Riaya Young Adult Stewardship Programme participants with Executive Director at Al-Mujadilah, Dr. Sohaira Siddiqui (centre) and other officials during the certificate award ceremony held yesterday. Pic: Rajan Vadakkemuriyil/The Peninsula.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar Foundation’s Al-Mujadilah Center and Mosque for Women concluded the second edition of its Riaya Young Adult Stewardship Program, a two-week capacity-building initiative designed to nurture the next generation of Muslim women leaders, yesterday.
The program, which brought a cohort of 20 young women aged 17–20 from Qatar and around the globe including India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, France, Germany, Nigeria, and Palestine aims to equip participants with the intellectual tools, networks, and skills needed to address contemporary challenges while remaining rooted in Islamic history and values.
Speaking at the certificate award ceremony of Riaya, Executive Director at Al-Mujadilah, Dr. Sohaira Siddiqui highlighted the vision behind Riaya. “At Al-Mujadilah we wanted to create a program that could cultivate the next generation of stewards while also building community and connection, and equipping the young women with the intellectual and practical tools to meet the challenges of our time,” she said.
She added that the program’s success was the result of a meaningful curriculum, committed instructors, supportive partners, and most importantly, exceptional students.
“The impact of our instructors will continue to echo in Al-Mujadilah and in the lives of our students. But the true measure of Riaya, as we have seen, is not only in the generosity of our partners and instructors, but in what has been cultivated in the students themselves,” Dr. Siddiqui said.
Throughout the two weeks, participants explored themes of faith, knowledge, climate change, digital transformation, and leadership, through both academic courses and workshops.
Courses included Ways of Knowing: Seeing Ourselves and the World, Thriving in a Digital Age, Historical Implications of Climate Change and Environmental Stewardship, and Islamic Ethics and Navigating Everyday Life. Practical workshops focused on design thinking, financial literacy, career development, and combating Islamophobia.
Dr. Siddiqui encouraged the students to view themselves as future leaders. “You affirmed your voices, your experiences, and your perspectives in shaping how knowledge is both created and transmitted. Beyond the curriculum, Riaya represents intentional growth, building programs that respond to the needs of Muslim women today, cultivating relationships that cross geographical boundaries, and investing in the leadership of the next generation. Each of you is now part of this vision,” she said. Policy and Partnerships Manager at Al-Mujadilah, Mahveen Azam, underlined the broader objectives of the program.
“The aim of this program is to ensure that young Muslim women are aware of Islamic history and values, while also staying up to date with global challenges. We want them to understand issues like conflict, war, and climate change, as well as developments in artificial intelligence and technology—so they know what to study, how to prepare, and what the world might look like in ten years,” she told The Peninsula.
“This program is about equipping them with the knowledge, networks, and skills to lead their communities toward a successful, prosperous, secure, and peaceful future.” The program is supported by both local and international partners including Education Above All’s Al-Fakhura program, QF’s Pre-University Education, Museum of Islamic Art, National Museum of Qatar, Qatar National Library, Qatar Reads, Al-Jazeera Media Institute, and Seashore Group.
