KERALA :

‘RISING BEYOND THE CEILING’ releases list of Seventy Inspiring Muslim Women of Kerala

Kerala: 

‘Rising Beyond the Ceiling’ (RBTC), an initiative born out of the need to change the stereotypical narrative about Muslim women in India has released its list of seventy Inspiring Muslim Women of Kerala. The list includes names like Shabana Faisal, Nagma Mohamed Mallick, Sara Aboobacker, and others.

“The seventy RBTC Honorees from Kerala celebrated in this book have displayed exemplary accomplishments in various fields. They are flying planes, serving as Civil Police Officers in the state, joining the national Indian Police Service, and leading as District Police Chief. They are contributing to nation-building in the Indian Foreign Service, Indian Administrative Service, and Indian Information Service and as Education Administrators, Directors of Departments of Industry.” RBTC said in its statement.

“They are contributing in leadership positions as managing directors, CEO, vice-chairperson, founders. They are influencers and singers, having an individual social media following of over 1 million and have been recognized in international and national awards including YouTube’s Golden Play Button,” it further added.

Global Inspiration Shabana Faizal:

Shabana Faizal, Chief Corporate Officer (CCO) and Vice-Chairperson of KEF Holdings UAE has been listed in the category of ‘Global Inspirations’.

“Shabana started her entrepreneurial career in 1995, when she set up Sophiya’s World – luxury and special items studio – in Calicut, following her marriage to Faizal E Kottikollon, chairman of KEF Holdings.” RBTC wrote about Shabana.

“Shabana has a driving passion to make a difference in the lives of the underprivileged, which led to the setting up of the Faizal and Shabana Foundation. The Foundation carries out campaigns to improve education, healthcare, sustainable livelihood, humanitarian assistance, youth development, and housing in India and the UAE. Her most recent passion project was the revamp and enhancement of the GVHSS in Nadakkavu, Kerala which has empowered more than 2,400 young girls to believe in themselves and their dreams and impacted the lives of more than 69,000 students across 65 schools in Kerala.” It further added.

Shabana is the daughter of a well-known entrepreneur and philanthropist late B.Ahmed Haji Mohiuddeen from Thumbay, Mangalore.

Impassioned author and writer Sara Aboobacker:

Kannada fiction writer Sara Aboobacker has been listed in the category of ‘Impassioned authors and writers’ adding that her stories narrate Muslim lives in the areas bordering Karnataka and Kerala, focusing on the inequities and injustices meted out to women by the male society.

“Aboobacker’s books largely focus on the lives of Muslim women living in the Kasaragod region, bordering the Indian states of Kerala and Karnataka. She focuses on issues of equality and injustice within her community, critiquing patriarchal systems within religious and familial groups. Her writing style is direct and simple, and she has stated that she prefers a realist approach to literature, prioritizing the expression of social concerns over stylistic embellishments. Her books have dealt with complex subjects such as marital rape, communal and religious violence, and individual autonomy.” RBTC wrote about Aboobacker.

Sara Aboobacker has received many prestigious literary awards, such as the Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award, 1984; Anupama Niranjan Award, 1987; Rathnamma Heggade Mahila Sahitya Award, 1996, etc. She has seven novels, four collections of short stories, and one collection of essays to her credit. The Library of Congress has acquired eight of her works.

Leader in Administration Nagma Mohamed Mallick:

First Muslim woman in Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Nagma Mallick who is currently serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been named in the category ‘Leadership in Administration’ for contributing to nation-building in the Indian Foreign Service.

“An IFS officer of the 1991 batch, Nagma Mallick has served as the High Commissioner of India to Brunei from 2015 to 2018, and as India’s Ambassador to Tunisia between 2012 to 2015. Earlier she served as a staff officer to Prime Minister I.K. Gujral, then served as the first woman Deputy Chief of Protocol (Ceremonial). During her career in the IFS, Ms. Mallick has also served in France, Middle East, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.” It wrote about Nagma.

The list features a total of seventy Muslim women from Kerala and their stereotype-shattering stories of courage hard work and resilience. The list includes names like Airline pilot Afra Abdullah, IAS Officer Adeela Abdullah, Student Activist Aysha Renna, Life Coach Sahla Parveen and others.

About RBTC:

Rising Beyond The Ceiling (RBTC) is an initiative born out of the need to change the stereotypical narrative about Muslim women in India. It is a celebration of the achievement, endeavor, and diversity of Indian Muslim women. RBTC shines a spotlight on Muslim women’s contributions to nation-building in a variety of ways and professions. Founded in April 2020 by Dr. Farah K. Usmani, this initiative aims to make Muslim women’s stories more visible, provide positive role models for future generations, nurturing young women’s confidence and ambition in all spheres. RBTC works across various platforms- the website, publications, multimedia as well as an outreach young women’s mentorship programme.

RBTC is putting together inspiring profiles from fourteen states in India that are home to nearly eighty percent of the country’s hundred million Muslim women population. Besides state and national levels, there is also an RBTC 100 list under finalization of Global Inspirations which includes women who have done their initial studies in Indian institutions and are now making their mark in countries across the globe. A compendium of Inspirations from the Past compendium of those amazing Muslim women who are not with us now, but on whose shoulders we stand today. We are also excited about our amazing Under-30 Youth Inspirations list. RBTC will continue to institute annual Muslim women honorees lists to share the stories of achievements, courage and resilience.

source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> India / by Rising Beyound the Ceiling / January 30th, 2022