Muslim women are frequently portrayed as subservient and oppressed without access to education and sometimes even basic human rights. However, that stereotype couldn’t be more wrong for these dynamic political leaders.
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto is probably the most famous female Muslim leader. Born in 1953, she was Pakistan’s first and only female Prime Minister and served two terms. The first was from 1988-1990 and the second from 1993-1996. Bhutto came from a powerful Pakistani political dynasty and was the oldest child of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the ninth Prime Minister of Pakistan. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was removed from office and executed in 1979. Educated at Harvard and Oxford Universities, Benazir Bhutto became chairperson of her father’s political party several years after his death.
Her time in office was highly tumultuous, as is Pakistani politics in general. She was defeated in the 1997 Parliamentary elections after allegations of corruption, and she moved to Dubai in 1999 where she lived in exile until 2007. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf ultimately dropped all corruption charges against her and allowed Bhutto to come home and seek re-election. On December 27, 2007, she was assassinated after a campaign rally two weeks prior to the general election. Bhutto was leading in the polls at the time of her death.
Atifete Jahjaga
Atifete Jahjaga is another groundbreaking female Muslim politician. She is 40 years old and was elected President of Kosovo on April 7, 2011. The only female ever to hold the position, Jahjaga is the youngest person to do so as well. Prior to being elected President, she was Deputy Director of the Kosovo Police. She is a staunch supporter of women’s rights and hosted an International Women’s Summit in 2012 to promote women’s empowerment across the Balkans.
Aminata Toure
Aminata Toure was born in 1962 and served as the Prime Minister of Senegal from September 1, 2013, to July 8, 2014. Senegal is a West-African nation on the Atlantic Ocean. Prior to being appointed Prime Minister, Toure was the country’s Justice Minister. She also holds a Ph.D.
Ameenah Gurib
Ameenah Gurib assumed the position of President of the Republic of Mauritius on June 5, 2015. Mauritius is an island nation located off the southeastern coast of Africa. It achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1968. An academic by training, Gurib has a BSc in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry. She held several positions at the University of Mauritius before becoming President.
Tansu Ciller
From 1993 to 1996, Tansu Ciller was the Prime Minister of Turkey. She also served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey. She has a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Connecticut.
Prominent American Muslim Women
There is a growing list of prominent American Muslim women including:
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Ilyasah Shabazz
Born in 1962, Ilyasah Shabazz is one of the six children of deceased American Muslim leader Malcom X. She is a motivational speaker and author of the book Growing Up X.
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Farah Pandith
Farah Pandith is another influential American Muslim. Born in India, she grew up in Massachusetts and has degrees from Smith College and Tufts University Law School. Hillary Clinton appointed Pandith to be the first Special Representative to the Muslim Communities in 2009 and charged her with engaging Muslims worldwide at every level of society. She served in this capacity under Secretary of State Clinton and Secretary of State Kerry. Since leaving government in 2014, Pandith has been affiliated with Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
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Dalia Mogahed
Dalia Mogahed was appointed by Barack Obama to the President’s Advisory Council on Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Prior to that, she served as Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies.
While not all Muslim women have the freedom to live their lives as they choose, there are a growing number that are working to change the world.