IWCNZ History

The Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand (IWCNZ) is a group that was formed to cater specifically for the needs of Muslim women around the country. Formed in 1991, IWCNZ recognises all Muslim women in New Zealand as its members. Each regional woman’s group nominates representatives annually to serve on the IWCNZ Administrative council. IWCNZ provides representation for Muslim women and girls’ youth and is committed to working with all groups to enhance unity amongst the Muslim Ummah in New Zealand. IWCNZ regional representatives and Administration Council meet regularly in teleconferences throughout the year to discuss current nationwide projects as well as keep communication lines open between the regions and their various local activities. In this way, Muslim women around the country can remain in touch with one another and access helpful people and resources. On a regional level, IWCNZ members autonomously run a large variety of programmes and events to cater for their own unique communities.

These activities include women’s educational classes; helping women get counselling and other forms of help, convert care, and many more activities- from Quran and netball competitions to food banks and prison visits. IWCNZ’s national activities include an annual national conference open to all Muslim women, located in one of the regional venues: Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington or Christchurch, on a rotational basis. Other regions that have active IWCNZ women’s groups are Rotorua, Hastings and Dunedin. Other IWCNZ national activities include girls’ youth camps and sporting events; and ‘road show’ workshops catering for special areas of need for women, such as empowering women and children to feel safe, children’s Islamic education, and so on. IWCNZ reaches out to the wider New Zealand community through liaising with various government groups like the New Zealand Police and the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs. Members of IWCNZ respond to the media when required.

IWCNZ is represented in a number of country wide initiatives and forums on such topics as Interfaith, Human Rights, youth development, and palliative care and so on. IWCNZ participates in a small number of international forums and is a member of the Regional Islamic Da’wah Council of South East Asia and the Pacific (RISEAP). IWCNZ supports Muslim women’s empowerment by encouraging women to gain the skills and knowledge, spiritually, socially and economically that will enable them to overcome obstacles in daily life, work, and other environments that ultimately assist them to develop within themselves and within society. An empowered Muslim woman can strengthen her family; maintain and preserve Islamic faith values both within the home and outside of the home which in turn contributes to building a strong family unit, a vibrant community and a healthy society. IWCNZ stands against violence towards women and recognises that the Muslim community is not exempt from violence.