The Amina Team
Our governance team is comprised of a board of trustees that are rooted within Muslim and BME communities across Scotland. Our board members are ‘experts by experience’ and have practice-based understanding of the barriers disadvantaged and marginalised BME women experience. Our trustees serve an average of three years on the board, where re-election to the board is required every two years. The diversity of our board membership reflects the ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity of the communities we serve. The Amina board meets every six weeks and has subcommittees from HR/Personnel to Finance, Fundraising, and Strategy.
Board Members
Iqra Arsalan
Iqra joined the Amina board in June 2022.
Presently a Welfare officer, Iqra is also working towards a Masters in International Human Rights Law (LLM).
Iqra carries out volunteer work with local food banks, and currently runs an animal welfare organisation in Karachi with her husband called ARTS Animal Hospital. It is Karachi’s first and only animal hospital dedicated to the free treatment of stray animals. She is also one of the founders of Feed the poor Karachi, a charitable organisation in Pakistan which assists vulnerable people with no financial means.
Iqra is inspired by the human rights work of Amina, a subject very close to her heart. As a BME Muslim woman, she strongly believes in the work Amina does to support BME women.
Elisa Sajed
Elisa is a PhD researcher at the University of Strathclyde investigating domestic abuse in South Asian faith communities in Scotland. She has an MSc in Gender Studies and BA (Hons) in Sociology and Criminology.
Elisa has been involved with voluntary service working with women from BAME communities for many years, encouraging political integration and activity, as well as supporting and advocating for minority women suffering from domestic abuse.
Her motivation for joining the board at Amina is to channel her expertise into an organisation which understands the difficulties faced by minority women at both individual and structural levels. Elisa also stands as a board member to provide representation for disabled Muslim women and carers.
Sarah has been involved with Amina in a variety of capacities since 2014.
She holds an MA in Social Science from the University of Glasgow with a focus on public policy.
Sarah works in the third sector on women’s labour market equality. She volunteers across the sector with women and children who are survivors of gender-based violence and/or sexual assault.
Sarah Anne Todd
