About Robina

Robina worked with various mainstream non-profit organizations for over 12 years before founding Turning Point for Women and Families in 2004, the first non-profit in New York City to address domestic violence in the Muslim community. She has served on numerous boards including Sakhi, Queens Women’s Network, Coalition for Battered Women’s Network and the Muslim Consultative Network. She currently serves as a member of the Social Work Advisory Council at Medgar Evers College and until September 2017 served on the board of Hartley Film Foundation. A survivor, a social worker, an activist and a fierce advocate of Muslim women’s rights, Robina has spoken extensively against domestic violence locally, nationally, and internationally, and has received numerous honors and awards.

She has also been quoted in and appeared on several media outlets including CNN, NY1, Geo TV, Aaj TV, Al-Hurra TV. In September 2009, Robina was named a CNN Hero and was also featured as one of the 500 Most Influential Muslims (2009) by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center/Georgetown University. Robina was also named Queens Person of the Week by NY1 (March 2010) and was honored by the Mayor Bloomberg along with 30 other women in honor of the Women’s History Month (2011). Robina has also received awards from FEBA (Federation of Balkan American Associations), Chhaya CDC, State Senator Eric Adams, Women’s eNews, Bank of America, Queens Council for Social Welfare and NASW-NY, NEMWA (North East Muslim Women’s Association), Women In Islam, Union Square Awards, Open Society Institute and the Queens Borough President.

More recently, Robina was honored with the Joan H.Tisch Public Health Prize by the Roosevelt House at Hunter College (2013), by the Public Advocate Letitia James (2014), the Queens General Hospital with a Public Service Award (2016), Queens Unity Iftar (2017) and was a 2017 International Association of Social Work with Groups (IASWG) Honoree.
Born and raised in Pakistan, Robina has an M.S in Applied Psychology (Pakistan) and an MSW from Hunter College, NYC, is a 2007 CORO Immigrant Leadership Fellow and a 2005 Open Society Institute/RCLA Social Justice Fellow. Robina speaks four South Asian languages.

Turning Point for Women and Families

Turning Point for Women and Families’ mission is to help Muslim women and girls affected by domestic violence to empower themselves and transform their own lives as well as those of their families. Turning Point provides a diversified range of culturally competent services focused on safety and self-sufficiency through direct services, advocacy and referrals.  Deeply rooted in the Muslim community, Turning Point believes that social change can be effected by raising awareness about the prevalence and effects of domestic violence, addressing it directly and offering safe spaces and opportunities for youth development.