Born in Sainthamaruthu on the Eastern coast of Sri Lanka, Jezima Ismail went on to become an educator, broadcaster, social activist and an advocate for human rights. She served as Principal of Muslim Ladies College, Colombo for 13 years from 1975 to 1988. She was the first woman to be appointed as the head of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation where she had worked as a broadcaster. She founded the Muslim Women's Research and Action Forum in 1976. In 1989, the Government of Sri Lanka conferred on her the title of Deshabandhu, the third highest national honour.