Khatijun Nissa Siraj | |
---|---|
Born | 1925 |
Died | (aged 97) |
Nationality | Singaporean |
Occupation | Women's rights activist |
Khatijun Nissa Siraj (1925 – 7 March 2023) was a Singporean women's rights activist and the co-founder of the Young Women Muslim Association of Singapore (PPIS) and the Muslim Women's Welfare Council. In response to an epidemic within the Singaporean Muslim community of women being abandoned by their husbands through inexpensive, informal divorces, Siraj and the PPIS successfully pressed for the formation of a Syariah Court. Siraj was the first case worker for the court, which had authority over marriages and divorces. In addition to her work with the PPIS, Siraj worked with a number of other organizations that worked to improve women's welfare. She was mother to law professor Mehrun Siraj (1945-2021) and grandmother to actor-director Huzir Sulaiman (b. 1973).[1]