MWA is proud to share the publication of a peer-reviewed journal article that explores the outcomes of our pioneering leadership initiative, Together We Are Better Leaders. The article explores the experiences of Muslim women who participated in the program, highlighting the significance of culturally and religiously safe spaces in developing leadership capacity. The findings emphasise how faith-empowered approaches can challenge stereotypes and support Muslim women’s complex leadership journeys.

Abstract

The ‘Together We are Better Leaders’ program was run by Muslim Women Australia for the first time in 2020-2021. Together We are Better Leaders was a program designed for, and run by, Muslim women. This article explores participant experiences of the program, analysing the themes that emerged with respect to Muslim women’s leadership in the Australian context. The data analysis illustrates the importance of tailored leadership programs, designed specifically from Muslim women by Muslim women, to foster cultural and religious safety at the intersection of sexism and racism/Islamophobia. Through the creation of a culturally and religiously safe women’s leadership program, stereotypes about Muslim women were able to be displaced – replaced by personal narratives of complex agency grounded in empowerment through faith.

Published in Australian Journal of Islamic Studies

Reference

Jones, B., & Abdo, F. (2025). Islamic Leadership Programs for Women: How Suspension of the Double Bind Allows Us to Unpack the ‘Muslimwoman’. Australian Journal of Islamic Studies, 10(1), 22–40. https://doi.org/10.55831/ajis.v10i1.743