Malta Multifaith Summit: Bringing Future Female Leaders and Changemakers in MENA and South Asia in Critical Times
More than 68 women leaders from across the globe gathered on the Mediterranean island to champion religious freedom, women’s rights, and peace in the Middle East.
On March 2nd–3rd, 2026, the island of Malta became the stage for a landmark gathering: a multi-faith Summit that brought together more than 68 female leaders from around the world, convened to address some of the most urgent and critical challenges of our time — religious freedom, women’s rights, and the rights of minorities in conflict zones. With the presence of Ambassador Godfrey Xuereb and Honorary Consul Louis John Vella, the Summit underscored its diplomatic weight and the international community’s commitment to peace and dialogue in the Middle East.
Women from Muslim, Jewish, and Christian backgrounds came together across faith lines to support female leadership in MENA, South Asia, and beyond — a living testament to the power of interfaith solidarity in troubled times.
The Summit opened with an introductory address by Shirin Taber, founder and president of Empower Women Media, whose vision for a world where female voices shape peace and policy set a powerful tone for the days ahead. The proceedings were moderated by Astrid Hajjar, co-founder of the Abrahamic Women Alliance — both organisations being the driving force behind this remarkable initiative, bringing female leaders across geographies and faiths to a single, purposeful table.
High-level panelists included diplomats, human rights advocates, business leaders, and media experts from the US Department of State, the European Union, Israel, Syria, Egypt, Iran, and Lebanon. Their deliberations centered on the urgent need to build peace and security in the Middle East and to identify the common values that unite rather than divide.
Shared her expertise in human rights and women’s rights advocacy across MENA, South Asia, and Europe — including her work at the EU and UN, supporting women victims of sexual violence in Syria, Sudan, Yemen, and Israel post-October 7th, and the fight to end antisemitism and hate.
Addressed her frontline engagement against antisemitism and racism in France and Europe, speaking candidly about the personal threats she faces amid rising extremism and Islamism — and her conviction that education and interfaith dialogue are the antidote.
Delivered a powerful call for internal reform within Muslim communities, emphasizing that lasting de-radicalization can only emerge from within — from confronting antisemitism, authoritarianism, and the silencing of women.
“The de-radicalization of the Muslim world will not come from foreign intervention. It will come from internal reform — from Muslims willing to confront antisemitism in our rhetoric, authoritarianism in our institutions, and the silencing of women in our communities. It will come from recognizing that hatred of the ‘other’ has too often distracted us from moral introspection.”
— Soraya Deen, Lawyer & Founder, Muslim Women SpeakManel Msalmi spoke with deep conviction about the work of her organisation in bringing female leaders together at the highest levels of European and international institutions, and its sustained advocacy for women who have suffered persecution and sexual violence in Syria, Sudan, Yemen, and Israel. She underlined the critical need for collective action to combat antisemitism and all forms of hatred, calling on leaders across faith traditions to stand together with one voice.
Shannon Seban highlighted the dangers of ignorance and the necessity of building bridges between religious communities through structured dialogue and educational programmes — a message that resonated deeply in a hall representing women from across the world’s major faith traditions.
The Summit concluded with a certificate distribution ceremony, honouring all 68 participants who engaged in two intensive days of high-level meetings, workshops, and collaborative dialogue. It was a moment of recognition — not just of individual achievement, but of the collective courage it takes to gather across divisions of faith, culture, and geography in pursuit of peace.
The Malta Multifaith Summit stands as a beacon for what is possible when women of faith are given a platform, resources, and one another: a more just, peaceful, and inclusive world.
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