It is with deep sadness that the Arab International Women’s Forum shares the loss of Sylvia Perry, Founder Board Member of AIWF and Trustee & Past President (1996–1999), International Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW International). Our dear late Sylvia passed away peacefully at home in Bristol on 11 April 2025.
Sylvia was instrumental to the early success of AIWF and remained a deeply committed and active AIWF Board Member for over two decades, from 2001 to 2023 when she retired from the Board. She was the Financial Director and Honorary Treasurer during much of her tenure on the AIWF Board. Previously, she was the Secretary of UNIFEM UK and for decades served as an NGO Consultant and Writer. Sylvia was actively involved in numerous non-governmental organisations concerned with UN issues, women’s training and development in business, public life and international cooperation.
Sylvia truly was a founding pillar of AIWF and a remarkable woman whose wisdom, dedication, and integrity greatly enriched our organisation and touched the lives of many. Sylvia was fully committed to the founding mission of AIWF in ‘Building Bridges, Building Business’ between women in the Arab world and women in the international community, and she always enjoyed travelling to the MENA region to attend AIWF’s conferences over the years. She is survived by her husband Keith, her brother Maurice and his family, three nephews and a niece.
The Board and Partners of the Arab International Women’s Forum extend our deepest condolences to Sylvia’s family and to the many women around the world who Sylvia mentored and the many good causes she supported, guided by her faith and her dedication to championing equality and empowerment for women.
