What We Do
Welcome to The Muslim Women’s Organization (The MWO): supporting women so they can affect change where they are most passionate. At the heart of our mission is our faith and the belief in the transformative power of Muslim women’s leadership. Harnessing our unique talents, we collaborate to create impactful change that resonates throughout our communities.
Our commitment extends to expanding opportunities for women’s leadership in all aspects of life – be it in our community, personal lives, or professional spheres. Additionally, we recognize and address common barriers hindering women’s success. These barriers include a lack of leadership opportunities, limited avenues for connection and belonging, inadequate support for families and caregivers, insufficient focus on women’s wellness and safety, and harmful biases and stereotypes. At The MWO, we strive to follow the example set by our Prophet (PBUH) by actively working to eliminate these obstacles, creating spaces where Muslim women can thrive (Hadith 26, 40 Hadith an-Nawawi).
Our programs are dynamic, changing to meet the needs of our community and following the passions of our volunteers. Find a list of our current programs below, if you’re interested in volunteering with us, please email alyssa@mwo-orlando.org. If you’d like to learn how you can provide financial support to sustain our work, please email sadaf@mwo-orlando.org.
Aid
CARE (Community Assistance for Ramadan and Eid): Since 2012, The MWO has provided CARE to Central Florida Muslim families in need. The program has changed over the years based on feedback from the families and in response to services provided by other organizations - we are always working to fill the gaps and respond to Muslim women’s needs. In 2023, we provided CARE to 795 Central Florida neighbors in need. We distributed Halal grocery certificates were to 165 families, totaling $23,600 in groceries for Ramadan. Families were able to “shop” at our Eid Pop Up Shop and select up to 10 Eid outfits and accessories for Eid. We were able to provide $15,000 worth of Eid al-Fitr gift cards to 64 single mothers and 244 children and teens received Eid gifts.
Hakima Services: Amany Shalaby is a trained Chaplain and serves as our Hakima (wise woman or sage). She is available to help Muslim women with their spiritual and religious concerns, providing emotional support and guidance to make better decisions. She can recommend rituals and practices to enhance morale and provide solace. Amany can provide support for people going through hardships such as: Coping with your or family member's chronic or terminal illness; Having questions regarding end of life concerns; Desiring to write one’s Advance Directives; Grieving a loss; Facing difficult decision-making; Suffering a feeling of guilt, shame; Seeking redemption; Facing life crises; Facing an identity or spiritual crisis; Having conflicts with spouses, children, or parents, and wanting to know an Islamic perspective on the issue, or to find an Islamic based solution. These services are at no charge to individuals and made possible through the generous support of Islamic Relief USA. Alhamdulillah, our network of trained Hakimas continues to grow and provide other services like Healing Hearts, a grief support group in partnership with the American Muslim Community Centers (AMCC) in Longwood and Sacred Space, a partnership with Healing our Homeland, that creates spaces for Muslim women to bring their sacred emotions to release through prayer and body based therapies.
Hope in a Basket: Hope in a Basket began in 2011 as a partnership between MWO and the Heart of Florida United Way for the US Department of Education’s Together for Tomorrow initiative linking local faith-based charities with Title 1 schools in need. In 2011 we donated 100 packages, Alhamdulillah over the past decade this program has grown to provide food for 425 families in 2023. MWO's generous donors and funders like Penny Appeal USA and Mercy USA helped provide $50 Publix gift cards to families with students at Title 1 schools in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties to help over the Thanksgiving break.
Mutual Aid: Throughout the year Muslim women in need reach out to request assistance. Some requests are out of our scope, and we work to refer them to other organizations in our network. Some requests we are able to meet, in 2023 we provided $1000 worth of school supplies, books, and gift cards to 30 families. We were able to provide $925 worth of gift cards to single mothers so they could purchase clothing for themselves and their children. The MWO partnered with the Adult Literacy League, trained two team members, and began offering weekly English language tutoring at the Hub. Our Community Service Manager, Dr. Maryam Hasan, created the Givers Network, a WhatsApp group where generous women in the community can respond to opportunities to meet the urgent needs of local women in need. Through MWO's new Give Help/Get Help form, women can share what type of help they are able to give and ask for help, as well.
Awareness Building
GEMStories (Genuinely Empowered Muslim Sisters Stories): A new podcast designed to share diverse Islamic Perspectives about issues that impact Muslim women, destigmatize talking about Muslim women’s lives, and create space for diverse Muslim women’s voices to be heard is launching in April inshallah! Stay tuned for more information. Email comms@mwo-orlando.org if you’d like to be a guest!
Literary Society: Words are powerful. The right words can provide shades of meaning, nuance, and clarity of expression. The words we use to tell our stories, describe our identities, and disrupt oppression are particularly powerful. In a world that doesn’t always appreciate the rich diversity within the Muslim American community, we need space to develop our language and skill to better describe ourselves and understand others. Literary Societies are part of our history and provide opportunities for creativite expression and collaboration. This year we’re exploring the voices of different groups of Muslim women to see the value of our stories, and learn about our sisters’ experiences.
Women’s Health Task Force: At The MWO we believe Muslim women deserve education on sexual, reproductive, mental, and physical health in order to achieve wellness within an Islamic framework. Through online campaigns and our Women’s Health Matters series, we seek to increase Muslim women’s understanding of their health needs along the wellness continuum; ensure that Muslim women are equipped with the resources needed to meet their health needs in a compassionate and sensitive manner; decrease stigma around talking about Muslim women’s bodies and our health; and increase Muslim women’s knowledge and self advocacy in various healthcare settings, especially “bill of rights.”
Violence Against Women Task Force: At the MWO, our goal is to make Violence Against Women, including intimate partner violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and abuse in all of its forms (verbal, physical, financial, emotional, and spiritual) intolerable within the Muslim community and to ensure that victims of violence are treated in a compassionate and competent manner in the Muslim community. We work to increase awareness about Violence Against Women, from a faith based perspective, among the following groups: Muslim leaders/imams, Abusers, Victims, Muslim women, Youth, Community in General; ensure greater access to resources, and information about agencies, and service providers that can help both victims of the abuse and the abuser; ensure all local victims’ services agencies and shelters are equipped to meet the needs of Muslim woman and provide a safe space for them; increase violence prevention protocols and policies in place at Muslim institutions (masjid, Islamic schools, Muslim organizations); ensure Muslim victims and survivors of violence have access to a support network.
Muslim Women Vote: The MWO is dedicated to empowering women and promoting gender equity. We believe legal policies that impact Muslim women and all of their intersectionalities should be highlighted. By reaching out to the community directly, we will be able to raise awareness regarding important topics and help ensure Muslim women’s voices are part of the discussion.
Leadership Training
Boss Women Entrepreneurship Program: The goal of the Boss Women Entrepreneur Program (BWEP), through MWO, is to empower women through financial and entrepreneurial opportunities, while lifting them out of the cycle of poverty. Through strategic programs, targeted training, and business resources, we aim to increase the self-worth and self-sufficiency of women in our community, while encouraging them to pursue their financial independence. The long-term strategy of this program is to create a full cycle program, where newly trained women that complete the program will carry on the business model and serve as a mentor of upcoming women businesses in the community.
Empower Together: At The MWO we know we need strong, Muslim women leaders. Empower Together is a network comprised of four programs: the GEMS (Genuinely Empowered Muslim Sisters) Circle where Muslim women leaders can come together to discuss and learn from the Prophetic Leadership model and attributes of Allah (SWT); the GEMS Toolbox where Muslim women leaders in nonprofit and religious spaces can develop skills related to their work; the Her Leadership Training series for Muslim women professionals working in secular settings; and the Empower Together Networking events designed to connect Muslim women in various fields. This network’s purpose is to change internal and external stigmas about what Muslim women can do, encouraging Muslim women to see themselves as capable leaders; provide a space for our members to connect; share knowledge, ideas, and resources; provide support and feedback; and collaborate through other positive and productive ways.
Hakima Training Program: As Muslimas, we often find ourselves providing care to our families and our communities, but sometimes we may not know what to say or how to be there for someone in need. A “Hakima” is a wise woman and the Hakima Training Program was designed to help develop these skills. Our goal is to facilitate the training of wise women throughout the community so women in need always know they are not alone and can turn to other women who can guide them through their difficult time. Often times, when women are struggling they turn to our imams for advice and care, but our imams are consumed with their responsibilities leading the masajid and worship, dawah and a multitude of other initiatives. We want to make sure others in the masajid and community are prepared to meet women’s needs and relieve some of the burden that has fallen on the imams. To get an understanding of Hakima Training, watch this video with our Hakima and some women who participated in the training.
Leaders in Training (LIT): The MWO recognizes that Muslim youth need opportunities to learn from Prophet Leadership Models, LIT is open to Muslim youth (girls and boys) from the Central Florida area in 7th through 12th grade. Through lessons and community projects, we seek to build character and self-awareness with a curriculum guided by example of the Prophet SAW; develop leadership skills through opportunities to engage in community service initiative; teach Positive Gender Relations of mutual respect, to girls and, boys as their allies, based on Islamic values, in an organizational setting; build teamwork through creative and fun activities; and establish a network of youth leaders dedicated to uplifting one another collaboratively.
Sisterhood
Cafe MWO: A space for Muslim women who are searching for an inclusive community to be able to connect to MWO, the HUB, and each other. Cafe MWO is comprised of two programs: Coffee Morning is hosted on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday mornings of each month, it is a space to connect, reflect, and welcome. A space for women to be able to get to know one another; Tea Time is held on the third Sunday of each month it is a space to connect, reflect, and reframe. Somewhere women can go to get things off of their chest and discuss current events in the world, society, community, and their own lives. Currently, Tea Time + Tatreez is a partnership with the Florida Palestine Network to provide space for women to talk about what’s happening in Palestine, access art as resistance, and learn how to support local efforts to support Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and the diaspora.
heARTwork: A space designed to nurture a diverse, safe, and joyful community, that builds strength between and within women, for the sake of Allah, through a combination of arts and conversations.
Journeys Convert Connection: A space to connect reverts/converts with one another and reflect on different topics and Islamic principles under the guidance of our Hakima. Journeys is omewhere to grow personally and spiritually with the support of a community.