Symposium

Contemporary Discussions on Philanthropy Symposium

Symposium on Gender, Displacement, and Islamic Philanthropy: Advancing Humanitarian Innovation

Date:September 8-9, 2025

Location: University of Birmingham (UoB), Edgbaston Campus, Birmingham, UK

Leading Partner: The UKRI-funded Making Aid Work for Displaced Women Project at the University of Birmingham, and the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

This symposium seeks to mobilize new voices and conceptual resources to build bridges between mainstream humanitarian and Islamic philanthropic approaches to women in displacement and humanitarian crises. We invite multi- and interdisciplinary papers from social scientists, humanitarian practitioners and Islamic legal scholars to expand the evidence base on how Islamic philanthropy responds to humanitarian crises and addresses the specific needs and rights of women. We look forward to your contributions and to advancing the discourse on gender, displacement, and Islamic philanthropy.  

By connecting humanitarian, migration, and religious systems, the symposium provides a platform to exchange and discuss innovative conceptual and financing solutions to support displaced women through integrating different aid paradigms. In particular, the event aims to offer space for theological development and the integration of humanitarian law with Islamic law and ethics to advance displaced women’s protection in Muslim contexts. The presentations and papers from the Symposium will inform gender-sensitive Islamic philanthropy models and a faith-sensitive framework for displaced women’s protection.    

The symposium will feature three tracks: 

  1. Islamic philanthropic responses to women in humanitarian and forced migration contexts (exploring diverse actors, interventions and Islamic law and ethics). 
  2. Women-led Islamic philanthropy and humanitarian actions in forced migration. 
  3. Lessons learnt from real-life practical case studies of Islamic philanthropy assisting displaced women. 

We welcome interdisciplinary proposals that bridge areas such as gender studies, forced migration, humanitarianism, religious studies, international relations, foreign and aid policies and more. Participants may draw on a range of disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, history, political science, international studies, international development, theology and philosophy, Islamic studies, social policy, business and psychology.  

Symposium Details

Timeline:

  • Abstract Submission Deadline: April 10, 2025 
  • Announcement of decision on Abstracts: April 20, 2025 
  • Full Paper Submission Deadline:  
  • Symposium Date: September 8-9, 2025 
  • Deadline for Symposium registration (open to public and all participants with accepted abstracts): May 11, 2025 

Submission Guideline:

Abstracts should be 500 words and include both the methodology and main findings. Oral presentations will be accepted, and all abstracts will be reviewed by the scientific committee. 

Registration:

Registration is free of charge.

Publication Opportunities:

Authors will have the opportunity to publish their papers in a special issue of the Journal of Muslim Philanthropy & Civil Society and Muslim Humanitarianism Review Journal, published by Indiana University Press or in an edited book series, titled Muslim Philanthropy and Civil Society.

Sponsors

Muslim Philanthropy InstituteUniversity of Birmingham
Making Aid Work for Displaced WomenUK Research and Innovation

 

2025 Symposium Registration