Meet the Board

Amreen Kadwa 

Founder & Executive Director

Amreen Kadwa is a trailblazer in the sports equity sector, she has built a powerful, multi-sport infrastructure that advocates for systemic access and creates culturally safe environments for Muslim female athletes across the GTA. Amreen’s globally recognized leadership centers on community, confidence, and building long-term pathways for minority women in sport systems.

Board, Vice-Chair

Shireen Ahmed

Shireen Ahmed is a multi-platform sports journalist, a TEDx speaker, mentor, and an award-winning sports activist who focuses on the intersections of racism and misogyny in sports. She is an industry expert on Muslim women in sports, and her academic research and contributions have been widely published. She is co-creator and co-host of the “Burn It All Down” feminist sports podcast team. In addition to being a seasoned investigative reporter, her commentary is featured by media outlets in Canada, the USA, Europe and Australia. She holds an MA in Media Production from Toronto Metropolitan University where she now teaches Sports Journalism and Sports Media. You can find Shireen tweeting or drinking coffee, or tweeting about drinking coffee. She lives with her four children and her cat.

Habibah Haque

Board Chair

Habibah Haque is a passionate community changemaker with over ten years of human rights experience across the government and non-profit sectors. She has led equitable initiatives, provided intersectional feminist policy analysis, and organized national activism campaigns on issues related to gender-based violence, gendered Islamophobia and MMIWG2S. First joining Hijabi Ballers as a Project Manager in 2020, she joined the Board of Directors as Chair in 2024. With expertise in strategy development and project leadership, Habibah currently supports Indigenous reconciliation efforts in the university sector and also serves as a member of the Women, Peace and Security Network - Canada, providing gender rights expertise to the federal government. Born and raised in Toronto, Habibah is very active in the arts and culture scene and has a long history of volunteerism and community engagement in the city. She is an avid tennis lover and after winning two championships, now plays recreationally. She strongly believes in the role of sports and athletics in empowering women and building confidence, and dreams of positive and fully accessible sports spaces for Muslim girls.

Samiha Arshad

Samiha Arshad serves as our Board Secretary. Having been involved with Hijabi Ballers from the early days , Samiha is passionate about ensuring the organization remains sustainable for future generations. Having grown up playing rep soccer, Samiha understands the importance of representation in sports.

Mehnaaz Bholat

Board Treasurer

Mehnaaz Bholat joined Hijabi Ballers in 2018 while looking to return to an active lifestyle and became involved with the Sunday basketball program. Inspired by the impact the organization had on her life, she is passionate about creating opportunities for young Muslim girls. Mehnaaz serves as Treasurer on the Board and works as an Internal Auditor at TELUS Health.

Director At Large

Fatema Dada

Fatema Dada is a dedicated lawyer with over 15 years of experience in litigation and human rights, currently practicing civil litigation. In addition to her legal career, she is deeply committed to community service, serving as a Director at SMILE Canada and on the boards of two prominent Muslim legal organizations. Previously, Fatema served as a Senior Policy Advisor at the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, counsel with the Ministry's Crown Law Office, and worked with the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC). She is also an active member of the Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association.

Natasha Persaud

Director At Large

Natasha Persaud is a human rights and employment lawyer with nearly two decades of experience. A Partner at Formative LLP, she advises public, private, and not-for-profit organizations on investigations, governance, risk management, and workplace culture.

Director At Large

Hafsa Pathan

Hafsa Pathan is the Chief Operating Officer at Sakeenah Canada, a prominent organization offering shelter, therapy, and housing support for women and children across Canada. Based in the Greater Toronto Area, she is dedicated to grassroots leadership, mental health advocacy, and community-led solutions.

Ayaa Mohamad

Director At Large

Ayaa Mohamad is a community development and partnerships specialist with 8+ years in municipal and non-profit sectors. She leads community investment, grant, and collaboration initiatives that strengthen local capacity and equity. Certified in Public Participation, she holds a Graduate Certificate in Non-Profit Management and an Honours BA in City Studies and Sociology.

Board Secretary