Boosting Females' Rights: In First, Kuwait To Get Women Judges Soon
New Age Islam News Bureau
4
Jun 2020
Egypt's Bedouin textile tradition of tatriz -- weaving and beading rich geometric and abstract designs on garments, cushions and purses -- has been passed down from generation to generation - El Fayrouz For Environmental & Social & Economic Services Association/AFP
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• Boosting Females' Rights: In First, Kuwait To Get
Women Judges Soon
• Women
in Egypt’s Restive Sinai Makes Bedouin Face Masks
• Northeast
Syrian Women to Participate in Meetings on Tribal Matters
• Nigerian Muslim Women Told to Stay Home as Govt
Reopens Mosques
• Standing
with Pacific women during COVID-19
• Women
at Lower Risk for Cardiovascular Disease Than Men
• Sudanese
Women Seek Justice One Year After Pro-Democracy Crackdown
• Women
Leaders in The Energy Sector Increased In 2019 But More Work Must Be Done
• Islamic
Group Asks Police to Fish Out Killers of Young Lady Raped and Stabbed to Death in
Ibadan
Compiled by New Age Islam
News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/boosting-females-rights-first-kuwait/d/122033
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Boosting
Females' Rights: In First, Kuwait To Get Women Judges Soon
June
03, 2020
Ramadan
Al Sherbini
Cairo:
Kuwait will have its first women judges in a few months, boosting females'
rights in a country where women have already established themselves in other
fields once preserved for males including the parliament.
Three
women will be among a total of 40 prosecutors to be appointed as judges,
Kuwaiti newspaper Al Qabas has reported, quoting a well-informed source.
"The
appointment decision will be officially endorsed in August. The women judges
will start their work in the justice system and issue verdicts early next
year," the source added.
"They
have participated in investigating all types of criminal cases and attended
international conferences. They have played a prominent role," the
unidentified source added.
https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/kuwait/in-first-kuwait-to-get-women-judges-soon-1.1591184302206
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Women
in Egypt’s restive Sinai makes Bedouin face masks
June
04, 2020
CAIRO:
In El-Arish, the provincial capital of Egypt’s North Sinai, a group of women
sew colourful Bedouin designs on masks to combat coronavirus, as an insurgency
simmers in their restive region.
Egypt’s
toll from the COVID-19 pandemic has reached over 28,600 cases, including more
than 1,000 deaths, while North Sinai itself remains the bloody scene of a
long-running Islamist insurgency.
“I
learnt how to embroider when I was a young girl watching my mother,” homemaker
Naglaa Mohammed, 36, told AFP on a landline from El-Arish, as mobile phone
links are often disrupted.
Bedouins
are nomadic tribes who traditionally inhabit desert areas throughout the Arab
world, from North Africa to Iraq. Many have now integrated into a more urban
lifestyle.
Egypt’s
Bedouin textile tradition of tatriz – weaving and beading rich geometric and
abstract designs on garments, cushions and purses – has been passed down from
generation to generation for centuries.
It
has survived in the Sinai Peninsula, whose north has been plagued by years of
militant activity and terror attacks spearheaded by a local affiliate of the
Islamic State (IS) group.
Security
forces have been locked in a battle to quell an insurgency in the Sinai that
intensified after the military’s 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed
Morsi.
Around
970 suspected militants have since been killed in the region along with dozens
of security personnel, according to official figures.
But
for Amany Gharib, who founded the El-Fayrouz Association in El-Arish in 2010,
the violence has not dissuaded her from keeping Bedouin heritage alive while at
the same time empowering local women.
“The masks
are composed of two layers – one inner layer directly on the face which is
disinfected, and the colourful, beaded one outside,” Gharib explained to AFP.
The
finished products are washed, packed and shipped off to distribution centres in
Cairo, where they are sold online in partnership with Jumia – Africa’s
e-commerce giant – for about 40 pounds ($2.50) each.
“We
work and are given our dues depending on the orders we get... with the masks it
has been a new challenge we've tackled,” she said.
The
region witnessed the deadliest terror attack in Egypt’s modern history when
militants killed more than 300 worshippers in a mosque in November 2017.
Gharib
said that in North Sinai’s tight-knit community, each family knew someone who
had been killed in an attack.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1684691/lifestyle
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Northeast
Syrian women to participate in meetings on tribal matters
Jun
3, 2020
Women
in northeast Syria are now allowed to participate in social meetings pertaining
to political and tribal matters.
One
female Syriac Christian official in the Autonomous Administration of North and
East Syria that governs the area welcomed the new move, saying it counters
centuries of women being sidelined in the region.
“In
the Middle East, women are only at home and men have bigger roles,” Elizabeth
Gawryie, a deputy of the administration’s Executive Council, told Al-Monitor.
“But women must have equality and rights.”
Last
week, Syrian Kurdish leader Ilham Ahmed tweeted that women would be allowed to
participate in the meetings known as “al-madhafah.” Ahmed is the president of
the Executive Committee in the Syrian Democratic Council. The council is the
political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed group that
controls the statelet in northeast Syria. The forces are led by Kurds, but
include an array of Christian and Arab groups as well.
The
gatherings Ahmed spoke about are of local male leaders who discuss political
matters. Parts of northeast Syria have prominent tribes who wield significant
influence over the community. Their role is important in northeast Syria
because the SDF often negotiates with the tribes, which are politically
divided.
Some
women in northeast Syria feel empowered by the news. Gawryie said she is
optimistic women will have a greater say in political matters now. “Our goal is
for women to be participants, especially in politics,” she added.
Women
already have relative freedom in northeast Syria, according to Gawryie. She
pointed to the role of women in Syriac military groups, for example. (The
Syrian government only requires men to serve in the military and Syrian rebel
groups consist solely of male fighters.)
Northeast
Syria has a degree of equality in general already, she said, also noting the
availability of education in Kurdish, Arabic and Syriac — a form of Aramaic
spoken by Christians.
“We —
along with Kurds and Arabs — have built an administration with general rights
for society,” Gawryie said. “There are equal rights and duties. There are
rights for Arabic, Kurdish and Syriac languages.”
Women
Defend Rojava is a campaign that supports women in northeast Syria, which the
Kurds refer to as Rojava. Stera Abdo, spokeswoman for the movement, agreed with
Gawryie that women already have a say in politics in northeast Syria. Many institutions
in northeast Syria have dual leaders allowing for a man and a woman to lead
them. There is also a 40% gender quota for all institutions and organizations
in the autonomous administration, she told Al-Monitor.
Women
were already discussing politics with tribes, making their formal participation
in al-madhafah meetings a logical development, according to Abdo. “We can
imagine that the thinking of the tribes is slowly changing. The tribal leaders
are already sitting around a table with female politicians and discussing, so
it is just another step that women from the tribes get involved.”
There
are some issues facing women in northeast Syria inside and out of SDF
territory. Last year, Human Rights Watch reported that Islamic State-affiliated
women cannot leave the SDF-controlled al-Hol camp except for emergencies. The
SDF fears residents could rebel in the camp, and many are still loyal to IS.
The SDF has repeatedly called on countries to take back their citizens there.
Recently,
there have been several kidnappings of women in Afrin, which Turkish-backed
Syrian rebel groups took from the SDF in 2018. In a discussion with reporters
last week, Ahmed also said that the Syrian Democratic Council is aware of the
issue of abuse of women during the coronavirus lockdown in northeast Syria. “In
the context of the coronavirus, we are trying to engage in a research effort on
the implications for women during the pandemic regarding violence against
women,” she noted.
The
council is working to help people speak out on the topic, according to Ahmed.
“In Middle Eastern society in general, people are less likely to talk,” she
added. “I can say people have opened up who wouldn’t have previously."
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/06/women-participate-meetings-tribal-politics-northeast-syria.html
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Nigerian
Muslim Women Told to Stay Home as Govt Reopens Mosques
June
4, 2020
By
Abdulrazaq Adebayo
Kwara
State government has given conditions to reopen worship centres from Friday,
June 5.
Mr
Kayode Alabi, the Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Technical Committee on
COVID-19, while briefing newsmen in Ilorin on Wednesday, said worship centers
will reopen if they satisfy certain criteria already agreed with various
religious bodies in the State.
The
decision was made after the Kwara State Technical Committee on COVID-19 meeting
with the leadership of the Muslim and Christian communities, including the
Jama’atu Nasrul Islam (JNI) and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
“We
are definitely not out of the woods as COVID-19 cases continue to rise,
especially because of violation of travel restrictions.
“The
meeting with religious leaders centered around whether or not to reopen the
worship centres across the state, as suggested by the Federal Government.
”However,
in line with the presidential advisory and the positions of our religious
umbrella bodies in the state, worship centres may reopen from June 5, provided
they satisfy the following conditions:
“Worship
centres shall be organised by the respective head of the congregation in such a
way that one attendant is at least one metre away from the next.
The
government said if worship centers reopen, children and people above 65 or
persons with underlying health conditions should stay away.
“Muslims
should perform ablution from their own houses. Ablution spots are not allowed
for now to avoid the spread of the virus.
“Each
worship centre must dedicate a few minutes before service or prayers to educate
attendants about COVID-19 and its dangers,” the deputy governor added.
He
added that the government’s Rapid Response Team (RRT) shall conduct random
visits to worship centres to take samples and do temperature checks.
According
to the deputy governor, the religious leaders shall be held responsible for non
compliance with all COVID-19-related safety measures in their worship centres.
He
stressed that all the conditions were agreed to by the religious bodies, adding
that any worship centre which violated the conditions would be shut down.
https://dailypost.ng/2020/06/04/covid-19-muslim-women-told-to-stay-home-as-govt-reopens-mosques/
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Standing
with Pacific women during COVID-19
4 Jun
2020
Together
with Samoan Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, we convened a
region-wide meeting of Pacific Women Leaders to discuss the impact of COVID-19
on women’s health, economic security and personal safety.
The
Pacific Women Leaders agreed to continue to work together to explore new ways
to enhance the well-being of women and girls, including through social and
development measures.
The
inaugural virtual gathering considered the needs of women and girls in
government and community responses to the pandemic. The meeting of 30 Pacific
women ministers, parliamentarians and senior civil servants from 18 countries
affirmed our commitment to:
Address
critical needs for women health care workers’ to access necessary resources,
such as childcare, in order to carry out vital work safely
Encourage
measures and policies to promote gender equality, which have become more
critical as the pandemic heightens the risk of violence against women and
children
Ensure
recognition of the vital role women must play in the economic recovery of the
region
Pacific
women must lead in the region’s response to COVID-19 to ensure the interests of
women and girls are at the forefront of government responses.
Australia’s
COVID-19 Response and Recovery package includes a focus on the most vulnerable,
particularly women and girls, with an additional $16 million to address the
differential impact of COVID-19 in the community. This builds on the Australian
Government’s existing programs to support gender equality and empower women and
girls in the Indo-Pacific region.
https://reliefweb.int/report/world/standing-pacific-women-during-covid-19
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Women
at lower risk for cardiovascular disease than men
3-JUN-2020
Women's
risk of falling ill with cardiovascular disease, and dying from it, is lower
than that of men of the same age, irrespective of where in the world they live.
This is shown by a study of, in total, more than 160,000 men and women in 27
countries. Scientists at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, are among those
presenting the results.
Now
published in The Lancet, the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiological (PURE)
study is the first worldwide to have documented differences between women and
men in risk factors, treatment, proportions affected by heart attack (recurrent
myocardial infarction, MI) and stroke, and the outcomes for those affected. The
participants were monitored for more than 10 years.
One
co-author of the study is Annika Rosengren, Professor of Medicine at
Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg. Sweden is the only country im
Northern or Western Europe to be included Just over 4,000 of the participants
come from Gothenburg and Skaraborg.
The
results show that women had a more favorable risk pattern. Above all, fewer
smoked; but the women also had lower blood pressure and healthier blood fat
levels. Compared with men, women in good health with no history of
cardiovascular disease, CVD, had a higher propensity to take preventive
medication, have well-controlled blood pressure, and avoid smoking.
Concern
is often expressed that women with CVD are given less intensive treatment than
men. If this is true, it might have a negative influence. However, the
researchers behind the present study think it is not a matter of
discrimination.
"Our
interpretation is that there doesn't seem to be discrimination against women.
Rather, women have less marked changes in the coronary arteries, which means
they don't need such intensive treatment," Rosengren says.
The
study shows that men with, for example, myocardial infarction, MI, received
invasive treatment, such as balloon dilation (coronary angioplasty) or coronary
bypass surgery, more often than women. Despite this, women had less risk of a
new MI.
The
main difference in prognosis after MI is, instead, between poor and rich
nations. In low-income countries like Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, roughly
40 percent of men and women alike die within 30 days after MI or stroke, while
the corresponding proportion for high-income countries like Sweden and Canada
is below 10 percent.
The
PURE study comprises participants from Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada,
Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Philippines, United Arab Emirates, India, Iran,
Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Palestine, Peru, Poland, Russia,
Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, Tanzania, Turkey, Uruguay and Zimbabwe. The
study is led from Canada.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-06/uog-wal060320.php
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Sudanese
women seek justice one year after pro-democracy crackdown
June
03, 2020
Sudan's
women were at the center of their country's pro-democracy movement last year
that resulted in the ouster of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir. They were also
the target on June 3, 2019, when Sudanese security forces raided a protest camp
of pro-democracy activists who were pushing to move their country away from
military rule.
Now,
a year on, many are concerned that those responsible for the attack are not
being held accountable. Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok pledged justice
on Wednesday. Hamdok, an economist and former senior United Nations official,
leads a transitional government and named a commission in October to
investigate the raid.
"I
assure you all that achieving comprehensive justice and retribution for the
souls of our hero martyrs ... and for the wounded and missing is an inevitable
and irreversible step," Hamdok said in a televised speech. "We are
awaiting the completion of the independent investigation committee's work,
which will be followed by referring all those found guilty of participating in
the massacre that dispersed the sit-in to fair and public trials."
Sulima
Ishaq Sharif is a psychologist in Khartoum and has been part of the protest
movement in Sudan. She's also a psychologist specializing in trauma and has been
working with rape victims. She spoke to The World's host Marco Werman about the
concerns a year later.
Sulima
Ishaq Sharif: It means a lot, actually. It's reliving the trauma, but actually
reminding us how we beat the people who want to traumatize this revolution and
they want to traumatize the victory we got.
Yes.
They were there since the night before. So, on that day, we were preparing for
Eid. And it was raining. And we were just preparing for Eid. People are doing
the cookies for the aid baking because they're celebrating the end of Ramadan.
At dawn, they started the attack. And we saw the military vehicles, and we saw
the people who were dressed in different costumes and uniforms. You cannot even
identify if it is police or just [Raid Support Forces, a government-operated
paramilitary group] or just military or other soldiers.
And
they sat down, did the whole sit-in area and afterward, people start running
because bullets are everywhere and they are beating everybody brutally at the
exit area. When you tried to exit a place, they will beat you up. And
sometimes, they run after you even if you went to the hospital.
Suffice
it to say, it was a nightmarish day a year ago. And since then, you've been
working with many of the women who were assaulted. What has been the impact of
that day on them and on others?
It's
very hard for them. They were not able to testify. They don't want to talk
because of the stigma, because of other things. And because most of the girls
and the women have been raped, their families have no idea what happened to
them.
I
think actually because of the new position I got, because now I'm heading the
combating violence against women initiative at the ministry, I know what the
system lacks. I know what protection meant to us and for women because we don't
even have a law to protect women and girls.
We
have a very complicated case now. And what happened in the dispersal of the
sit-in, it happened in a lot of villages in Darfur. We have also to understand
that people's pain to look for a comprehensive way of providing justice.
Well,
your movement managed to get the ouster of longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir. You
and tens of thousands of others were protesting for months. Then you had this
transitional military council and then this attack on the camp happened. So,
the transitional government is still there, some civilians on, but members of
the military are heavily represented. How confident are you that Sudan will
actually get to full civilian rule?
I
think we have to secure this partnership in a more mature way because they know
they will lose even if they use brutality or weapons. Nobody will listen to
them anymore. And nobody would want the military government. The power of the
streets is very strong. I don't think they want to do that again.
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https://www.pri.org/stories/2020-06-03/sudanese-women-seek-justice-one-year-after-pro-democracy-crackdown
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Women
leaders in the energy sector increased in 2019 but more work must be done
6.3.20
Advocacy
group POWERful Women, in partnership with PwC, this week published the latest
‘state of the nation’ report on gender balance in the UK energy industry.
The
2020 annual board statistics show progress in the number of women occupying
board and executive board seats – now 21% and 13% – representing a noticeable
shift from last year and progress towards POWERful Women’s target of 30% women
occupying executive board roles by 2030.
However,
the numbers show that faster progress is needed and that the number of all-male
boards in the UK energy sector remains disappointing.
This
year’s analysis by PwC for POWERful Women looked at the top 80 companies in the
UK energy sector, focusing on the most significant employers.
In
response to the lack of women at the top of the UK energy sector, in 2018,
POWERful Women launched the Energy Leaders Coalition (ELC), a group of CEOs
committed to increasing gender diversity and inclusion within organizations
globally.
Additionally,
an International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) January 2020 brief showed that
opportunities exist to improve gender balance, make greater use of women’s
skills and make renewables inclusive. The IRENA brief entitled, Wind Energy: A
Gender Perspective, focused on the presence of women across the wind energy
value chain.
In
2019, POWERGEN International awarded five women with Excellence in Character
Awards. The nominees, Linette Casey, Sue Kelly, Jennifer Fernandez, Ann
Robertson-Tait and Andrea Lucan, were nominated due to their traits of
initiative, integrity and collaboration.
Ruth
Cairnie, Chair of POWERful Women, said, “This year we have seen the most
progress since we started compiling board statistics five years ago. The
increase in the number of women in executive director positions is particularly
noteworthy.
“Special
attention is needed with all the COVID-19 disruption to ensure that we don’t
fall back on old habits and lose the progress that has been made – especially
in building a strong pipeline of female talent for senior leaders who will
tackle the energy challenges that lie ahead.”
Steve
Jennings, Energy and Utilities Lead, PwC, commented, “The progress being made
by energy companies to improve gender balance on their boards is to be
welcomed, but the pace of improvement makes it clear that there is a long
journey ahead of us if 2030 targets are to be met.
“As
the sector moves through the energy transition and adapts plans for a world
disrupted by COVID-19, Boards will want to act on the advice of POWERful Women,
who have been tirelessly campaigning for improvements to the balance of
diversity.”
Also,
Andrea Lucan, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, global project
development and finance, and winner of Excellence in Character Awards states,
“I consciously work to support and develop the women associates at my firm,
particularly ensuring they get the same business development opportunities as
their male counterparts.”
https://www.power-eng.com/2020/06/03/women-leaders-in-the-energy-sector-increased-in-2019-but-more-work-must-be-done/#gref
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Islamic
Group Asks Police To Fish Out Killers Of Young Lady Raped And Stabbed To Death
In Ibadan
JUN
03, 2020
Director
of Muslim Rights Concern, Prof Ishaq Akintola, has called on security agencies
in Nigeria to fish out the killers of Miss Bello Barakat, a student of
Institute of Agriculture, Research and Training, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Akintola,
who spoke with SaharaReporters on Wednesday while reacting to the rape and
killing of the young lady, called on the police and other security agencies to
bring the perpetrators to justice.
He said,
"We condemn violence against women because they are our mothers, sisters
and daughters. We call on the security agencies to take necessary steps and
leave no stone unturned in finding the killers of Barakat.
"Islam
condemns taking of human lives. Human lives in Islam is very sacred, let alone
when you now attack a woman for sexual purpose and you rape her and then kill
her violently."
He
said the group would be monitoring the situation closely until the perpetrators
are brought to book, adding that the killers deserve no mercy.
When
SaharaReporters reached out to spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command,
Mr Gbenga Fadeyi, for reaction, he said the command would issue a statement
regarding the incident.
He
said the matter was formally brought to the notice of the police and they
needed to investigate how it happened.
http://saharareporters.com/2020/06/03/islamic-group-asks-police-fish-out-killers-young-lady-raped-and-stabbed-death-ibadan
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/boosting-females-rights-first-kuwait/d/122033