Islamophobia is on the rise in Australia. Since 7 Oct 2023, the Islamophobia Register has recorded a 1300% increase in Islamophobic incidents.

Further, latest findings from the Islamophobia in Australia report show that that Islamophobic incidents increased four-fold in Australia since the Christchurch terror attacks in March 2019. The reporting also highlights the gendered nature of Islamophobia – with over 80% of victims being women and 85% of them being veiled.

This data shows that Muslim women, especially veiled Muslim women, are amongst the most vulnerable members of society and in need of the most support. The festival seeks to address these issues through the programming of the 2024 festival. It will empower Muslim women by providing them with access to learn from highly successful Muslim women, allowing attendees to build networks, draw connections and foster collaborations beyond the events, ultimately leading to collective empowerment and a stronger sense of identity. Now, more than ever, Muslim women need a self-determined space to heal, communicate and thrive. This festival will facilitate connectedness and growth for the diverse needs of the female Muslim community through panel discussions, creative and leadership workshops and generative spaces.

Co-Director: Sara Mansour
Co-Director: Aishah Ali

Sara Mansour
For 10 years, Sara Mansour has directed and led significant Australian cultural institutions and events.
In 2013, aged 19 years, Sara – a poet and writer herself – co-founded Bankstown Poetry Slam, the first poetry slam in western Sydney.

Under Sara’s leadership, it has grown into Australia’s largest regular live poetry event, hosting crowds of up to 2000 people.

Bankstown Poetry Slam won the Special Award at the 2023 Premier’s Literary Awards – the first arts organisation to receive this honour – and the 2016 Western Sydney’s Leadership Dialogue Pemulwuy Prize.

Sara has curated and hosted over 150 poetry events. She’s also coordinated high school programs for young people, established Australia’s first ever National Youth Poetry Slam and directed multiple festivals, including founding and directing Australia’s first Muslim Women’s Festival, Muslim Agenda. Most recently, she has been appointed as a trustee at the Sydney Opera House.

Aishah Ali
Aishah Ali is a dynamic figure, bringing her expertise as a Financial Services Lawyer into harmonious balance with her passion for literature and performance. With over nine years of experience as a spoken word poet, Aishah has captivated audiences at prestigious events and venues across Sydney from the age of 15, including iconic landmarks like the Queen Victoria Building, VIVID, TedXSydney, Sydney Opera House, Town Hall, Carriageworks and ICC while winning Australia's largest spoken word competition, Bankstown Poetry Slam. Her work has featured in various anthologies, media publications and online forums.

Beyond her accomplishments on stage, Aishah has made significant contributions to the Australian literary, poetry and Muslim community landscape as an organiser and art curator, notably for the Brave New Word Festival, the National Youth Poetry Slam and Muslim Women's Festival, Muslim Agenda in 2022. She is currently the co-director of Muslim Agenda to launch in Melbourne in August and November of this year.

Plestia Alaqad
Plestia Alaqad is a 22-year-old Palestinian journalist who was born and raised in Gaza, Palestine. Throughout her life, she has witnessed over four Israeli aggressions and reported on the Israeli War on Gaza in 2023. She pursued her studies in New Media and Journalism at Eastern Mediterranean University, graduating at the top of her class in 2022.

Plestia is renowned for her fearless reporting on the Israeli War on Gaza, with more than 4.5 million people following her coverage on Instagram. Her work has been featured by major international media outlets such as Al Jazeera, The New York Times, the BBC, and The Washington Post.

In addition to her journalism, Plestia is an activist advocating for Palestine in various academic forums. She has been a keynote speaker at several prestigious summits, including The World Government Summit and the One Billion Summit in the UAE.

Her inspiring work has resonated particularly with the youth, leading many students to undertake school projects centered around her, viewing her as a symbol of inspiration. Plestia delivered her first TEDx Talk, titled "From Struggles to Strength," virtually at TEDxMase, leaving a lasting impact on the younger generation. She also showcased her poetic talents as the featured poet at the Poetry Grand Slam Bankstown event in Australia.

Looking ahead, Plestia aspires to establish herself as a globally recognized Palestinian author.

Nour Haydar
Nour Haydar is the host of Guardian Australia's flagship daily news podcast Full Story. Before joining the Guardian, Nour was a federal political reporter with ABC News in the Canberra Press Gallery for almost five years. During her time at the ABC, Nour also filled in as Europe Correspondent in London, and as host on ABC News Breakfast.

Idil Ali
Idil Ali is a proud Somali woman raised by the East African community in the Carlton flats. A settler on unceded Wurundjeri land, Idil embeds her belief in freedom, sovereignty and resistance into her work as a creative, youth practitioner and community organiser.

Charaf Tartoussi
Charaf Tartoussi is a Middle Eastern Muslim writer and performance poet. Their work can be found in publications including Cordite and the upcoming SBS emerging writers anthology. Founder of griffin-speak: a spoken word event that championed the voices of POC in and around Melbourne from 2016 to 2022 and creative producer of Slamalamadingdong from 2020 to 2024, creating space for creative storytelling and artistic expression at the core of their practice. As a performer, they have featured in various festivals and events around the country. Last year they debuted their first collaborative stage show: Aza (wake): stories of grief in diaspora.

Hawraa Kash
Hawraa Kash is a Spoken Word Poet, MC, Mental Health Advocate, and HR professional in not-for-profit and community spaces, originally from Gadigal Land, now calling Naarm home. Demanding to be heard, Hawraa uses her poetry to create her own platform and provide a safe space for others. Her writing encompasses her passion for embracing vulnerabilities. She ventures into the realms of advocacy for women of colour, intergenerational trauma, mental health, and the trials and intersections of diaspora and identity.

Hawraa has featured at regular slams held across Sydney, Melbourne, New Zealand, Lebanon, and Turkey, International Women’s Day events, local council and community events, having also been keynote speaker at Youth Conferences, a panellist at her Alumni Western Sydney University, hosting fundraisers for Palestine, as well as writing festivals and charities.

Hawraa uses her poetry to create unconditional connections with strangers and engage in the power of storytelling, with a deep belief that sharing our stories will remove shame and stigma and create space for collective healing.

Sanabel Ramahi
Sanabel is a Palestinian educator, community organiser, and poet, hailing from Naarm.

When not guiding young minds, Sanabel spends her free time crafting verses that reflect her faith and lived experiences. Seeking to create bonds, build bridges, and nurture community, Sanabel started performing her poetry and founded Muslims of Naarm (@muslims.of.naarm). Sanabel has performed at various poetry nights across Naarm, Palestine fundraisers, rallies, and events targeted at raising awareness and furthering the cause of Palestinian sovereignty and resistance. You can find more of Sanabel's work on @voiceofalmuzayri3a.

Zuleyha Gurdag
Zuleyha is a Melbourne born and raised poet who takes pride in her Turkish heritage and Australian nationality. Her passion and goal is to raise awareness of intersectionality and empower Muslim youth, particularly women, from the stereotypes and stigmas that surround them. For the long term run, she hopes to become a physiotherapist and inspire women to educate themselves and become independent as a means of increasing their knowledge. In her spare time, she enjoys writing poetry, spending time with her cat and learning more about the history of the world.

Zaynab Farah
Zaynab is a Somali, Naarm-based Spoken word artist. Driven to support and give back to her community; her pieces explore intricate personal experiences and topics that she’s very passionate about. Zaynab was the runner for the 2019 Slamalamadingdong Grand Slam and is the 2019 Australian Poetry Slam Victorian Champion.