at McGill University Canada, 1998, Islam and Human Rights Fellowship, Emory University, 2003-2004, Gender and Conflict Resolution, Ulster University, Northern Ireland and British Council, Manchester and Human Right Mechanism training at the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council in Geneva and New York in 2012. Structurally, this persistent woman once held the position of Deputy Chancellor for Student Affairs and Cooperation, Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University Yogyakarta in 2014-2016 and continues persistently trying to break the chancellor’s ‘glass ceiling’ which has so far been dominated by men. Currently, she is being assigned as a staff member at the Presidential Office
Ani Zonneveld
Ani Zonneveld (born 1962) is a Malaysian singer, songwriter, activist, and writer based in Los Angeles. She has released three original albums, produced music for other artists, and participated in the writing of Grammy-winning songs. She is the first Malaysian person to have won a Grammy.
She is the president and founder of Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV), a nonprofit organization in the United States with affiliates in Canada, Europe, Chile, Australia, and Malaysia creating inclusive communities that welcome and support interfaith marriages, gay marriages, gender & sexual minorities, as well as sectarian minorities.
Zonneveld is also the editor, along with Vanessa Karam and Olivia Samad, of Progressive Muslim Identities: Personal Stories from the U.S. and Canada, a 2011 anthology that features a diverse group of progressive Muslims, with a foreword by Aasif Mandvi, published in the United States by Oracle Releasing.
Mohammed Bun Bida
Mohammed Bun Bida is a Social Development Consultant from The Muslim Family Counseling Services (MFCS), a not-for-profit organization established in 1990 to provide information and services women/youth empowerment, health (Sexual and Reproductive Health), human rights, education, income generating activities and prevention within deprived communities in Ghana. The organizational goal of MFCS is to improve the quality of life of people by working with other agencies in joint efforts to provide the appropriate information and services for socio-cultural transformation. Most importantly, MFCS seeks to the realization of the full potential and total human developmentof people in deprived communities. In pursuit of this noble goal, MFCS reaches out to marginalized and deprived persons in deprived communities through participatory community mobilization activities, cultural, community empowerment and capacity building. For the past 30 good years, Muslim Family Counseling Services (MFCS) have been implementing education, human rights and health related projects including policy and budget advocacy as well as community mobilization and education. He also a social development advocate and consultant with 15 years experience .
Sandra Iman Pertek
Sandra Iman Pertek is an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow and gender and social development specialist with over a decade’s experience in humanitarian, development, and migration settings. Her research integrates intersectional and ecological approaches for developing religious engagement with the continuum of violence in forced migration.
She is a mixed-methods researcher and an active contributor to networks dedicated to gender, religion, and forced migration. She has led several studies across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe; most recently the Ukrainian refugees at risk project in Poland and Ukraine. She currently leads Protecting forcibly displaced women and girls in the Muslim world.
As a SEREDA Research Fellow (Impact and Policy lead), she has coordinated multi-stakeholder initiatives to strengthen protection in forced displacement. She has consulted on behalf of governmental, inter-governmental, and non-governmental organizations, and she previously served in a leading humanitarian organization as Senior Policy Adviser on Gender.
Rukiyah Bakari
Rukiyah Bakari is a senior program officer in Timbuktu Institute, or African Center for Peace Studies, an African research center for peace based in Dakar in Senegal, with offices in Niamey in Niger and Bamako3 in Mali. The Timbuktu Institute office in Bamako is the most recent. It was officially opened on March 11, 2021, with the agreement and support of the Malian government, several high-ranking authorities of which were present at the inauguration ceremony.
Zilka Spahic Siljak
Experienced researcher and professor of gender studies and religious studies with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. Skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Intercultural Communication, Sociology of Gender, Research Design, and Program Evaluation. Strong research professional with an Executive Leadership Certificate focused in Organizational Leadership from Cornell University.
Rosaline Gollo
Rosaline Gollo is the founder of Waso Hope, a non-profit Community-Based Organization (CBO) at the forefront of advocating for the plight of the Pastoralist women and girls in Isiolo County, Nigeria.
Gamal Serour
Gamal Serour is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Director of the International Islamic Center For Population Studies and Research and former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Al Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. He won the United Nations Population Award in 2013 and the Nile Prize for Science in 2018. Since 2019, he has been a member of the Islamic Research Council Al Azhar. He established and directed Al Azhar training programmes for laparoscopy in 1976, microsurgery in 1980, and a large number of training workshops on academic, research and training for candidates from Middle East, Asia and Africa. He has conducted numerous workshops on sexual and reproductive health and rights for religious leaders and Imams from Egypt, Asia and Africa in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Population Fund and the United Nations Children’s Fund. Gamal established the first in vitro fertilization (IVF) centre in Egypt on March 1986 and IVF centres at the Ministry of Health in 2000 and at Al-Azhar University in 2004. He established the Egyptian Fertility Society (EFFS) in 1994 and has been the EFFS’ President since 2004.
He was President of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) from 2009 to 2012, a member of the Lancet–Guttmacher Commission on SDGS (2016–2018) and is currently President of the African Federation Fertility Societies (AFFS). He was a member and then Chair of the FIGO Ethics Committee for Women’s Reproductive Health (1994–2006), a member of the WHO Strategic and Technical Advisory Group (STAG) (2011-2016), Chair of STAG (2017–2018) and has been Co-Chair of the Ethics Review Committee at the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean since 2017.
Ibrahim Salah Elsayed Soliman Elhodhod
Ebrahim Elhodhod served as the president of Al-Azhar University from 2015 to 2017. Al-Azhar University, located in Cairo, Egypt, is one of the oldest and most prestigious Islamic institutions globally. It has a rich history and has produced notable scholars and leaders.
During his tenure, Ebrahim Elhodhod contributed to the university’s academic and administrative affairs. Al-Azhar University has played a significant role in Islamic education and scholarship for centuries, and its presidents have shaped its direction and policies.
Abdalla El-Nagar
Abdalla el-Nagar is a Professor of Islamic Shariaa and Law, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
Hamid Abou Taleb
Hamid Abou Taleb is a Professor of Islamic Shariaa and Law, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
Judge Somoud al-Damiri
Judge Somoud al-Damiri, the first female appointed as the Chief Prosecutor of Personal Status for the Upper Council of Sharia courts, and the first female judge of the Sharia Court of Appeal in Palestine. Judge Somoud Damiri, a women’s rights champion working on the YW4A programme to advocate for legal policy changes, stressed the importance of shedding light on the experiences of abused women systematically deprived of their fundamental rights. She argued that true nation-building cannot occur when women are forced to live in fear and anxiety, expressing her determination to bring about radical social change that ensures equality and justice for Palestinian women. Her stance serves as a potent reminder of the transformative power of the law. She wrote a book, ‘Similar Stories: Wives: the H of Heaven in Hell.’ This powerful exploration delves into the experiences of Palestinian women and their struggles with gender inequality and violence.
Lawrence Tsuro
Lawrence Tsuro is a program coordinator of Fatima Zahra Women’s Organization (FZWO), an Islamic faith-inspired non–profit organization that was formed in 1994 with a mandate to empower women and the community by providing education to vulnerable groups. Its vision is to provide religious and moral guidance while uplifting communities. FZWO’s work is based on the Qur’an and the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad and his purified household. The actual practices of the Prophet himself and his purified family provide further guidance about how Muslims might translate the lessons of the Qur’an.
In 2009, FZWO, established a college and a home for less privileged children. Currently, the enrolment is at 90 students. FZWO has deepened its interventions to include empowering women and girls to access SRHR within the context of their faith. It collaborates with the Ahlul Bayt Islamic Guidance Council, an Islamic sister organization, named after the household of Prophet Muhammad, whose mandate also focuses on interfaith dialogues, religious training, youth, and development, among other things.
During covid19 lockdown we made and distributed face masks to less privileged families in Epworth. We also made and distributed sanitizers at funerals and religious gathering of both Muslim and Christians, and donated exercise books, pens, pencils, and office stationery for learners in rural schools in Zimbabwe.
Azizat Omotoyosi Amoloye-Adebayo
Azizat Omotoyosi Amoloye-Adebayo holds an LLB degree in Common and Islamic Law from Usmanu Dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto and an LLM degree from the University of Ibadan, Ibadan. She also holds a PhD degree in Sharī‘ah and International Human Rights Law from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. She is a senior lecturer and the Postgraduate Programmes Coordinator in the Department of Islamic Law, Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin, Ilorin. She is a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, a Commonwealth Scholar and an associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Nigeria, and United Kingdom. Her research interests and areas of publication are Sharī‘ah and International Human Rights Law; Human Rights violations, Islamic Law of Inheritance and Islamic Family Law; Issues in Law and Religion; Gender Issues in Law; Feminist theories and Islam. She has contributed chapters in edited volumes such as Judicial Dialogue and Human Rights (Cambridge University Press 2017). She was a part of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies’ Young Scholars Fellowship on Religion and the Rule of Law class held at Christ Church, Oxford, UK, in 2019.
Umar Nyanzi
Umar Nyanzi is a President of Muslim Centre for Justice and Law (MCJL), an Ugandan faith based NGO dedicated to promoting and advancing Justice, Tolerance and Human Rights in Uganda. MCJL has a primary focus on poor and vulnerable members of the grass root communities and further encompasses the diverse community as a whole. Empowering local communities to effectively advocate for their rights and duty bearers to deal with dynamic social challenges especially in the Muslim communities in Uganda.
Refat Juma
Refat Juma is an imam from The Southern Sudan Islamic Council (SSIC), a non-governmental Islamic organization which aims to spread the Islamic call and support poor communities to achieve decent living and prosperity in the fields of education, health and poverty alleviation in Southern Sudan. The Islamic Council of Southern Sudan is a voluntary civil society organization registered with the Ministries of Justice and Humanitarian Affairs, a non-governmental and non-profit organization concerned with the management and organization of Muslim community affairs in South Sudan, headquartered in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. The Islamic Council has 33 branches in all states. The country has 32 states in addition to the administrative region of Abyei.
Canon Grace Kaiso
Rev. Canon Grace Kaiso is a theologian and an ordained minister in the Anglican Church. He was trained in Uganda, New Zealand, and Canada. Since his ordination in 1977 he has served in the Church in different capacities and at different levels. Rev. Kaiso served for 9 years as the Executive Secretary of the Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC), an ecumenical body that brings together the Anglican Church, the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.
Rev. Kaiso has worked with World Vision International as Project Manager and Facilitator of urban projects for 10 years. He is known within the Faith circles as an ardent advocate for human rights, good governance and is an active player in peace building initiatives in the Great Lakes region. Rev. Canon Kaiso’s is an advocate for FP and actively participated in ICFP 2013, 2016 and 2018.
He has recently retired as General Secretary of Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) where he served for 10 years and supports the Anglican Alliance as Senior Adviser. He is also supporting the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda as facilitator for Peace and Leadership Institute. Rev. Canon Kaiso is the current Chair of Faith to Action Network Board. He has also served on various other Boards including; Micah Challenge International, Media Council of Uganda, National Council for Children Uganda, Anglican Alliance, ECLOF- Uganda, FECCLAHA, Africa Council for Religious Leaders and ICCO Regional Board.
Alimatul Qibtiyah
Alimatul Qibtiyah, familiar with Alim, was born in Ngawi on September 19 1971. He is a professor in the field of Gender Studies, Faculty of Da’wah and Communication, Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University, Yogyakarta. Currently he also serves as commissioner of the National Commission on Violence Against Women for the 2020-2024 period. She is also a member of the Muhammadiyah Majelis Tarjih dan Tajdid (Council for Islamic Thoughts and Renewal), ‘Aisyiyah Research and Development Institute.
Alim attended the 2017 Indonesian Women Ulama Congress (KUPI) as a participant. He is also involved in discussions about women and radicalism and women and sexual violence. So far, Alim has accessed sources and references, including about issues of gender equality and justice and about female ulama during the time of the Prophet, from the results of KUPI as inspiration for him to disseminate.
Siti Syamsiyatun
Siti Syamsiyatun is a professor at Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University (UIN), Yogyakarta. He also served as Director of ICRS (Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies), a consortium founded by UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Gajah Mada University, and Dutawacana Christian University, in 2010-2019. She is now serving as the Head of ‘Aisyiyah Research and Development Institute
Syamsiyatun was present at the 2017 Indonesian Women’s Ulema Congress (KUPI). According to him, KUPI is a forum for many ulama who pay attention to gender equality issues, regardless of whether the ulama are female or male. Female clerics must remain consistent and exist in paying attention to women’s issues and the clergy. The term ulama should not only be applied to those who have Islamic boarding schools, but also to those who produce scientific and Islamic works and provide benefits to the wider community.
The ideas obtained from KUPI were disseminated by Syamsiyatun through teaching in classes, at clerical events, and to the wider community. The image in society regarding the meaning of ulama which is only limited to men who wear turbans needs to be reviewed and add the ulama that is attached to women too.
Ai Fatimah Nur Fuad
Ai Fatimah Nur Fuad is a Dean at Prof. Dr. HAMKA Muhammadiyah University Jakarta, Associate Professor in Islamic Studies at the same University, and a member at ‘Aisyiyah Council of Cadre Development, and serving at various centers dealing with Islamic studies and Arabic language and culture.
Tuty Alawiyah
Tuty Alawiyah is an Associate Professor in Social Work at Universitas Muhammadiyah Jakarta. She was the Deputy Director of Raoul Wallenberg Institute, Jakarta and Asia Pacific Office (2021-2023), and serves at the ‘Aisyiyah Council for Social and Community Welfare.
Sukendar
Sukendar is an Associate Professor in Islamic Studies, and currently serves as the Head of the Department of Religious Studies, at Walisongo State Islamic University, Semarang Indonesia. Apart from teaching at the University, he is also involved in several centers in peace and conflict transformation.
Lailatis Syarifah
Lailatis Syarifah is a lecturer at the State Islamic University Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, apart from becoming a member at the Muhammadiyah Majelis Tarjih dan Tajdid (Council for Islamic Thoughts and Renewal) and ‘Aisyiyah Council for Cadre Development.
Andari Wuri Astuti
Andari Wuri Astuti is a Head of Master of Midwifery Study Programme, Faculty of Health Sciences, UNISA Yogyakarta. She is a registered Indonesian midwife, a Member of the Health Council of Aisyiyah Central Board (Majelis Kesehatan Pimpinan Pusat Aisyiyah) and a Board Member of the Indonesian Midwifery Collegium. Over the last five years, she has been involved in research projects related to Indonesian adolescent pregnancy, Indonesian midwifery services, women’s health and sexual and reproductive health, which were funded by national and international parties.