The Muslim Women’s Council welcomed more than 200 women from across the UK to Bradford for the 2025 Daughters of Eve Conference, a day-long programme at Heaton Mount exploring “Mental Health & Wellbeing: An Islamic Perspective.” The event combined expert insight, lived experience and performance to normalise conversations about mental health and share practical approaches grounded in faith, community and evidence.
Speakers included Dr Hany El-Banna OBE, co-founder of Islamic Relief Worldwide; Selina Ullah, Trust Chair of Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Zara Mohammed, former Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain; and Ustadha Nagebah Hayel of Dar Al Zahra UK. Through keynotes and Q&As, contributors examined stigma and its consequences, the importance of early help, and the ways families, mosques and local services can work together so support feels accessible and respectful.
Discussion returned repeatedly to three themes. First, honest dialogue: participants argued that naming anxiety, low mood and trauma in everyday spaces home, school, congregation reduces isolation and encourages timely help-seeking. Second, everyday self-care: routines built around compassion, reflective prayer, sleep hygiene and movement were presented as tools that protect wellbeing during study, work and caring responsibilities. Third, peer support: informal circles and community groups were highlighted as bridges to professional help, particularly for women navigating language, cost or cultural barriers.
A highlight of the programme was the debut of the Muslim Women’s Council nasheed ensemble, Sounds for the Soul, whose reflective harmonies set a calm tone for the day. Interactive segments invited attendees to share practical strategies for managing stress and preventing relapse, with facilitators signposting to mainstream and community-based services appropriate to different needs.
Organisers framed the conference as a move from awareness to action. Centring women’s voices, they said, is essential both to challenge myths that deter people from speaking up and to shape partnerships with healthcare providers that recognise faith as a resource. The closing session “Glitz & Glam” paired celebration with intention-setting, encouraging each participant to identify one concrete step to support mental health in the months ahead, whether in a workplace, a family setting or a local group.
Founded in 2009, the Bradford-based Muslim Women’s Council runs projects that place women’s perspectives in policy, service design and cultural life. The Daughters of Eve programme is the organisation’s flagship for convening discussion on issues affecting women and families, with previous editions focusing on leadership, civic participation and social justice. This year’s emphasis on mental health reflects both rising demand on services and a growing appetite for culturally literate conversations in community spaces.
Attendees described the atmosphere as practical and hopeful, noting the value of hearing from clinicians and community leaders on the same stage. Several groups left with plans to trial peer-support meet-ups and signposting sessions during the winter, while others discussed how youth and chaplaincy teams might adapt ideas for schools and campus settings. The organisers said feedback would inform a short toolkit to help local groups host their own conversations and know when and how to escalate to professional care.
