The Girls working separately in their respective zones now formed an All India-level, National Federation of GIO.

Girls Islamic Organization (GIO), a girls’ student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) has begun its journey at the national level from this very year. While Advocate Sumaiya Roshan from Karnataka was elected the first president of the National Federation of GIO, Samar Ali from Kerala became its general secretary.

Congratulating the newly elected national leadership of the GIO, JIH President Syed Sadatullah Husaini has asked them to be true Islamic role models for others. Underlining that globally, gender is a most important topic of debates and discussions today, he pointed out that whenever Islam and Muslims are discussed, the gender issue emerges. In this situation, he said, “Muslim women’s organizations can play a very extraordinary role because they have ample opportunities to present true Islamic teachings in front of others, related to the gender issue.”

Urging Muslim girl leaders to convey the distinctive features of Islam to others, Mr. Sadatullah Husaini asserts that Islam does not exploit women as traditional societies do because Islam grants them full rights protecting their feminity while traditional societies deprive them of several rights, including educational rights, in the name of rituals or confining them in homes. Appreciating that girls with Hijab are setting examples after succeeding in academics and other fields, he said when Muslim girls will come out to lead in various fields, misunderstandings about Islam would certainly be dispelled. In such times, the girl’s organization will have a large role in society.

Highlighting the aims and objectives of the federation, Mrs. Rahamathunnisa, secretary of the JIH Department of Women informed that the objectives of the Federation are to coordinate interaction and sharing of ideas between its state units, and to address and give voice to the prominent issues of national concern. Calling it a milestone in the history of JIH she talked about the federation’s future plans & Extents her well wishes to the federation.

JIH Secretary Mrs. Atiya Siddiqa asked the female students to come forward and play a leading role in creating awareness of Islam among the youth and students.

Emphasizing the need of the federation, its newly elected president, Ms. Roshan said, GIO is very active towards women’s issues. Its General Secretary Samar Ali spoke about the present situation of Muslim women and At Last, looking forward to the growth of the organization on a large scale.

Earlier, GIO has been working directly under the JIH women’s wing and had state council Presidents and Secretaries. GIO is a non-profit organization and has been actively engaging on various issues regarding women in general and Muslim women in particular across the country since1984. The organization has a presence in almost every state in India. Over the past few years, GIO at the state level has been working on the overall development of Muslim women and will continue to do so. The newly formed Federation will also comprise a Federal Committee having representatives from all state units of the GIO for a two-year term with the aim to provide space for women to come together, express, and nourish themselves while preparing them to fight the challenges of society. Its scope of work will revolve around the said objectives, not limited to Muslim issues, but women’s issues in general and issues of national importance. The organization focuses on enabling educational upliftment, progress in socio-political conditions, entrepreneurial advancement, and equal space for the women of marginalized communities. The organization will make conscious efforts to develop a free and open space where anyone can raise their voice and question the injustice faced by they.