Building communities
one conversation at a time.
Sisterhood Initiative gives a voice to thousands of Muslim women in Sri Lanka.
Our Mission
What we do
Building Communities One Conversation at a Time
We are a non-profit, non-political & non-religious discussion and volunteer group dedicated to understanding and addressing issues faced by Muslim women in the country
Our Vision
What we want
Recognize Sri Lankan Muslim Women as important stakeholders in society with decision making power
To achieve this, we work towards creating safe spaces for Muslim young women and girls in Sri Lanka to come together to share experiences, engage in curated discussions and find a sense of community among each other.
Our Values
What we strive for
Safe Spaces to Share Experiences
To facilitate intra-faith & inter-faith dialogues and network-building among women in Sri Lanka
Inspiring Female Leadership
To inspire leadership through volunteerism and mobilize young Muslim women to be active participants in decision making within their communities
Raising Awareness
To protect and advocate for the rights of Muslim women in Sri Lanka.
Success
These numbers might not be able to paint the entire picture of our work, but it’s one way to show our progress as a small team!
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Members
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Campaigns
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Curated conversations
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TRAINED VOLUNTEERS
Recent Projects
Work
Learn more about our recent projects
At Sisterhood Initiative, we work primarily on:
- Interactive dialogues: Online and offline platforms (Webinars & Gatherings)
- Capacity Building: Workshops.
- Advocacy: Communications campaign.
- Supporting survivors: Connecting them to resource groups.
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Updates
News & Articles
Sisterhood Initiative celebrates three years
To commemorate three years since Sisterhood Initiative’s (SI) inception, -“Celebrating SI” was held on January, 2023.
Public art project by Fearless Collective with Sisterhood Initiative
Fearless Collective, a South Asia based public arts project, was recently in Sri Lanka, conducting their first Artist Residency with several artists from across South Asia. The project was conducted from the 1st to the 4th of April 2022 at the Salvation Army Building in Colombo in collaboration with Sisterhood Initiative,
Sisterhood In Murals
From 1 to 5 April, Sisterhood Initiative, together with international organisation The Fearless Collective, launched their collaborative project in creating a street mural dedicated to showcasing women and their collective strengths.
MMDA reforms: Youth engage in Q&A
With the appointment of a new Cabinet of Ministers recently, especially following the open promises made towards numerous reforms by Minister of Justice Ali Sabry, the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) is yet again in the limelight.
Girls want to have convos on issues that affect them
Groups are created every day, every moment – be it at school, work, university, or even on social media – but this particular group we’re going to talk about stands above the average.
A Deeper Look Into The MMDA: Youth Engage Q&A by the Sisterhood Initiative and MPLRAG
The Sisterhood Initiative and MPLRAG joined hands on a first-time-ever webinar surrounding the MMDA and its reforms on International Day of the Girl Child
MMDA reforms: Youth engage in Q&A (Part II)
Continuing last week’s feature on the Facebook live discussion on the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) hosted by the Sisterhood Initiative in collaboration with the Muslim Personal Law Reforms Action Group (MPLRAG), The Sunday Morning Brunch this week delves into further concerns, picking up from where we left off.
Young Human Rights Defenders Adapting to COVID-19
Youth-led human rights activism has never been an easy task. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the lives of people everywhere, many young human rights defenders faced multiple challenges to their activism. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has only further exacerbated the existing barriers for participating meaningfully in civic spaces and for speaking up about injustices.
Leading the Change
Nabeela Iqbal is a person who needs no introduction. A volunteer and youth activist with volunteering experience in peacebuilding, she is an Advocacy Champion with the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association.
She is also the founder of the Sisterhood Initiative, working together with likeminded young women across communities to build awareness and be a voice for young Muslim women and the challenges they face in Sri Lanka.
Sisterhood opens up discussions on unchartered topics
Founded in January 2020, the Sisterhood Initiative works towards creating spaces for Muslim women in Sri Lanka to come together and share their experiences, engage in curated discussions and to find a sense of community among each other. The topics range from personal issues to community level issues that women don’t get a chance to talk about.
Sisterhood Initiative: A space for girls to speak up!
Being a girl is tough and for Sri Lankan lasses; it’s tougher with the societal norms and cultural restrictions. Sri Lankan girls face many issues yet those are unvoiced and unheard in the patriarchal society. A space to speak up on these issues was limited. For a Sri Lankan Muslim girl, who faced many issues such as the gender discriminatory Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA), cultural restrictions and practices, such spaces are almost non- existent.
Meet the young activists showing resilience amidst uncertainty
Youth activism has never been easy. But working amid a global pandemic in a world increasingly divided, young human rights defenders are facing even greater challenges.
However, young people around the world have continued to show resilience amidst uncertainty. Even in the darkest of times, they’ve never stopped hoping for – and working towards – a better future for us all.