Join a discussion with Anna Zobnina, Ibtissame Betty Lachgar and Maryam Namazie on Secularism is a Woman’s Issue. The event will be chaired by Ali Malik.

Organised by CEMB and One Law for All.

Friday 3 October 2025. 7:00-8:30pm, Central London

Tickets: £5. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE.

BIOGRAPHIES

Anna Zobnina is a feminist policy expert with over 15 years of experience in European and international advocacy. She specialises in male violence, sexual exploitation, and the rights of migrant and refugee women. Her work spans research, policy development, and movement strategy, with a focus on centering sex-based rights in law and practice.

Ibtissame Betty Lachgar is a clinical psychologist specialised in criminology and victimology, particularly violence against women and sexual violence. She is co-founder and Leader of MALI (Alternative Movement for Individual Liberties), which is universalist, feminist and secularist. The civil disobedience movement fights for individual liberties, against discrimination and breaks taboos. Their first action in 2009 was a picnic during the day in Ramadan to protest against the law which condemns those “known as Muslim” who do not fast to 6 months in prison. In 2012, she invited the NGO Women on Waves from the Netherlands (Abortion Boat) to fight for the right to abortion and for the decriminalisation of abortion. She also organised a Kiss-in in 2013 and coloured Rabat’s fountains in red in 2017 in the fight against violence against women. She initiated the first LGBT movement in Morocco in 2012, the IDAHOT. Ibtissame has been the victim of sexual assault by the police whilst in custody for her protests in Sept 2016.

Maryam Namazie is an Iranian-born campaigner and writer. She is Spokesperson of Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and One Law for All. She is the instigator behind the Celebrating Dissent conferences, the largest gatherings of ex-Muslims in history since 2014. During decades of activism, Maryam has organised numerous actions, including #Hair4Freedom and #BodyRiot in support of women in Iran, executive produced Women Leaving Islam and published The Woman’s Quran. Maryam and the CEMB have been featured in a 2016 film by Deeyah Khan called ‘Islam’s Non-Believers.’ She was also a character in DV8 Physical Theatre ‘Can We Talk About This?’ Maryam is winner of numerous awards.

Ali Malik is Co-spokesperson of Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain.

FiLiA Largest Feminist Conference in Europe. Brighton
Date: 10-12 October 2025

Friday 10 October, 4-5:30Pm, Panel Discussion on Apartheid Against Women: A Crime Against Humanity with Gita Sahgal, Maryam Aldossari, Maryam Namazie, Munira Baharaki and Pragna Patel.

Saturday 11 October, 4-5:30pm, Celebrating Dissent: Blasphemous Women with Ibtissame Betty Lachgar*, Maryam Namazie and Yasmine Elbaramawy.
More information here.

* Betty is currently in prison in Morocco. We will be calling for her immediate and unconditional release.