Zakia Soman

Zakia Soman is an Indian women's rights activist and the founder of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, a non-governmental women's rights organization.

Early life and career
Zakia Soman was born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. She worked as a university professor of Business Communication in English at the University of Gujrat.

Activism
Zakia advocates for the rights of Muslim women. She has worked and written extensively on issues of peace and justice, secularism, human rights, and minority rights. She also set up the Peace and Human Security theme in ActionAid.

She is a member of South Asian Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE). She used to be a university professor in Gujarat before she quit her job and started working for minority rights. She is a founder of Centre for Peace Studies, which engages in knowledge activism for peace and tolerance.

Recognition
In 2014, she was awarded Outstanding Women Achiever's Award by the National Commission for Women. She has also featured in BBC's 100 Fearless Women in November 2015.

Works

 * Reclaiming Sacred Spaces: Muslim Women's Struggle for Entry into Haji Ali Dargah Zakia Soman
 * Journal of Development Policy Review: Vol. 1 Issues. 3: Life in the Era of COVID-19: Perceiving the Impact Heera Lal
 * Courage Unlocked: Personal Stories of Muslim Women’s Lives, Struggles and Leadership
 * Seeking Justice Within Family: A National Study on Muslim Women’s Views on Reforms in Muslim Personal Law
 * Indian Muslim Women’s Movement: For Gender Justice and Equal Citizenship
 * Status of Women in Polygamous Marriages and Need for Legal Protection