Arab Female Director Sally El Hosaini’s Film To Open Toronto Film Festival
31
July 2022
•
Arab Female Director Sally El Hosaini’s Film To Open Toronto Film Festival
•
Saudi Women DJs Go From Hobbyists To Headliners
•
UK Engineering Body Elects First Malaysian Woman, Prof Dr Leong Wai Yie, As
Council Member
•
Hannatu Musa and Hauwa Luka, Two Chibok Girls Escape Eight Years After Boko
Haram Kidnap In Nigeria
•
Arab Women Take On Leadership To Improve Health
•
Saudis Hail Vision 2030 Women’s Workforce Figures
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/arab-female-sally-hosaini-film/d/127612
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Arab
Female Director Sally El Hosaini’s Film To Open Toronto Film Festival
'The Swimmers', directed by Sally El Hosaini, will
open Toronto International Film Festival 2022. Nathalie Issa, left, stars as
Yusra Mardini, while Manal Issa plays Sara Mardini. Photo: Laura Radford /
Netflix
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By
Amrita Singh
31-07-2022
Sally
El Hosaini is an Egyptian-Welsh filmmaker whose film, “The Swimmers,” has been
tapped to open the Toronto Film Festival which will begin on September 8th 2022
– this date will also mark the film’s world premiere.
El
Hosaini’s drama is focused on the true story of sisters, Sarah and Yusra
Mardini who escaped the war-ravaged country, by boat and swam high seas to keep
the boat going. Yusra went on to compete as a member of the Refugee Olympic
Athletes’ contingent at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.
Cameron
Bailey, CEO of the Toronto Film Festival, commented, “I was deeply moved by the
story of these two sisters and wowed by the storytelling. ‘The Swimmers’ was
the very best kind of surprise when we saw it this summer — an exciting, epic
journey and the arrival of an important filmmaker.”
He
added, “I’m thrilled that audiences in Toronto will be the first to discover
Sally El-Hosaini’s remarkable film, and that this year on our opening night we
can honor everyone who risks everything to reach a better, safer life.”
The
actresses playing Yusra and Sarah Mardini are Lebanese actresses, and also
sisters, Manal and Nathalie Issa, and the main characters will be starring
alongside Arab-Israeli actor Ali Suliman, Egyptian actor Ahmed Malek, Syrian
actress Kinda Alloush and “The Good Karma Hospital” star James Krishna Floyd,
who starred in El-Hosaini’s last film “My Brother the Devil,” which won the
World Cinema Cinematography award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. YouTube
star Elmi Rashid Elmi and German actor Matthias Schweighöfer are also a part of
the cast.
Slated
for global release on Netflix this year, “The Swimmers,” has been shot in the
UK, Turkey and Belgium and is produced by Netflix and Working Title’s Eric and
Tim Bevan, Ali Jaafar and Tim Cole.
Other
films showing at the Toronto Film Festival, which will run from the 8th to 18th
of September 2022, include “The Woman King,” starring US actress Viola Davis,
US actor Billy Eichner’s rom com “Bros,” and British star Daniel Craig’s “Glass
Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.”
Source:
Abouther
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Saudi
Women DJs Go From Hobbyists To Headliners
Saudi DJ Leen Naif plays at a university event in
Saudia Arabia's Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah on May 26, 2022. (Photo | AFP)
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July
31, 2022
Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia: Standing behind her control tower with headphones around her
neck, Saudi DJ Leen Naif segues smoothly between pop hits and club tracks for a
crowd of business school graduates noshing on sushi.
The
subdued scene is a far cry from the high-profile stages -- a Formula 1 Grand
Prix in Jeddah, Expo 2020 in Dubai -- that have helped the 26-year-old, known
as DJ Leen, make a name for herself on the Saudi music circuit.
Yet
it captures an important milestone: Women DJs, an unthinkable phenomenon just a
few years ago in the traditionally ultraconservative kingdom, are becoming a
relatively common sight in its main cities.
"A
lot of female DJs have been coming up," Naif told AFP, adding that this
has, over time, made audiences "more comfortable" seeing them on
stage.
Naif
and her peers embody two major reforms championed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler: new opportunities for women and
expanding entertainment options -- notably music, which was once discouraged
under Wahabism, a rigid Sunni version of Islam.
The
possibility that DJs would be welcomed at public events, let alone that many
would be women, is something "we didn't expect" until recently, said
Mohammed Nassar, a Saudi DJ known as Vinyl Mode.
Naif
was first introduced to electronic music as a teenager by one of her uncles,
and she almost instantly started wondering whether DJ'ing was a viable job.
While
her friends dreamed of careers as doctors and teachers, she knew she didn't
have the patience for the schooling those paths required.
Several
years ago, a man came up to her mid-performance, declaring she was "not
allowed" and demanding "Why are you doing this?"
Naif
has benefited from official attempts to trumpet Saudi Arabia's new
entertainment-friendly image, which is often criticised by human rights groups
as a distraction from abuses.
Her
big break came last year when she was invited to perform at MDLBeast Soundstorm,
a festival in the Saudi capital Riyadh that drew more than 700,000 revellers
for performances including a set by superstar French DJ David Guetta.
Albishi,
for her part, thinks there is no difference between men and women once they put
their headphones on, and that's why women DJs belong.
Source:
Ndtv
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/saudi-women-djs-go-from-hobbyists-to-headliners-3210121
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UK
Engineering Body Elects First Malaysian Woman, Prof Dr Leong Wai Yie, As
Council Member
31
Jul 2022
INTI
International University pro vice chancellor Prof Dr Leong Wai Yie is the first
Malaysian woman elected a council member at the Institution of Engineering and
Technology (IET), United Kingdom.
Following
her appointment for the 2022-2024 term, Prof Leong, together with 27 other
council members, has the responsibility of tendering advice to the board of
trustees concerning the conduct of IET affairs, including its direction and
strategy.
“I
was very surprised when I won the election. The voters were from more than 168
countries, so it was impossible to lobby and predict the results.
“I
would like to give back to our community by taking on the role of a mentor and
help future engineers and technicians develop their careers.
“I
would also like to contribute my professional skills to research and social
welfare by working with other engineers to keep inventing for our planet, to
help protect lives and to prevent diseases.
“Engineers
are at the forefront of technological advancement, so we need to continue
designing new machines and algorithms to help tackle societal problems, with
the result of combating climate change, improving the quality of life and
bringing people closer together,” she said in a press release.
“I
was very surprised at how many senior engineers from all over the world were in
attendance because we always assume that people are not very interested in
meetings,” said Prof Leong, who was in the UK from June 7 to 11.
During
her trip, Prof Leong, who was the recipient of the 2021 Laureate of the GREE
WFEO Women in Engineering Award, the UN Women 2021 Malaysia WEPs Award, the Top
Research Scientists Malaysia 2017, the Asean Meritorious Service Award 2017,
the Institute of Engineering Malaysia Women Engineer Award 2017, and the
Australia Queensland Smart State – Smart Women Award 2005, also discussed
research collaborations on artificial intelligence (AI) engineering with
Imperial College London.
“I
met with Prof Danilo P. Mandic from the college and we explored Malaysia-UK
research collaborations and staff exchange programmes.
“We
talked about research projects that combine the principles of systems
engineering, software engineering, computer science, and human-centred design
to create AI systems in accordance with human needs for mission outcomes,” said
the Institution of Engineering and Technology (Malaysia Local Network)
immediate past chairperson, the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) and the
International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists vice president, and the
World Federation of Engineering Organisation (Women in Engineering Committee)
deputy vice chair, who specialises in medical signal processing and
telecommunications research.
Source:
The Star
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Hannatu
Musa and Hauwa Luka, Two Chibok Girls Escape Eight Years After Boko Haram
Kidnap In Nigeria
30
July, 2022
Nigeria
said on Friday that it had found two former "Chibok girls", eight
years after their abduction by the jihadist group Boko Haram.
The
two women were among 276 schoolgirls aged between 12 and 19 who were abducted
in 2014 from their boarding school in Chibok, northeastern Nigeria.
Hannatu
Musa and Hauwa Luka escaped from the Sambisa Forest, a Boko Haram enclave in
the northeastern state of Borno, and reached the town of Bama, bordering the
vast forest, where they raised the alarm.
General
Christopher Musa, the commander of the military forces in the region, presented
the two young women and their children to the media outside a military barracks
in Maiduguri, the regional capital of Borno.
"Hannatu
and Kauna were rescued on 26th of July by troops of 21 special armoured brigade
in Bama," he said before allowing them to speak.
"We
waited until it was dusk before we set out and trekked for two days before we
reached Bama where we were received by soldiers."
"I
have been looking for a way to escape and when Hannatu came visiting and
brought the idea I immediately agreed to her plan," said the young woman
who left with her baby on her back.
Of
the 276 schoolgirls abducted in 2014, 57 managed to escape, and another 80 were
exchanged for Boko Haram commanders after negotiations with the authorities.
Since
the kidnapping, many other schools and universities have been attacked in
northern Nigeria in recent years, some by jihadists, but mostly by criminal
groups who engage in mass kidnapping for ransom.
The
jihadist insurgency in the northeast has lasted 13 years, leaving 40,000 people
dead and 2.2 million displaced.
Source:
English.Alaraby
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/nigeria-2-chibok-girls-escape-years-after-boko-haram-kidnap
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Arab
women take on leadership to improve health
By
BARBARA SOFER
JULY
30, 2022
“S.”
was 19 when she met her husband for the first time.
Family
members were present and the couple didn’t speak much. The same happened in the
two subsequent short meetings. The man, also young, seemed shy, but “S.” was
shy, too. She’d never met a potential groom before.
“S.”
liked the idea that she would be living in Jerusalem. She was excited and happy
as the wedding preparations moved forward.
Only
on their wedding day did “S.” realize to her dismay that she was marrying a
mentally challenged man. There was no way out. Her family would never take her
back.
This
isn’t a story from a 19th-century novel. I met “S.” when she spoke publicly at
Hadassah Medical Center about how her life had suddenly gotten better. She was
among some 45 women who came to the hospital to celebrate their participation
in and completion of health courses under the auspices of the Linda Joy Pollin
Cardiovascular Wellness Center for Women, with the support of the Jerusalem
Municipality and Efshari Bari, the Health Ministry’s health promotion program.
“S.”
is one of 11 children in a family with a hand-to-mouth family existence in a
periphery village within the Palestinian Authority. Today she’s 38, still
married, a mother of four children – one of whom has severe learning
disabilities. Her husband doesn’t work and they live on disability insurance.
Another
of “S.’s” personal frustrations was not being allowed to go to high school
beyond the 10th grade. So when she heard about a free course on women’s health
at the community center in nearby Wadi Joz, she wanted to attend. At first, her
husband’s extended family with whom they live protested her attending but she
overcame their objections. The workshop had 22 sessions, each three hours long,
and was adapted from the American Diabetes Prevention Program to fit the
Jerusalem community’s needs. At each meeting, the women from Isawiya and Wadi
Joz would hear from a medical professional in Arabic and take part in
discussion groups.
“Our
women deal daily with the challenges of lower socioeconomic conditions, plus
the restrictions on women’s independence within the norms of Palestinian
society. Even in better-off neighborhoods, we have husbands who show up at the
community centers to make sure that what their wives are doing conforms to
their strictures and values.”
“What
we added to the American program was mostly the element of resilience,” says
Dr. Maha Nubani Husseini, who directs the program curriculum and implementation
in the Arab sector. “Our women deal daily with the challenges of lower
socioeconomic conditions, plus the restrictions on women’s independence within
the norms of Palestinian society. Even in better-off neighborhoods, we have
husbands who show up at the community centers to make sure that what their
wives are doing conforms to their strictures and values.”
A
shocking statistic: by age 70, half of Arab women have diabetes, and they have
a 60% higher rate of cardiovascular mortality than Jewish women.
“There
are not significant genetic differences between the Jewish women and the Arab
women in Jerusalem that explain the disparities in heart disease,” says Dr.
Donna Zwas, the Harvard-trained cardiologist who heads the Pollin Center. “The
major differences are lifestyle and dietary choices that can be changed, which
ultimately will prevent disease and save lives. Arab women in Israel are
diagnosed with heart disease 10 years earlier than Jewish women.”
“Everyone
knows that eating well and exercise prevents disease, but the challenge is to
get women to find the culturally and personally appropriate way to make the
changes,” Zwas says.
One
effective method is to train the women themselves to be the leaders, an ongoing
process that requires a carefully crafted empowerment program that won’t draw
ricochets that undercut women’s efforts. This will improve women’s health and
have a ripple effect on the entire community.
Potential
leaders are spotted within the graduates of the basic course and invited to a
smaller leadership training program where they design projects, learning to
write proposals that require specifying goals and needed resources. There’s
also training in public speaking so they can do effective outreach to their
neighbors.
At
the graduation, many women rose to speak, practicing their hard-won new skills.
Among the women who told their stories were a young woman taking the course
despite undergoing treatment for breast cancer, and a feisty retired
schoolteacher with a long history of community service.
The
graduates sang on the bus that brought them to and from the Ein Kerem campus.
They wore their holiday clothes, mostly intricately embroidered Palestinian
dresses. Absent from the buffet table were the usual burekas and cheese
danishes. Instead, there were dessert bowls of yogurt, vegetable-laden
tabbouleh and fruit.
“S.”
says that what stuck to her most in the first course was the idea that she
needed to do something for herself. “There were sessions on how to manage
stress, and I realized I had to get over the justified anger at my mother for
limiting my education and for making such a match for me and do something for
myself,” she said.
The
planning and implementing program in which she was involved is a workshop on
eliminating the home accidents that plague Arab neighborhoods.
According
to Dr. David Rekhtman, who heads the Pediatric Emergency Room at Hadassah’s
Mount Scopus hospital, adjacent to Isawiya and near Wadi Joz, the most common
accidents include falling from roofs, summertime drownings, burns and accidents
from children playing in the street for lack of sidewalks and play areas. There
are also hand injuries from cap guns and firecrackers during Ramadan, and even
bullets that go astray at wedding celebrations. “Awareness campaigns targeting
not storing kerosene in cola bottles have eliminated most of the cases of
kerosene-poisoning, a proof that health activism in the area of home safety can
be impactful.”
Source:
Jpost
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-713247
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Saudis
hail Vision 2030 women’s workforce figures
HEBSHI
ALSHAMMARI
July
30, 2022
RIYADH:
Saudis have hailed workforce figures that reveal the growing role of women in
the national economy as part of Vision 2030.
Saudi
women now comprise 33.6 percent of the Saudi workforce as of March 2022,
according to the General Authority for Statistics. That figure is up from 17.4
percent just five years ago.
The
unemployment rate of women was the lowest in 20 years as of the first quarter
of 2022, falling to 20.2 percent from 22.5 percent during the fourth quarter of
2021.
Vision
2030 promotes Saudi women as an important part of the Kingdom’s strength. It
aims to develop their talents, invest their energies, and provide them with the
right opportunities to build their futures, contributing to the development of
society.
The
Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has implemented policies and
initiatives that support inclusivity, and diversity in the labor market through
introducing various incentives to enhance the positive image of women in the
workplace, and to create a supportive and inclusive environment to facilitate
women’s entry into the labor market.
Experts
say that the influx of women in the labor market is due to reforms,
legislations and laws that foster an inclusive environment in the workplace.
Saad
A. Al-Hammad, spokesperson of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social
Development, told Arab News: “The Ministry of Human Resources and Social
Development has implemented policies and initiatives that support inclusivity,
and diversity in the labor market through introducing various incentives to
enhance the positive image of women in the workplace, and to create a
supportive and inclusive environment to facilitate women’s entry into the labor
market.”
Al-Hammad
added that the percentage of women in senior and middle management positions
rose from 28.6 percent in 2017 to 39 percent as of the first quarter of 2022.
According
to labor market data, 27.7 percent of Saudi women were employed in the
education sector and 17.7 percent in the retail and wholesale sector as of
March 2022.
Dr.
Nuwair S. Al-Shammari, deputy dean of the Faculty of Information and
Communication at Imam Mohammad ibn Saud Islamic University, said that Saudi
women have progressed because of historical decisions taken under King Salman,
which enabled Saudi women to be active partners in national development — the
cornerstone of the National Transformation Program and Saudi Vision 2030,
efficiently led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Al-Shammari,
who was chair of the media committee at a conference on women’s empowerment in
November 2021, added: “The transformations in recent years saw an overwhelming
presence of Saudi women in the labor market, chambers of commerce, Shoura
Council, diplomatic work and other important leadership positions. Women were
granted the necessary powers to fulfill their responsibilities toward the
country due to their capabilities with the government’s support.”
Dr.
Amal D. Al-Daej, an international relations and strategic partnership adviser
of the National Center for Vegetation Cover, said: “Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman has empowered women in the labor market and because of him women have
become today real partners alongside men in the development of the country.”
Al-Daej
added that women today enjoy a distinct place in society because of the
leadership, which saw the importance of increasing women’s participation in the
workforce, given that women represent half of society. Women today can now fill
leadership roles and take part in official delegations in international forums,
Al-Daej said.
The
adviser, who was member of the Saudi delegation to the COP15 UN Convention to
Combat Desertification, said: “It’s exciting to see women’s participation rate
in the workforce increase in recent years. This empowerment bolsters the
national economy.”
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2132696/saudi-arabia
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/arab-female-sally-hosaini-film/d/127612