After a successful launch , the Young Muslim Women Virtual Summit continued on the 7th of April with a total of 3 panels planned for the day.Women Experts , community leaders and professionals from different fields came together in the spirit of togetherness and supporting the Young Muslim women who are in need of motivation and inspiration as they take on the world step by step on a path towards leadership. Participants from the selected applicants met with the panel and asked various questions pertaining the development and implementation of women led initiatives.

Panel 1: “The sky’s the limit: New Opportunities and prospects for young Female scientists”

This panel brought together Somaya Faruqi , team leader of the Afghan Robotics Developer Team ,Sarah Qureshi ,Pakistani aerospace engineer and the CEO of Aero Engine Craft, the first private aviation company in Pakistan that focuses on environment-friendly aircraft engines , Mona Diab, Professor of Computer Science in the Department of Computer Science, George Washington University and Sharifah Rafidah wan Alwi, Director of Process Systems Engineering Centre (PROSPECT) of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) who are all phenomenal women who have reached milestones in representing Muslim women in the fields of science and technology.

Somaya Faruqi’s presentation lifted the spirits of the hundreds of participants who tuned in to hear her motivational story as she went against all odds to make a name for herself and fellow Muslim women. Although all stories were equally motivational and inspirational , Pakistani Aero Engine Craft CEO , Sarah Qureshi’s story left the participants elevated as we walked with her in her journey towards making clean aircraft engines.

H.E Maha Akeel, director of Social and Family Affairs at the Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) connected with the participants and answered their questions in relation to projects for young women and women entrepreneurs.

Special session with Zeliha Ünal, UN Women

This extraordinary session with H.E Zeliha Ünal was the icing on the cake , as it sweetened the day with a different take on stereotypes , gender based violence and the importance of educating and empowering women.

PANEL2: “Power of young women in media industry”

This panel narrated the journeys of young Muslim women who have broken stereotypes by defying the limits and excelling in a male dominated industry. These women have managed to exceed in the slippery media industry without compromising their belief and integrity which sent a strong message to young aspiring women media practitioners.

Samah Safi Bayazid, Jordanian filmmaker who lives in Washington DC-USA Farah Yasmine, Media professional, Journalist & Producer, TV Host Ginella Massa, Canadian television journalist, an Afro-Latina Muslim reporter and anchor, she became Canada’s first hijab-wearing television reporter and Ala Hamdan, Filmmaker, Visual Storyteller spoke to the audience as guest speakers in this panel and delivered their stories to motivate the young women and the youth.

Panel 3: “Influencers as a Drivers of Female Empowerment“

The last panel touched on the impact of social media as a tool for social change and a few notable names from the influencer industry spoke on this issue while reminding the young women present to use social media responsibly and effectively for the greater good. Notable panelists include Salma Masrour, a social media influencer, Nisrin Issa, Blogger and Social Media Activist, and Ihssane Benalluch a Moroccan content creator and EU Goodwill Ambassador