Objectives

The European Muslim Women of Influence List recognises the achievements of women in a variety of fields. Its main objectives are to:

• diversify mainstream representation of Muslim women in Europe

• increase the visibility of Muslim women in their various roles as active, influential and inspirational members of society
  

• celebrate, empower and honour Muslim women’s efforts and achievements in a plethora of sectors.

Background

There are an estimated 23 million people of Muslim heritage in Europe. European Muslim women are a diverse, dynamic and influential demographic group that plays a vital role in a wide range of cultural, economic, professional and social spheres across Europe. With Muslims being one of the least economically advantaged groups in Europe and widely associated with violent radicalisation, there is a need to increase the capacity and visibility of positively engaged and inspiring European Muslims. Often unrecognised and negatively portrayed as victims of violent cultural practices, subject to restrictive dress codes and poorly educated, European Muslim women’s positive efforts and achievements frequently go uncelebrated. As central community players and part of an emerging group of dynamic achievers, comfortable with their national, religious and ethnic identities, European Muslim Women are key to harnessing positive social change across Europe.

The CEDAR Network - Connecting European Dynamic Achievers & Role Models

CEDAR is a pan - European network of Muslim professionals that seeks to generate a culture of success and leadership amongst Europe’s diverse Muslim communities. One of its top priorities is to foster professional aspiration and achievement amongst less privileged and marginalised communities, and to create a more diversified picture of European Muslims. A key network aim is to empower European Muslim women through providing networking initiatives, opportunities to share experiences and expertise, and seed concrete projects. With an expanding network currently extending across ten Western European countries and consisting of professionals from diverse fields, the CEDAR network is an ideal vehicle for recognising and increasing the visibility of European Muslim women’s positive efforts and achievements. With an aim to reflect the widest range of European Muslim women’s accomplishments, future European Muslim Women of Influence Lists will seek to draw nominations from all European countries.
CEDAR is facilitated by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and Salzburg Global Seminar.