On Mar. 10, alongside philanthropist Melinda French Gates, human rights activists Panmelo Castro from Brazil and Rebecca Lolosoli from Kenya, three Muslim women were honored by Vital Voices Global Partnership, a Washington, DC-based organization that works to empower women around the world. The need to recognize the work of Muslim women is important. Type the search terms “Muslim women” or “women in Islam” online and chances are that a majority of English-language hits will consist of stories relating to what Muslim women wear on their heads or how women in Muslim-majority countries are subjected to physical abuse, or subjugated under the false pretext of religious principle.
