Researchers are working with global partners to start a policy dialogue aimed at developing new philanthropy guidance.
New policy dialogue aims to develop Islamic philanthropy guidance to assist displaced women
University of Birmingham humanitarian and migration experts are creating a blueprint to help Islamic philanthropists better contribute to transforming humanitarian responses for displaced women.
Researchers are working with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to initiate a policy dialogue aimed at developing new philanthropy guidance.
Islamic philanthropy is a multi-billion-dollar global sector. Zakat – the mandatory, obligatory form of charity for eligible Muslims – is alone estimated to generate up to $1 trillion annually worldwide, but only a fraction of this is currently mobilised through formal humanitarian channels, especially in addressing gender-specific needs of displaced women.
The project seeks to reimagine how Islamic philanthropic principles can be mobilised not just for fundraising, but as a powerful ethical and conceptual framework to protect and empower displaced women globally.
Islamic philanthropy has long responded to crises through values of dignity, protection, and care. This initiative harnesses those values to create more inclusive, effective, and culturally sensitive humanitarian responses for women on the move.
Supported by UKRI investment, the programme launches with a high-level roundtable in Geneva on 28 October 2025. Opened by ICRC vice-president Gilles Carbonnier, the event unites humanitarian leaders, Islamic philanthropy experts, academics, and practitioners.
Project leaders are calling on humanitarian organisations, philanthropists, faith-based actors, policymakers, and researchers to take part in the process – discover further information.
Project ‘Making Aid Work for Displaced Women: Integrating Islamic Philanthropy and the International Humanitarian System to Improve Outcomes for Women’ explores how faith-informed approaches address the needs of women affected by conflict and displacement.
Project lead Dr Sandra Pertek, from the University of Birmingham, commented: “Islamic philanthropy has long responded to crises through values of dignity, protection, and care. This initiative harnesses those values to create more inclusive, effective, and culturally sensitive humanitarian responses for women on the move.
“The University of Birmingham invites humanitarian organisations, philanthropists, faith-based actors, policymakers, and researchers to join the conversation. By working together, we can ensure that displaced women are not only protected but empowered to thrive.”
Islamic philanthropic principles (almsgiving), centred on the preservation of life and dignity, align with the international humanitarian law and Islamic law. They offer short-term and long-term innovative humanitarian financing, for example through endowments (waqf) and voluntary charity (sadaqa).
Instruments such as Zakat, functioning as a form of social tax rooted in social justice, enable the equitable redistribution of resources. These principles aim to uphold the dignity of recipients as right-holders, with particular attention to women in vulnerable situations and other marginalised groups.
These principles can complement Western philanthropic principles that are often institutionalised, focusing on efficiency, innovation, and impact metrics. Mainstream humanitarian approaches tend to be driven by individual or corporate social responsibility, rather than religious obligation.
Islamic philanthropy therefore offers a complementary framework—bridging faith-based values with global humanitarian goals and strengthening collective efforts to reach displaced women with dignity and purpose.
The workshop will:
Over 60 million displaced women around the world face disproportionate risks of violence, exclusion, and exploitation. Despite ongoing humanitarian efforts, the scale of forced displacement continues to outpace resources and political will.
The initiative builds on the recent international Symposium, ‘Gender, Displacement and Islamic Philanthropy: Advancing Humanitarian Innovation’ held at the University of Birmingham on 8-9 September 2025.
It contributes to key global frameworks, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the OIC Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women (OPAAW).
For more information please contact the University of Birmingham press office or call +44 (0) 121 414 2772.
The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions, its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers and teachers and more than 8,000 international students from over 150 countries.
UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at the School of Government and School of Social Policy and Society
Dr Sandra Pertek is a Research Fellow in the School of Government, University of Birmingham
