Muslim Women Taking the Lead
On Sunday, 23rd July 2017, BCBN in partnership with Muslim Women Connect & Saverah Empowering Lives, presented ‘21st Century Leadership‘, a panel discussion of Muslim women leaders across sectors and industries at the 3rd annual ‘Saverah Women Expo’, InterContinental London – The O2. The landmark event established as the biggest lifestyle exhibition for Muslim Women in the UK and Europe hosted thousands of visitors across an amazing weekend, showcasing the entrepreneurial spirit of Muslim women, educational seminars and networking opportunities.
Thank you to our panelists for a fantastic discussion on inspiring leadership, seeking confidence, gaining empowerment, influencing change and building communities that support one another.
Dr Husna Ahmad OBE, the UK’s only female led UK NGO spoke about good leadership through humility and the need to constantly challenge oneself, seeking knowledge as self-development. She has been active in advocating diversity in the work place and spoke about how we can use community spaces to empower Muslim women.
Despite facing prejudice and discrimination in her aspiring sport career, Annie Zaidi overcame many obstacles to become the first Muslim female UEFA B Football Coach in the UK. “Coaching Football is no different to giving a lecture at Universities. Society doesn’t seem to grasp the similarities and opportunities to educate”. David Beckham called her “an inspiration to so many people” in a video message at the 2015 Sportswomen of the Year Awards.
Our entrepreneurial speakers discussed ways in which they balance motherhood, family life and the demands of running their own business start-ups. Sabah Nazir, Founder and Creative Director of Islamic Moments, the UK’s first Islamic greetings card and stationery company discussed the challenges of running a niche business. Her message to aspiring industry leaders, “take risks and don’t be afraid to take the plunge. A lot of women fear failure”.
View gallery of the ’21st Century Leadership’ seminar.
Muslim Women Connect (MWC) is an initiative bringing together Muslims from a broad range of careers and different walks of life in order to network, connect with and nurture the next generation of Muslim women. MWC’s Mentoring Programme match mentees with a mentor who supports them on a one to one basis throughout their time on the programme. The six month programme, sponsored by BCBN also offers a range of workshops with industry experts and training sessions that give young people the skills and confidence to achieve their goals.
