Muslim Boxer Rehnuma Mikranai Punching Stereotypes with Yoga
New
Age Islam News Bureau
09
October 2020
• Dr. May Alobaidy, the First Saudi Woman To Be Appointed An Adviser To A Minister
•
Fatima Hussein, the First Muslim Woman to Be Nominated In a Council Election in
Brazil
•
Princess Nouf bint Mohammed, chair of the Civil Society 20
•
Threats by Friday Prayers Leaders To Iran’s Women Shows Mullahs’ Misogynous
Nature
•
'UN Working Relentlessly to Advance Women, Peace and Security Agenda'
•
Hull joins Hall in confirming her place for next month’s Saudi Ladies
International golf week
•
Women Account For 54% of Diabetes Cases in Oman
•
Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy Marks 10th Anniversary
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/muslim-boxer-rehnuma-mikranai-punching/d/123091
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Muslim Boxer Rehnuma Mikranai Punching Stereotypes with Yoga
October
8, 2020
Representational
Image
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Haldwani,
Oct 08: A group of Burqa clad women performing yoga in a public park is not
something you behold every day, but 17-year-old Rehnuma Mikranai has made it a
common sight for people in Nainital's Haldwani.
A
class 12th boxer, Rehnuma was confined at her home in the Haldwani town of
Nainital district during the Coronavirus lockdown, but as soon as things began
opening up, the teenager was unstoppable. Rehnuma, who has been training at
Sports Authority of India's day-boarding extension centre for boxing in
Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district, bounced back with her daily fitness routine
at the park every day.
Living
in a conservative Muslim society, she was well aware that many around her
always frowned on her for not wearing a head veil, but she never surrendered.
At the park, she was met with lewd comments and inappropriate stares. That made
her uncomfortable, so Rehnuma's mother Shabnam, who is an anganwadi worker
accompanied her to the park.
When
Rehnuma observed that Burqa clad women come to the park for a walk every day,
she decided to bring them together and do something productive. She planned to
hold a Yoga class for all the women in her neighbourhood and she would train
them. It was a challenging task to convince those women to step out of their
house and perform yoga in the park with everyone, but Rehnuma was determined.
She
and her mother created a whatsapp group. Initially many women were reluctant
and declined the offer but then gradually they gained the confidence to step
out and do something for themselves.
Rehnuma
said, ''I wanted to show the Muslim women of my neighbourhood that they should
feel free to take out time for themselves and do something. I have always been
supported by my family but not every Muslim woman in our society is lucky
enough to take an independent stand. I wanted these women to work towards their
fitness and not be just confined to the four walls of their household.''
''Initially
only a few women joined but once the word spread, more and more women joined,
taking the overall strength to around 40. We usually start around 5:30 am and
sometimes it continues till 7-7:30 everyday. Most women perform Yoga in
burqa,'' said Rehnuma.
Rehnuma
has never worn a burqa like the other women in her family and neighbourhood.
'I
have always believed that it's a personal choice and no woman should be
pressured into wearing a burqa or a hijab against her wishes. Some maulvis,
without directly pointing out, made it apparent to them of their displeasure
over performing Yoga in the park,''said Rehnuma.
''Men
would stare at us for long. Two men at the park even tried to moral police and
body shame us. They walked up to us and made us feel uncomfortable about
performing yoga at the park. They said women shouldn't be allowed to come out
without a burqa and they must stay at home. That infuriated me and I gave a
piece of my mind. They left and never came back. It's extremely important for
women to stand up against injustice. Men should have a veil in their eyes than
on our bodies to protect our honour,''Rehnuma added.
Rehnuma's
mother Shabnam is her pillar of strength. Shabnam has always supported her
daughter's dreams and aspirations. Shabnam said, ''I want my daughter to win a
gold medal in boxing and make the entire country proud. She is capable of
achieving a lot in life and nothing should come in her way.''
''My
daughter is an inspiration to all the other Muslim women in the society that
are afraid to break barriers. I believe that women are the backbone of the
society and they must be given the freedom to grow and scale all heights,'' she
added.
Rehnuma's
father, Mohammad Kadeer is an auto driver. He has always supported all of his
daughter's endeavours. ''I am really proud of my daughter. People used to make
fun of me initially because I supported my daughter's boxing aspirations, but I
never paid heed to anything. I hope one day she brings laurels to the
country,'' he said.
Rehnuma
believes that women must be given absolute freedom to achieve their goals in
life. She wants to win international and national medals in boxing. Her dream
is to become an IPS officer and set an example for young women to live their
dreams. Rehnuma has won praise from many social activists and social workers in
Haldwani.
https://www.oneindia.com/india/17-year-old-boxer-Muslim-girl-punching-stereotypes-with-yoga-3160737.html
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Dr.
May Alobaidy, the First Saudi Woman to Be Appointed an Adviser to A Minister
October
06, 2020
Dr.
May Alobaidy
----
Dr.
May Alobaidy is the first Saudi woman to be appointed an adviser to a minister.
Over the years, she has worked as a senior adviser to three ministers in
addition to her role as CEO of the Strategic and International Partnerships and
Initiatives Center, which she established at the Ministry of Higher Education.
Alobaidy
is a highly regarded expert with a plethora of international and local
experience in strategies, management and leadership. Throughout her career, she
worked in various leadership strategic roles and executive positions in many
ministries and nongovernment organizations. She was appointed as adviser to
vice ministers and governors where she provided consultations on many pivotal
issues and projects.
Alobaidy
is a co-founder of the Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC) in
the Kingdom, where she was appointed vice governor of planning and development.
She
also served as the deputy governor for external relations and international
cooperation and deputy governor for research and development, where she
established both sectors, besides her role as the executive director of the
female sector at ETEC.
Over
the years, she collaborated and worked on several high-level projects and
initiatives with various international organizations and universities such as
the UNESCO, WHO, UNDP, UNICEF, World Bank, the OECD, and Harvard University.
Alobaidy
is a Harvard alumnus and a UK graduate with a Ph.D. in business management and
health care administration. She received a master’s degree from the US and
obtained a second master’s degree from France in management and strategic
planning.
Dr.
Alobaidy is an expert strategist with a professional history in strategic
planning, policies, research and development, education, and health care management.
She served at many advisory boards and is a member of many committees including
the G20. Her Twitter handle is @mayalobaidy.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1744736/saudi-arabia
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Fatima
Hussein, the First Muslim Woman to Be Nominated In a Council Election in Brazil
October
8, 2020
Fatima
was born in Brazil to Palestinian migrant parents.
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Although
it is quite normal in many places today, Fatima Hussein is the first
Palestinian Muslim woman to be nominated as a candidate in a Brazilian municipal
council election. She never set out to be the “new face” of the Democratic
Party; she always saw herself simply as a Palestinian dentist who devotes her
time serving her local community. In this election, though, she will be
breaking new ground.
“I
will be the only candidate who wears hijab,” Hussein told me. “We suffer from
fake news here in Brazil, a lot of which is harmful for Muslim women. However,
I believe that my city council will be a real democratic space, where everyone
feels represented, and symbols of Islam will be shown and respected.”
She
is confident that she will be able to demonstrate that Muslim women can study,
have jobs, have their own income, make decisions, have a voice and give a voice
to everyone else. If elected, she intends to fight against all types of
discrimination, including race, gender, colour and religion.
With
millions of Palestinians still living in exile from the land that their
families had farmed for generations, Fatima Hussein’s story is one of many
which illustrate that Palestinian refugees are living examples of patience and,
in many cases, success. Neither the trauma of exile nor the pain of their loss
has broken their spirit. On the contrary, their collective experiences have
made them stronger.
Being
a woman in politics is a challenge in itself, but what about being a Muslim, a
Palestinian, a dentist and a mother, all of them roles that Hussein fulfils in
society? Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world, and has the largest
Roman Catholic population. Hussein believes firmly that when a woman has faith
in her heart and is determined, she can achieve whatever she aims for, despite
all of the challenges and divisions in society. She is, after all, a
Brazilian-born Palestinian.
Fatima
Hussein’s father worked in Brazil as part of an agricultural mission with help
from the Jordanian government. He came from the village of Yalu, which was
occupied by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War. All of the villagers were
expelled and the village was destroyed. When this happened, her brothers sought
refuge in Brazil and joined their father.
“I
was born in Tubarao, a city the State of Santa Catarina in Brazil, where I
lived throughout my childhood,” Hussein explained. “In my teenage years, I
moved to the state capital, Florianopolis, with my parents.”
She
studied dentistry at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, and also did her
master’s degree there. “Since 2000, I have worked in my private dental clinic.
I believe that a smile is our most important means of expression, and the worst
crime is to steal someone’s smile. We can be happy if we make other people
happy.”
It
is every Palestinian’s destiny to carry his or her homeland with them in the
diaspora. Fatima Hussein is no exception. “As a daughter of immigrants, I
learned that success in a place that is not yours is one of life’s greatest
challenges. I know exactly what it is to overcome all obstacles and to win when
life gave me only one option.”
There
has been a sizeable Palestinian community in Brazil since the end of the 19th
century, and the country has hosted Palestinian migrants after the successive
catastrophes that they have gone through in their homeland. It occupies a great
place in the hearts of all Palestinians. Today, they play an important role in
Brazilian society and help to build the country.
Palestinian
influence can be found in Brazilian culture and society, especially in
literature, street names and prominent politicians and businessmen. “Even as a
proud Brazilian,” insisted Hussein, “I will always defend Palestine, not only
because I am of Palestinian descent, but also because we should shine a light
on our Palestinian community and our presence here.”
Florianopolis
has a relatively small Palestinian community but not many people know much about
Palestine and the continuous suffering of its people. Fatima Hussein hopes to
be the voice of Palestinians there. “I want to be the first woman who will give
visibility to the Palestinian story, history, people and their cause. I’m not
just a candidate, but I am the one who represents resistance, struggle, courage
and strength.”
Not
surprisingly, her husband is also a Palestinian. Khaled is a doctor working on
the front line of the coronavirus pandemic in Brazil.
Fatima
Hussein is one of a growing number of Palestinians who are successful in their
chosen professions as well as in their local communities across Brazil, despite
the challenges and difficulties they face. Every generation of Palestinians
inherits the yearning for success where they will continue to seek a just peace
that will provide future generations in their homeland with similar
opportunities. That was always the certainty in their grandparents’ hearts, and
it remains the case in Fatima’s today.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201008-fatima-hussein-the-first-Muslim-woman-to-be-nominated-in-a-council-election-in-brazil/
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Princess
Nouf bint Mohammed, chair of the Civil Society 20
October
09, 2020
Princess
Nouf bint Mohammed is the chair of the Civil Society 20 (C20), one of the eight
independent engagement groups of the G20. According to the C20 website, the
group “provides a platform of Civil Society Organizations around the world to
bring forth a nongovernment and nonbusiness voice” and “provides a space
through which CSOs can contribute in a structured and sustained manner to the
G20.”
Recently,
the C20 virtual summit convened amid calls for world leaders to make bold
reforms and commit to health, education and social protection investments,
while taking ambitious steps toward climate action and biodiversity protection.
More than 4,000 civil society leaders, representing 109 countries, discussed
their concerns and demands ahead of the G20 Summit next month.
Princess
Nouf has been the CEO of the King Khalid Foundation (KKF) since 2019 and is the
chairperson of the Saudi ADHD Society and a member of the Al-Nahda Society for
Women. She is a committed philanthropist and a strong supporter of Saudi civil
society. She graduated from the University of Phoenix with a degree in business
management. She has represented the KKF and the Saudi ADHD Society in several
international civil society meetings. The Saudi ADHD Society is a nonprofit
organization that supports and provides services to people with attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Over
her 24 years with the KKF, Princess Nouf has played an essential role in
shaping the foundation’s finances, activities, and its strategic direction,
“focusing on creating equal opportunities and prosperity in Saudi Arabia as
well as the Foundation’s engagements and support for the nonprofit sector,”
according to the C20 site.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1746256/saudi-arabia
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Threats
by Friday Prayers Leaders To Iran’s Women Shows Mullahs’ Misogynous Nature
by
Sedighe Shahrokhi
6th
October 2020
In
a meeting with the head of the regime’s State Security Force (SSF) in Isfahan,
central Iran, on Friday, Yousef Tabatabai, Isfahan’s Friday prayers leader and
supreme leader Ali Khamenei’s representative, threatened women, paving the way
for further oppression.
“We
should make the society unsafe for the few (mal-veiling women) and not allow
them to break the norms on the streets and parks easily… The SSF should be
given more authority in dealing with those breaking the law and the norms. We
should not be afraid of any hostile action in dealing with the violators,” he
said.
These
remarks once again show the regime’s misogynous nature. Earlier in 2014,
Tabatabai’s statement against so-called “mal-veiled” women resulted in the
regime’s thugs attacking young Iranian women and splashing acid on their faces.
In
a similar development, Abolghasem Yaghoubi, the Friday prayers leader and
Khamenei’s representative in North Khorasan, northeast Iran, said: “Law
enforcement forces must make the lives of rioters who have evil intentions
unsafe… Mal-veiling or the refusal to wear a veil acts like a virus in society,
and we must confront those who do that… In addition to the engagement of the
SSF and the judiciary in combatting mal veiling, the people must also get involved
and enjoin good and forbid evil. We must also be sensitive to other viruses and
not just the Coronavirus.”
Regarding
these misogynous comments, which only pave the way for further harassment of
the Iranian women and girls, the Women’s Committee of the National Council of
Resistance of Iran (NCRI) highlighted that it “views the threats by Khamenei’s
criminal representatives that have aroused popular outrage” as “another pretext
to further repress Iranian women and girls.”
“It
urges the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Human
Rights Council as well as all women’s rights and human rights organizations to
condemn these repressive measures and to support the struggle of Iranian women
for freedom and equality.”
Misogyny:
An inseparable part of the mullahs’ regime
Since
the mullahs hijacked the 1979 revolution, they have always demonstrated their
misogynous nature in different ways. Month after coming to power, Ruhollah
Khomeini, then the regime’s supreme leader, made wearing a hijab mandatory.
Shortly after, the regime’s thugs attacked and brutalized many Iranian women
under the pretext of not being “properly veiled.” The mullahs’ regime has a
special force, called the “Guidance Patrol,” or “Morality police,” tasked with
arresting mostly women under the pretext of being “mal-veiled.”
The
regime’s so-called “moderate” president, Hassan Rouhani, in his autobiography,
has boasted about being the first person in the country that implemented the
mandatory hijab.
The
regime’s misogynous constitution has paved the way for so-called “honor”
killings. According to the regime’s constitution, if a father or grandfathers
kill his daughter or granddaughter, he will not be punished. The recent tragic
beheading of 14-year-old Romina Ashrafi by her father is a testament to the
regime’s misogynous nature.
Iranian
women’s response
Despite
the regime’s systematic crackdown on women, the Iranian women have been on the
front line of the struggle for freedom and equality. Many of the martyrs of the
Iranian Resistance and the recent two major Iran protests were brave Iranian
women. In fact, the Iranian opposition is being led by women, with Mrs. Maryam
Rajavi, the NCRI’s president-elect, as their symbol.
Regarding
women’s rights in the future of Iran, Mrs. Rajavi, has always advocated gender
equality. In her speech on December 02, 2019, Mrs. Rajavi described women as
“the force for change,” who “are going to defeat the mullahs’ reactionary
religious dictatorship.”
https://www.ncr-iran.org/en/news/women/threats-by-friday-prayers-leaders-to-irans-women-shows-mullahs-misogynous-nature/
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'UN
Working Relentlessly to Advance Women, Peace and Security Agenda'
October
9, 2020
NEW
YORK — Armed conflict has a disproportionate impact on women and girls — a key
reason why women’s “full, equal and meaningful participation” in United Nations
peacekeeping is such a priority, US Secretary-General António Guterres said on
Thursday.
At
a virtual roundtable discussion on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) in
peacekeeping, the UN chief drew attention to “landmark” Security Council
Resolution 1325, which he called “foundational” to international peace.
Noting
that October marks the 20th anniversary of the “ground-breaking” resolution, he
explained that “it underscored the link between gender inequality and
fragility, and between women’s security and international security”.
“Since
then, the United Nations has worked relentlessly to advance the women, peace
and security agenda”, upheld the top UN Official.
Although
women have driven public health messaging throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,
Guterres pointed out that they are “under siege”, bearing the bulk of the care
and economic burden in many societies, while also facing “an alarming surge of
violence in the home”.
And
in conflict situations, while women often broker peace in communities, they
continue to be sidelined at national and international levels.
Through
the course of 2018, women constituted only 13 percent of negotiators, three
percent of those involved in mediation, and just four percent of signatories,
the secretary-general said, while “women continue to have to fight for their
voices to be heard, despite the mountain of evidence on the correlation between
women’s participation and the sustainability of peace”.
Before
female leaders from the Central African Republic (CAR), Cyprus, Sudan, and Mali
addressed the meeting, Guterres shared his own experiences in each of the
countries, where he witnessed “the central role of women in alleviating
suffering and forging peace”.
“Darfuri
women have consistently advocated and worked for peace and security and in the
on-going national political transition”, he highlighted, calling women
signatories in recent Juba peace talks “a notable achievement”.
And
for the first time in the history of CAR, he noted that women participated in
the Khartoum peace talks, with one woman signing the peace agreement last year.
In
Mali, he continued, women are playing key political roles in the current
transition and women were on both sides of the peace table during negotiations
in Cyprus, from 2015 to 2017.
Yet,
political setbacks, underinvestment in women’s organizations, and the
entrenched mindsets and dominance of men, slows down women’s progress, the UN
chief detailed, spelling out: “This must change”.
“Gender
equality is a question of power”, he upheld. “We need a radical shift to
reframe and redistribute the way power is held and exercised”.
The
UN official made a rallying call to governments, the UN system, regional and
civil society organizations, among others, to “take bold actions” to fully
implement the WPS agenda.
We
all must "adopt feminist approaches to accelerate women’s full, equal and
meaningful participation”, he stressed, explaining that to build a peaceful and
equal future, women’s leadership must be transformed from a cause, into “a
norm”. — UN news
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/598927/World/America/UN-working-relentlessly-to-advance-women-peace-and-security-agenda
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Hull
joins Hall in confirming her place for next month’s Saudi Ladies International
golf week
October
6, 2020
JEDDAH
— English golfing sensation Charley Hull has on Tuesday confirmed her spot in
Saudi Arabia’s ‘women’s week of golf’ – joining Major-winning Solheim Cup
teammate Georgia Hall as one of the headline names competing in next month’s
“unprecedented” $1.5 million events.
The
24-year old will head to the Middle East seeking her second win in the region,
having come out on top in Abu Dhabi’s Fatima Bint Mubarak Open last year.
Hull
will have two chances to do so, with the Ladies European Tour event last week
announcing that Royal Greens Golf Club — in the coastal resort of King Abdullah
Economic City — will be hosting two landmark world-ranking tournaments in just
seven days: the $1million prize fund Aramco Saudi Ladies International
presented by Public Investment Fund (Nov. 12-15), and the Saudi Ladies Team
International, where professionals and amateurs will compete in teams (Nov.
17-19).
Both
tournaments will be held within a safe bio-secure environment and will see more
than 100 of the world’s best golfers descend on the Kingdom for the first ever
women’s professional golf event held in Saudi Arabia.
It
will also be only the second international professional women-only sports event
to take place within the Kingdom, and the all-new team format promised for the
Saudi Ladies Team International will be a Ladies European Tour first — a set-up
that could make for a 2019 Solheim Cup reunion for Hull and her European
counterpart Georgia Hall, who confirmed her place in the history-making event
earlier in the year, alongside Golf Saudi ambassadors Amy Boulden and Camilla
Lennarth.
Hull
said: “To play golf around the world was always my dream growing up and now I
have the opportunity to compete in another new country for the women’s game.
“The
course looks absolutely stunning so I can’t wait to get out there and compete
against some of the world’s top female golfers. It is great to be competing in
this inaugural tournament, which is unprecedented, as we play golf in Saudi
Arabia for the first time.”
Hall
added: “It’s been a long time coming, with March’s original event postponed due
to the pandemic but the prospect of getting out somewhere new and competing in
not just one but two tournaments in the space of a week is incredibly exciting
for the players – and shows incredible backing for the women’s game.
“The
golf course looks fantastic and I’m sure will bring out the best in us, so I’m
really looking forward to it.”
Both
women played pivotal roles in Europe’s thrilling 2019 Solheim Cup triumph over
Team USA at Gleneagles, earning seven points between them.
2014
LET Player of the Year and Order of Merit winner Hull carried that form into
the LPGA Tour’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship last November, where
a second-placed finish earned her almost $500,000.
She
has returned to post-lockdown golf in style, winning the Order of Merit in the
inaugural Rose Ladies Series in August, as well as competing in major events in
both the UK and US.
Best
known for winning the 2018 Women’s Open — the first English player to do so in
14 years — Georgia Hall’s career has already seen her top the Ladies European
Tour Order of Merit and be named Tour Player of the Year two years in
succession.
She
finished runner-up to Hull in the maiden Rose Ladies Series in August, before
going onto claim her second LPGA Tour victory at the Cambia Portland Classic
last month, where she held her nerve to defeat Ashleigh Buhai in a sudden-death
playoff.
The
events will be Saudi Arabia’s third and fourth professional golf tournaments in
less than two years, following the successful running of the Saudi
International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers in 2019 and 2020.
Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell won this year’s January event.
November’s
consecutive Saudi tournaments will offer the LET season’s biggest purse for a
regular tour event after only the Scottish Open.
Majed
Al Sorour, CEO Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation, said: “We’re delighted
to be able to host exciting new golf tournaments capable of attracting the
game’s biggest names — and Charley and Georgia are definitely two of those.
“With
both tournaments being broadcast live across the country, it will be a
watershed moment for young Saudis to watch these elite level golfers perform
within the Kingdom that we hope will inspire many to come and give golf a try.
“We
look forward to welcoming Charley, Georgia and all the other players we’ll have
competing in November to what we aim to make a world-class sporting occasion,
held within a safe bubble environment and overlooking the turquoise waters off
the Red Sea coast.” — SG
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/598832
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Women
Account For 54% of Diabetes Cases in Oman
October
04, 2020
Tawfiq
Nasrallah
Dubai:
Women with diabetes accounted for 54 .3 per cent of a total of 6,430 new diabetes
cases registered in 2019 in Oman, local media reported.
According
to the Ministry of Health, about 31 per cent of the cases registered are in the
age group between 45 and 49 years followed by those between 40 and 44 years.
The
total diabetes cases on at the national level stood at 105,317 in 2019.
“Oman
has witnessed an epidemiological transition to non-communicable diseases
possible because of a number of factors including changes in lifestyle together
with the demographic changes as is evident by aging of the population,” the
ministry said.
According
to the ministry’s report, cardiovascular diseases and cancer are the leading
causes of death, while hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, obesity and diabetes
mellitus are on the rise.
“Almost
75 per cent hypertensive patients and 52 per cent diabetics do not know that
they have these diseases and 64 per cent of those who have it do not control
it.”
“The
Ministry of Health has taken several steps to improve the health care provided
to such patients including both preventive and curative measures at all levels
of health care,” said the report.
https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/oman/women-account-for-54-of-diabetes-cases-in-oman-1.74330626
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Fatima
Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy Marks 10th Anniversary
October
09, 2020
Alaric
Gomes
Dubai:
The Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy (FBMA) has laid out a three-stage
process while vowing its commitment to further unlock the true potential and
creativity of Emirati women in the country.
Addressing
members on the completion of 10 years of FBMA, Sheikha Fatima Bint Hazaa Bin
Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of FBMA and Chairperson
of the Abu Dhabi and Al Ain Ladies Clubs, reiterated the commitment of FBMA in
bettering the sporting status of women in the UAE.
“The
completion of 10 years is a good time to skim through the accomplishments
achieved with the determination of our women in the UAE. There is no doubt that
they always seek to take advantage of the opportunities they’re given and
establish their prestigious sporting status standing on all regional,
continental and international podiums,” Sheikha Fatima Bint Hazaa said.
“On
this occasion of our tenth anniversary, we thank Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak
for her unlimited support of women and we assure that the academy will always
remain a platform for unlocking the true potential of Emirati women, revealing
their creativity and giving them the opportunity to prove themselves and move
forward towards a promising sporting future.”
Sheikha
Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), Supreme
Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF) and Chairwoman of the
Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood and also called the ‘Mother of the
Nation’, has always believed in the abilities of Emirati women while supporting
their exploits.
And
to mark the 10th anniversary of the FBMA on October 10, of one of the largest
women’s sports organisation in the Middle East, the academy launched several
initiatives spearheaded by the ‘FBMA 10 Million Step Challenge’. Held from
October 1 to 10, the FBMA 10 Million Step Challenge broke several records and
was a welcome addition to the long list of achievements at the FBMA.
Participants
and competitors exceeded the desired goal of the challenge by reaching almost
13 million steps by the third day itself. The challenge observed a vast
diversity in participation from all segments of community.
Sheikha
Fatima Bint Hazaa insisted that a new start has been ushered in a fresh look at
sports for women at FBMA based on the three continuing principles of a
foundation stage, followed by an empowerment stage and then a final goal
achieving stage.
“October
10, 2010 was the start of a new beginning in the sports field for Emirati women
after Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak’s decision to set up a dedicated academy for
women. Our focus is always to prepare girls and women from a sports perspective
to achieve the desired results contributing to the future prosperity of our
sport. The ultimate goal is to ensure the advancement of women in society,”
Sheikha Fatima Bint Hazaa said.
“The
first step was to encourage women to exercise and improve their performance, be
it on the individual or collective level. Once we had a large base of women
athletes, things got better as our athletes started bringing in laurels for the
UAE with their performances,” she added.
“Over
the past ten years we have worked tirelessly to provide the right environment
to our girls. Consequently, women’s sport has witnessed a paradigm shift that
has brought Emirati girls to international podiums. This task was carried
forward off the field while paying attention to sports research and education
through conferences and seminars on various topics,” Sheikha Fatima Bint Hazaa
insisted.
The
Empowerment Stage was a key pillar in the development of women’s sport with
Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak taking a personal interest in the direction and
sponsorship matters for women in sport.
The
first of sports competitions, that was held in early 2012 with the Fatima Bint
Mubarak International Show Jumping Cup, has grown each year.
While
a special eye was kept on emerging young talents, attention was also paid to
hosting the annual ‘International Conference of Sport for Women’ that has over
the years brought in some of the most famous sports personalities and
specialists to address UAE sportswomen.
Since
2012, the academy has been organising three running events each year either in
Abu Dhabi or Al Ain enabling women to easily participate along with family and
friends in a safe and secure atmosphere.
The
FBMA also organises an annual Summer Camp in which more than 250 girls between
the ages of five and 15 participate. The summer camp is a distinctive addition
to academy’s activities in which they have put constant efforts to encourage
girls to exercise from a young age.
“Such
initiatives play an important role in filling the leisure time of female
students while keeping them all occupied during summer vacations. The camp is
also a chance to discover talent from a very young age through various
activities like football, basketball, volleyball and even in the field of arts
and craft,” Sheikha Fatima Bint Hazaa said.
Over
a period of time, the FBMA today boasts of basketball and volleyball teams with
both sides hold regular trainings at the premises of the Abu Dhabi Ladies Club
with an eye to participate in accredited competitions and tournaments.
The
final stage of goal-achieving is based on the academy pushing forward various
initiatives and events to provide direct support in making sport an essential
element of daily life for Emirati women. At the same time, identified talent
receive all the attention and guidance needed to reinforce the strengths of
athletes.
After
contributing to women’s sports empowerment, the academy has now begun planning
a long-term strategy through which it is looking at working on an integrated
focus over the next four years.
Meanwhile,
the academy has released its new logo to mark the occasion of its 10th
anniversary. The logo reflects a new era of goals and a new chapter in their
history of achievements. Depicting a woman in full gold, the arrows represent
the series of events related with the academy along with the slogan ‘Moving
Forward’ representing the various initiatives that have been implemented over
the past decade.
https://gulfnews.com/sport/uae-sport/fatima-bint-mubarak-ladies-sports-academy-marks-10th-anniversary-1.74452765
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