The Task Force is an inter-agency mechanism that came together first in 2010 to help the focal points on religion understand what religion has to do … - Azza Karam

The inspiration came from an amazing woman, Dr. Constance Buchanan, who headed the culture section at the Ford Foundation at the time. It was Constance who said to Bill Vendley (secretary-general of WCRP), “You’re doing plenty of excellent work with men.

...the gender dividing line was not necessarily that clear at all times. In fact it is far less clear in these groups what women should or should not do. In the secular world, that dividing line seemed a lot clearer.

As an Egyptian Muslim woman growing up in a very conservative family, it would feel like whatever I did, it was not good enough. That meant I had to work harder, longer, more. The social conditions helped put me in a place where, yes, you have to hit the ground running. If you don’t, you’ll fall flat on your face.