Eshq: A New Dating App Aimed At Muslim Women

Eshq dating app is a new service aimed at young Muslim women who want to start dating without stigma. The app encourages women to make the first step after a mutual match.

Empowering women to make the first step

The app allows women to post videos, add their taste in music and has a swipe through feature.

"ESHQ is a way to really get to know someone and get a feel for their personality. Don't just leave it to one profile picture, your education and career… Have fun and make your profile the one everyone wants to swipe right!, says its description.

Founder created a solution to a problem she faced herself

The app was started by 29-year-old founder Mariam Bahawdory. She launched the app while she was in graduate school. Her family is from Afghanistan and is conservative. She got engaged at 25, but after the engagement broke up, she didn’t have many options when it came to dating.

Mariam decided to start online dating, but platforms like Minder, which is another app for Muslims, were not a viable solution. She wanted something deeper, that could lead to a real connection. She said that Minder was too much like Tinder, and that other Muslim sites were too traditional. They were only marriage-oriented. One of the apps, Ishqr, doesn’t even show you matches’ faces.

“I created Eshq as a solution to my own problem. I wanted to implement a faster format that’s more mobile-friendly and for a younger crowd.” - Mariam Bahawdory

“Being a Muslim woman with friends and family members at different ends of the progressive spectrum, I wanted to create an environment that invited individuals from across the Muslim community who are interested in a long-term connection” she said.

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