Annual Conference of the Islamic Women's Council of New Zealand

Stepping up and stepping out was the theme of this year’s Islamic Women’s Council annual conference. The Hamilton conference, which was attended by 200 women from around the country, included a youth programme, along with competitions for written and spoken word poetry and short-story writing.

Guest Speaker Tasneem Chopra, photo by Mariam Quereshi

A group met with Attorney General, the Honorable Chris Finlayson, to raise social issues faced by Muslim women. “The women look forward to a longer term engagement with the government to ensure positive outcomes not just for our community but the country as a whole” said National Co-ordinator Maysoon Salama. “Muslim women contribute to this country in many fields, and we want to ensure that it remains a safe place for us.”

The youth programme followed on from the successful national youth camp for Muslim girls held last December. “In order for successful integration, our youth programme is focused on developing strong and confident young women who feel comfortable with their unique Kiwi Muslim identity” said Assistant Co-ordinator, Aliya Danzeisen. “We are extremely proud of our youth leaders, who played a significant role in organising this year’s conference. They give us a lot of hope for the future.”

The AGM was held on Sunday morning, and IWCNZ is pleased to announce the following positions were filled:

National Coordinator – Dr. Maysoon Salama
Assistant Coordinator -Aliya Danzeisen
Assistant Coordinator –Anjum Rahman
Secretary –Zarghoona Lafrae
Treasurer - Munira Khanum

We look forward to implementing our plans over the next year and reporting progress at next year’s conference in Palmerston North.

ENDS

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