Events

Pushing interdisciplinary boundaries and contributing to developing an inclusive humanitarian policy, this symposium aims to mobilise new voices and conceptual resources to build bridges between mainstream humanitarian and Islamic philanthropic approaches to women in displacement and humanitarian crises. Connecting humanitarian, migration and religious systems, the symposium seeks to provide a platform to exchange and discuss innovative conceptual and financing solutions to support displaced women through integrating different aid paradigms.

Register Today:  Click here to register 
More information:  Find more information here

At the recent Transformative Leadership in Times of Polycrisis conference in Doha, Dr Sandra Pertek led a high-level panel discussion on the role of Muslim philanthropy in supporting displaced women within the humanitarian system.

Co-hosted by the Centre for Humanitarian Leadership, the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, and Pledge for Change, the conference explored urgent calls to decolonise aid and strengthen local leadership.

The panel delivered a sober wake-up call. Dr Khaled Khalifa (UNHCR) emphasised, the global Zakat system is not functioning as it should. If harnessed properly, Zakat could significantly strengthen humanitarian efforts and better support those most at risk.

Key themes emerging from the discussion included:

1. The localisation of aid, recognising cultural traditions and values of mutual support.
2. The need to create space for women’s leadership in philanthropic organisations. Dr Selman Salim (Türk Kızılay) underscored this point, while Dr Prof. Amelia Fauzia (joining online) shared the Indonesian example, where women serve on—and even lead—Zakat boards.

Despite examples of progress, much more is needed to align Muslim philanthropy with humanitarian priorities.

Dr Pertek emphasised the need for continued knowledge exchange, collaborative research, and capacity building to reimagine a more inclusive, faith-sensitive humanitarian system.

On 20 th of March 2024, Making Aid Work for Displaced Women co-hosted the event “Women on the Move: Inclusive, Intersectional and Faith-Sensitive Approaches in the Humanitarian Sector” in collaboration with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and Islamic Relief USA.

The event brought together humanitarian actors, researchers, and philanthropic leaders to reflect on policy developments affecting displaced women and explore how faith influences both their experiences and the responses they receive. Speakers highlighted the need to move beyond generic protection models by recognising the intersecting exclusions faced by displaced Muslim women and ensuring humanitarian responses are culturally relevant and gender-responsive.

This event marked an important step in bridging gaps between secular and faith- based protection approaches and in mobilising support for humanitarian reform grounded in dignity, inclusion, and lived realities.

The workshop will bring together around up to 50 representatives of state departments and international humanitarian organisations, including the UN representatives, INGOs and FBOs, interested in exploring inclusive, intersectional and faith-sensitive potential to advance responses to women in displacement.

This event aims to initiate a global conversation on engaging with Islamic philanthropy instruments to support women in conflict and displacement. Moving beyond fundraising, the focus centres on the ethics, delivery, understanding of lived experiences, and cultural proximity needed to effectively address the intersecting needs of displaced women across forced migration routes – on the move, in transit and places of refuge.

At the 20th International Association for the Study of Forced Migration Conference 2025 in Yogyakarta, Dr Sandra Pertek presented a paper on “Navigating Protection of Forcibly Displaced Women in Muslim-Majority Contexts: Analysis of the OIC” in the panel on Migration Governance and International Relations.

Dr Sandra Pertek conducted a session on academic policy engagement with intergovernmental organisations for the University of Northumbria, hosted by Sealey Associates.

Dr Sandra Pertek trained the Learning and Evaluation Group of Violence Reduction Units across UK Police on designing Theories of Change (TOC) for Public Research. Around 30 participants attended.

Dr Sandra Pertek met with FCDO focal points, including policy advisors and specialists in gender, protection, PSEA, and forced migration to introduce the project, discuss priorities and knowledge exchange.

Dr Sandra Pertek participated in a debrief with Dr Khaled Khalifa, UNHCR GCC Representative and Nadjia Hafsa, Deputy Representative. UNHCR KSA, and the UNHCR Islamic Philanthropy Team from Dubai office, discussing potential collaborations, including the development of a case study on the UNHCR Islamic Philanthropy Programme.

Dr Sandra Pertek met with Rt Hon. Andrew Mitchell MP, former UK Minister, to discuss the UKRI- funded research project: “Making Aid Work for Displaced Women: Integrating Islamic Philanthropy and the International Humanitarian System”. She addressed humanitarian issues related to displaced women in Muslim-majority countries and the need to prioritise their protection in policy responses. Dr Pertek also shared key policy briefs underpinning the research.