The mother of Quark and Rom, a defiant Ferengi businesswoman whose partnership with Grand Nagus Zek transformed the rights of Ferengi females.
Ishka, known to her sons as Moogie, was a Ferengi woman who refused to accept the strict laws that forbade females from earning profit, wearing clothes in public or even talking to strangers. She ran her own affairs in secret and was investigated by the Ferengi Commerce Authority, bringing her into open conflict with her traditionalist son Quark.
She later became romantically involved with Grand Nagus Zek and quietly guided his decisions, persuading him to support reforms that gave Ferengi females greater freedom. When the scandal threatened Zek's position, Quark was forced to disguise himself as a female to win over a powerful commissioner, and Ishka was later captured by the Dominion and rescued by a team of Ferengi.
In the end Zek retired as Grand Nagus and departed with Ishka, his reforms secure and his successor, Rom, committed to continuing them. Ishka represents the slow modernisation of Ferengi society and the gap between Quark's conservatism and his brother's open mind.