Muslim Women s Council Strategy 2017 onwards

Muslim Women s Council Strategy 2017 onwards

Muslim Women s Council Strategy 2017 onwards Muslim Women s Council is a leading Bradford based charity set up in 2009. We are led by the needs of Muslim women and our mission is to empower women for the benefit of society. Our work does not include the teaching or promotion of religion rather we address the barriers encountered by Muslim women and their families in playing a full and active role in society and the economy. We believe when women are empowered this benefits the whole of society, and that women are an effective force for social change. Our vision is for every woman, life with all its opportunities. With support from Muslim women, wider communities, our funders and partners our forward strategy builds on what we have achieved so far to continue offering effective ways of meeting the needs of Muslim women in Bradford and beyond. We aim to expand our reach and impact, and for our new strategy this means using all our experience, insight and innovation to help break down barriers preventing Muslim women from fulfilling their potential. is is a challenging goal, so we have adopted an agile approach which will allow us to respond quickly where needed and try out different approaches to help us test ideas, learn and grow what works. Our strategy will focus on creating impact through four impact streams: 1. Voice, leadership and access to decision-making Voice, decision-making and leadership Muslim Women s Council understand as elements of women s empowerment. Our work in this impact stream encapsulates women having the power to express their preferences, demands, views and interests, to gain access to positions of decision-making that affect public or private power and resource allocation; and to exercise influence in leadership positions. We will use our position of trust to reach out and gather insights into the lives of Muslim women to: Promote the role of Muslim women as an important and effective part of the UK s social and economic fabric. Bridge the communications gap between Muslim women and mainstream policy that impacts their lives. Gather and provide learning and insight from our work with and for Muslim women to inform policy responses to some of the most pressing issues for Muslim communities. Raise awareness of policy concerns for Muslim women, their families and communities on issues such as social cohesion, security, poverty, education, employment and other social policy areas where significant barriers exist Muslim women. Promote and provide opportunities for Muslim women to develop the skills, networks and experiences needed to lead in their communities.

is impact stream will focus on women s voice, leadership and decision-making power at the household, community and national level, and be individual or collective. 2. Access to Skills and employment Unemployment rates for Muslims are more than twice that of the general population (12.8% compared to 5.4%) and 41% are economically inactive, compared to 21.8% of the general population. e disadvantage is greater still for Muslim women: 65% of economically inactive Muslims are women. We have found the reasons behind this to be varied and complex. ey include: discrimination and Islamophobia, stereotyping, pressure from traditional families, a lack of tailored advice around higher education choices, and insufficient role models across education and employment. Our work for this impact stream will provide opportunities for training, mentoring, education, employment and self-employment including social enterprise. 3. Faith Muslim Women s Council recognise the vital importance of faith in the everyday lives of Muslim women, their families and Muslim communities. Whilst our role is not to provide the teaching of or promotion of religion, we know that issues such as cultural norms, marriage, divorce, sexual health, inheritance and wider societal and family matters create barriers for many Muslim Women. is impact stream will focus on providing advocacy, information and expert advice to Muslim women, policy makers and mainstream institutions on faith based issues that affect the everyday lives of Muslim women. 4. Community Resilience Changes are occurring at unprecedented rates in our economy, job markets, technology, environment, politics and population. Consequently the challenges faced in many communities need urgent action and require radical new solutions, greater trust and social capital. Building a resilient future for people and the places they call home requires individuals with lived experience to work collaboratively with institutions, grass roots and community organisation to evolve and become stronger through innovation and creativity. By enabling the capacity, and leadership potential of all of their citizens, these communities will be better equipped to organise locally, mobilise resources, strengthen social cohesion and address the most pressing issues faced by communities in local areas. Our work on Community Resilience will mobilise Muslim women as individuals, groups and networks and wider communities and institutions to tackle pressing social issues in localities.

Raising awareness, and breaking down barriers We want to break down the barriers faced by Muslim women. is means using the impact they can create and the movement they represent to dramatically increase both their visibility and the understanding of who they are, the issues they face and how institutions and agencies can partner with Muslim Women s Council and others to support them. We will focus on breaking down the barriers Muslim women have identified they face, individually and collectively. We will do this by concurrently: (a) designing solutions with Muslim women which address the problems faced by them within each of our impacts streams, and (b) raising awareness and influencing decision-makers to adopt the solutions at scale. We know that we cannot achieve our vision by ourselves. We will actively collaborate with partners who share our values so that together we can help Muslim women achieve their potential. Our values Our values reflect the vision and mission we have set: We are for all women with a particular focus on issues affecting Muslim women We support equality, diversity and social justice for all We are inclusive of all communities and people of all faiths and none We will continue to be challenging and advocate for the issues that matter to Muslim women and communities We are Independent and speak truth to power We are entrepreneurial We are open, transparent and share our work and learning We value and support our staff and volunteers and embrace cultural, religious and all other difference We know we cannot achieve our aims alone and value partnerships with others who share our vision and values If you would like to learn more about our work or partner with us to empower women for the benefit of society contact us on 01274 223230 or directorsoffice@muslimwomenscouncil.org.uk

Carlisle Business Centre, Lister Suite, 60 Carlisle Road, Bradford, BD8 8BD www.muslimwomenscouncil.org.uk Charity number 1158560 Company number 7518555