Councillor Rukhsana Ismail of Rotherham East Ward, in Yorkshire, England was elected as the town’s first female Muslim mayor on May 16. 

Succeeding Councillor Sheila Cowen, the British Pakistani became Rotherham’s 120th mayor. 

She serves as the Chief Executive of a charity in Nottinghamshire, a Magistrate, and Vice Chair of Unison Sheffield. 

At the town council’s mayoral ceremony, she wore her official mayoral robes and chain with the female Islamic headscarf, the hijab. She expressed her new role with high regard, hoping to inspire the next generation of women to dream big.

“Being Mayor of Rotherham is not just a role — it’s a platform to champion the people, communities, and causes that make our borough special,” Ismail said. “I want to inspire others, especially young women and girls, to believe in themselves and know that anything is possible.”

With her charity background, Ismail stated that she will support four charities during her mayoral year: the Rotherham Hospice Trust, Age UK Rotherham, Sense Rotherham, and Apna Haq. 

“These charities speak to the heart of what matters in Rotherham – care, dignity, inclusion and hope,” she said.

A mayor’s parade took place on Saturday in the town’s All Saints’ Square to celebrate Ismail's mayorship.

Editor in Chief Khalid Alsadek contributed to the reporting of this story.