Jewish and Muslim women march together for gender equality

Jewish women have marched alongside their Muslim and Christian peers in a show of force in central London, calling for greater equality 100 years after women were finally given the vote.

Women of faith marched under the Nisa-Nashim banner, the Muslim-Jewish women’s network having only recently won the Interfaith Award at the Jewish News-LABS ‘Night of Heroes’ event at Grosvenor Square.

“Jewish women have always been activists,” said Mitzvah Day founder Laura Marks, who co-chairs Nisa-Nashim. “We were part of the suffragette movement. It’s our turn now to carry on that work, recognising that our sisters from other faith backgrounds have similar challenges and that together will can be stronger.”

Nisa-Nashim’s other co-founder Julie Siddiqi said: “It was great to see a better representation of women from diverse backgrounds. It is so important that all voices are heard and that we work in this important area together.”

Catriona Robertson of the Christian Muslim Forum said that marching alongside women of different faiths “defied lazy assumptions”.