WHAT: The first annual convention of Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (Indian Muslim Women's Movement) will reinforce its campaign for the social, economic, political, civil, legal and religious rights of Muslims in India.

WHEN: 16th, 17th and 18th November

WHERE: Indian Social Institute, Lodi Road, New Delhi

HIGHLIGHTS:

A BMMA delegation meet with India's Vice President, Dr Hamid Ansari at 11 am on November 17 at his office, 6 Maulana Azad Road, New Delhi.

Sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar at 4 pm on November 17 demanding implementation of the recommendations of the Srikrishna Commission and Justice Sachar Committee.

WHO: SPEAKERS

1) Balakrishna Renke, Chairman, National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes

2) Prof Abu Saleh Sharif, Director, National Council for Applied Economic Research

3) Muslim women from across India declare their issues and demands. Examples: Khatun Appa, peace activist working since Bombay riots of 1992 and Niaz Appa, a riot survivor from Ahmedabad, who refuses to withdraw legal cases against rioters who burnt down her house and property in 2002.

4) Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer, Centre for Study of Society and Secularism

5) Zakia Jowher, ActionAid campaigner and founding member of Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan. Zakia is also a survivor of the 2002 Gujarat riots.

6) Dr Razia Patel, President, Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan

7) Naish Hasan, founding member, Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, President of Lucknow-based Muslim women's organisation Tehreek

WHY:

At the first annual convention of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, over 325 Muslim women from Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh will:

• Call for the implementation of Sachar Committee recommendations, especially urge for income-generating schemes, credit-facilities and educational opportunities for Muslim women.
• Examine employment prospects for Dalit and tribal Muslims.
• Uncover how Muslim youth are being targeted by the police in the wake of bomb blasts in Malegaon, Ajmer and Hyderabad.
• Renew the Andolan's committment to providing humanistic and liberal interpretations of religion – interpretations, which espouse women's rights.
• Take stock of the movement's success in emerging as a pan-India organisation of Muslim women cutting across class and caste.

"Civil society organisations, the Muslim community, academics and activists are giving us a lot of space and recognition as a movement spearheading discussions on Muslim issues in India. So far this space was either occupied by religious groups or groups headed by Muslim men," says Zakia Jowher of ActionAid.