ACMWA recognises Muslim women in Sri Lanka

The All Ceylon Muslim Women’s Association (ACMWA), a venerable organisation with a 71-year legacy, hosted the inaugural IMRA Awards to recognise the accomplishments of Muslim women in Sri Lanka.

The event was held on March 3, at the Shangri-La Colombo, this event coincided with the upcoming International Women’s Day and showcased the remarkable achievements of strong, visionary women from the community.

The event honoured outstanding women in various categories, including Media & Communications, Hospitality, Banking & Finance, Healthcare, Law & Advocacy, Arts & Culture, Business Entrepreneurship, Social Impact and Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM). Additionally, four exceptional women received the IMRA Lifetime Achievement Award, two from the Muslim community and two from other communities.

“We are thrilled to have initiated the IMRA Awards to spotlight on the remarkable achievements of Muslim women,” said Fathima Aziz, Director, Denara Training Institute. “Our intention was to create a platform that recognizes the outstanding contributions of Muslim women from diverse backgrounds and professions.”

IMRA, derived from the Arabic word for ‘woman’ in Islam, embodies attributes such as power, strength, adventure, energy, curiosity, spirituality and magnetism. These awards aim to celebrate and amplify the voices of Muslim women who embody these qualities and have excelled in their respective fields.

Among the winners were Rezani Aziz for Media, Yasmin Cader for Hospitality and Tourism, Feroza Ameen for Banking and Finance, Dr. Shemoon Marleen for Healthcare, Farzana Jameel PC for Law and Advocacy, Haadiya Galely for Arts & Culture, Shahnasz Hakeem for Business Entrepreneurship, Nuha Ghouse and Saarah Deen Ismail for the IMRA Young Biz Entrepreneur Achievement Award, and Juwairiya Mohideen for the IMRA Award for Social Impact. Additionally, the Award for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) was presented to Dr. Rozana Himaz.

In addition to the above awards, four Lifetime Achievement Awards were given to Anushya Coomaraswamy for her dynamics in the Finance Sector, Neetha Dhammachari Ariyaratne for her social work, Ferial Ashroff for her contributions to Sri Lankan politics and social activism, and Jezima Ismail for her service as an educator, broadcaster, social activist and human rights advocate.

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