On September 21, 2025, women of all ages and experiences of the New Jersey Dawoodi Bohra community came together for the first Women’s Leadership Summit to reflect on the ways they lead in their everyday lives. Through shared stories and interactive sessions, they discussed how qualities such as conviction, resilience, humility, and gratitude guide them as daughters and mothers, as professionals and civic contributors, and as active members of their community...
Women Supporting Women
The summit opened with a note from Dr. Rashida Saify, a pediatrician, who reminded participants that leadership begins with lifting one another. “We have amongst us elders, youth, middle-aged—every generation,” she said. “Elders’ experience enriches the youth, and the youth reinvigorate the elders. We grow through one another’s strength and support.”
Drawing on the summit’s metaphor of reaching a peak, she described leadership as a climb: not a solitary pursuit of position, but a collective journey of knowledge, skills, and service that carries the entire community forward.
The Pursuit of Excellence
Presenter Rashida Danish followed with a deeply personal reflection on striving for excellence, reflecting on the words of His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community, who emphasizes that a Dawoodi Bohra should aim for the height of excellence in every pursuit.
She recalled her student years in Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah, when self-doubt nearly led her to quit after a disappointing grade. “I thought I wasn’t good enough,” she admitted. A mentor’s encouragement changed her course — a moment that eventually led her to top her class.
“The pursuit mattered more than the accolade,” she said. “Excellence is not a destination but a direction — the north star that guides us forward. Leadership isn’t about being flawless, it’s about what you do when you are afraid, and how you rise again after you fall.”
Leadership Beyond Titles
The heart of the day lay in a panel titled Beyond Titles: The Qualities of True Leadership, featuring women who embodied conviction and compassion in diverse ways.
Nafeesa Husain, a pediatric occupational therapist and grandmother of five, recalled her experience as a young mother, “Motherhood teaches you to lead in ways you don’t even realize,” she said. “Conviction and resilience carried me through, and my children learned not from what I said, but from what I did.”
Young entrepreneur Huseina Basrai shared how launching her coffee business right out of college tested her confidence.
“My first events were at our community center,” she said. “People encouraged me, introduced me to others, and helped me take each step forward.”
Khadija Ghasletwala, a designer who worked her way from small firms in India to brands like Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and J. Crew, reflected: “Leadership is not a solo act; it’s built on trust, listening, and helping others rise with you.”
Rashida Moochalla, an Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah alumna and mother of three, completed the memorization of the Quran in 14 months. “Leadership means committing to whatever you do with conviction, while never compromising your values.”
“Hearing these stories made me realize how much more there is to the women I thought I already knew,” reflected participant Nafisa Zariwala. “They reminded me that behind every strong woman are other women supporting her.”
Breakout Sessions: Building Bridges
In the next segment, participants turned from listening to leading. One session challenged teams to build bridges from simple materials — only to face surprise obstacles like switching tables or working with one hand.
“Building a bridge is more than a hands-on task,” an organizer explained. “It’s a metaphor for adaptability, connection, and carrying one another forward.”
Laughter mingled with focus as groups discovered lessons in perseverance — using limitations as strengths, stepping back to let others lead, and staying united on shared goals.
“True leadership means leaving behind values that generations after us can continue to benefit from,” said Fareeda Kothari, who found the exercise deeply symbolic.
A second session encouraged self-assessment, urging women to pause, reflect, and redefine their goals. Facilitators reminded the group:
“You can’t lead others if you can’t lead yourself.”
A Legacy Continued
As the day drew to a close, a collective realization took shape: leadership is lived through daily choices — courage over comfort, resilience over defeat, and gratitude grounding every action.
Closing the event, Jumana Husami reflected on the legacy of women who came before.
“This gathering reflects a lineage of women who, throughout history, led their families and communities with conviction and sacrifice. From the women of our faith who shaped generations before us to the mothers and daughters here today, leadership has always been part of who we are.
If we remain resilient, we can help others. Each of us leads in different roles — I, as a mother, learned from my mother, and we in turn shape our children in our homes. Leadership also takes planning: we must prepare for the generation after us, leaving the world better than we found it. That planning, founded in gratitude, is what carries our legacy forward.”
The day concluded with conversation and connection over Greek cuisine from a woman-owned community business — a fitting reminder that leadership is also about supporting one another, sharing in success, and building bonds that last.
