Naila Shamal From Pakistan Asked For Books worth Rs 100,000 as Haq Mehr
New
Age Islam News Bureau
20
March 2021
•
Libyan Women Reach High Office But Activists Say Long Road Ahead
•
Meet Mogadishu’s First Female Rickshaw Taxi Driver
•
Saudi Arabia Prohibits Men from Marrying Women from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Chad
and Myanmar: Report
•
Turkey Withdraws From European Treaty Protecting Women from Violence
•
Afghan Peace Summit Includes Just One Female Delegate
•
International Cooperation Minister among 9 Egyptian Women to Receive Champions Of
Change Award
•
Tunisia: Women's Access to Justice - Parity Based On Gender Approach in
Judicial Sector
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/naila-shamal-pakistan-asked-books/d/124592
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Naila
Shamal From Pakistan Asked For Books worth Rs 100,000 as Haq Mehr
Naila Shamal/Photo: Screengrab
-----
DNA
Web Team
Mar
18, 2021
In
a break from tradition, a newly-wed Pakistani bride is winning praises online
for her unique demand as Haq Mehr, which is a wedding gift a husband gives to
his wife on their marriage. Naila Shamal from Pakistan’s Mardan city asked for
books worth Rs 100,000 instead of money and jewellery as Haq Mehr.
In
a viral video, she is delivering a strong message to eliminate wrong customs
from the society. She is seen sitting and speaking near a bookshelf.
Naila,
who is a writer, is dressed in a bridal outfit and says, “As you all know, I
have demanded books worth Rs100, 000 for Haq Mehr.” “One reason for this is
that due to rising inflation in our country, we cannot afford expensive gifts.
On the other hand, it is also important to eliminate wrong customs from our
society.”
https://www.dnaindia.com/viral/report-pakistani-bride-demands-books-worth-rs-1-lakh-as-haq-mehr-from-husband-video-goes-viral-2881887
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Libyan
Women Reach High Office But Activists Say Long Road Ahead
Foreign Minister in Libya's transitional
Government of National Unity (GNU) Najla al-Mangoush poses for a picture in the
capital Tripoli, on March 17, 2021. (AFP)
-----
March
20, 2021
TRIPOLI:
Libya’s new government includes five women, with two in key portfolios — a
first for the country nonetheless criticized by activists as insufficient and
as not living up to a UN commitment.
The
country descended into conflict after Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi was toppled
and killed in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011, with an array of forces battling
to fill the void.
The
transitional Government of National Unity (GNU), which took office this week,
faces daunting challenges, including unifying the country’s institutions,
ending a decade of fighting marked by international interference and preparing
for December elections.
The
Cabinet comprises 26 ministers and six ministers of state, with women assigned
to five posts, including the key foreign affairs and justice portfolios.
The
US ambassador to Libya, Richard Norland, has called it a “historic time for
Libyan women,” while UN Women hailed the appointments as “a major step for
advancing women’s rights.”
Some
Libyans on social media have welcomed the announcements as “a big step,” a
“leap for society” and a “promising start.”
But
activists are less enthusiastic, arguing that the new executive had the
opportunity to do more.
In
a statement to the UN Human Rights Council this week, Britain urged the GNU to
“work toward the full, equal and meaningful participation of women, including
in conflict resolution and decision-making.”
“Women
remain under-represented in all governance institutions and processes in
Libya,” it warned.
The
five women in Cabinet hail from across the country.
Activist
and lawyer Najla Al-Mangoush, from the main eastern city of Benghazi, is the
country’s first female foreign minister.
Mangoush
rose to prominence in 2011 as part of the National Transitional Council, the
political arm of the rebellion that brought an end to Qaddafi’s 42-year rule.
She
will be working alongside jurist Halima Ibrahim Abderrahmane, from the western
town of Gharyan, who takes the justice portfolio, and Mabrouka Touki, an
academic from the southern Fezzan region, who has a degree in nuclear physics
and will head the culture ministry.
Wafaa
Al-Kilani is in charge of social affairs and Houria Al-Tormal the women’s
ministry.
Interim
Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, sworn in on Monday, was selected last month
alongside a three-member presidency council as part of a UN-sponsored process
launched in November.
Activists
point to his pledge when a candidate in the UN process to allocate 30 percent
of ministerial positions to women.
Under
the current lineup, women account for just half that amount.
“We
are proud to see Libyan women named to key posts, but also unhappy that the
prime minister failed to keep his commitment,” said Ghalia Sassi, president of
the women’s association Maaha (With Her).
She
vowed activists would keep up pressure on the government to adjust its course,
but said there was “a long road ahead.”
Activist
Laila Ben Khalifa, who began the push for the 30 percent quota, echoed her
disappointment over the shortfall.
She
alleged that ministries had been distributed according to “region rather than
competence.”
Although
Libyan women played a key role during the 2011 uprising, they have had a
limited presence in previous transitional bodies and in the current parliament.
The
GNU’s predecessor, the Government of National Accord, headquartered in western
Libya and established in 2016, had just two women from some 30 portfolios.
A
parallel eastern administration, not recognized by the international community,
had just one.
And
while a decade of insecurity and conflict has had a profound impact on daily
life in Libya, a worrying development has been violence against rights
activists, including women.
In
November, unidentified armed men gunned down lawyer and women’s activist Hanan
Al-Barassi in broad daylight in Benghazi.
Human
Rights Watch urged authorities to investigate the “apparent politically
motivated killing,” while the UN mission to Libya said Barassi’s death showed
“the threats faced by Libyan women as they dare to speak out.”
Her
killing came after the disappearance of lawmaker Siham Sergewa, who was taken
from her home in Benghazi in July 2019.
Her
abduction came shortly after the airing of a television broadcast in which she
criticized eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar’s offensive on Tripoli, launched
months earlier. Sergewa’s whereabouts are still unknown. At the UN Rights Council
this week, Britain also expressed concern over violence against women in Libya.
“Libyan authorities must address the silencing of women journalists and
activists, and tackle sexual and gender-based violence,” it said.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1828506/middle-east
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Meet
Mogadishu’s First Female Rickshaw Taxi Driver
Saynab
has been driving tricycles on the streets of Mogadishu for 11 months [Nuur
Mohamed/Al Jazeera]
------
By
Nuur Mohamed and Hamza Mohamed
7
Mar 2021
Saynab
Abdikarin turns heads everywhere she goes in Mogadishu. The 28-year-old is the
first woman to drive a rickshaw taxi in the streets of Somalia’s conservative
capital, where the tricycles commonly known as “bajaaj” have long been operated
just by men.
“I
believe that whatever job men can do, women can do, too,” says Saynab.
A
mother of five, Saynab took on the job out of necessity 10 months ago after her
husband left her and their children.
“I
don’t have anyone to support me,” she says. “If one of my children is not
feeling well, I have no one to help me. I work to support my children.”
But
driving a rickshaw in Mogadishu “has a lot of challenges”, Saynab acknowledges.
Besides the occasional social disapproval – “some of the men support you, but
others say women should be at home and not working”, she says – Saynab is also
exposed to the many dangers associated with the job.
In
April 2019, three people died when security forces opened fire during a protest
that saw hundreds of drivers take to the streets of the city over the killing
of a rickshaw operator by a security officer.
Rickshaw
drivers have also been caught up in attacks by the al-Shabab armed group, whose
fighters frequently target security checkpoints in Mogadishu.
On
February 13, at least seven tricycle drivers were wounded at a checkpoint
during a suicide bombing.
In
response to attacks or as a preventive measure, the government has shut down
several roads in Mogadishu – a move that is hurting Saynab and her colleagues
financially.
“When
roads are closed, it is a problem,” Saynab says, calling on authorities to
reverse the policy.
Meanwhile,
the city’s female residents, who for long wished there were female rickshaw
drivers they could call on, have welcomed Saynab.
“I
choose her because she is a woman; I choose her because I want to encourage
her,” says Safiya Ali, who has been taking Saynab’s tricycle to work and back
for the past six months.
A
shop owner in Mogadishu’s Hodan district, Safiya says she has never been
happier in a taxi.
“I
would like other women to also take her taxi and encourage her even more,” she
told Al Jazeera.
But
Safiya says she worries “a lot” for Saynab’s safety, especially when she works
after sunset.
“Mogadishu’s
security can be bad,” she says.
Welcomed
by other drivers
Insecurity
is a major concern for all rickshaw drivers in Mogadishu, and like her male
colleagues, Saynab says there are certain neighbourhoods she avoids going to,
particularly at night.
“You
can get robbed or get killed,” she says, listing Kaaraan, Shiirkoole and
Dayniile as some of the areas she will not drive to. “I prefer to work in the
downtown area.”
Police
officers often give rickshaw drivers a hard time at the many checkpoints
dotting the seaside city, but Saynab says being a woman has worked to her
advantage when it comes to dealing with security officers.
“Because
I’m a woman, most soldiers do not stop me. They don’t bother me. They
understand I’m a mother working to support my family. They treat me with
respect,” she says with a smile.
Male
drivers have also welcomed her and say they are happy a woman has finally
joined their industry.
“It
is really good seeing a lady working as a rickshaw driver,” says Noor Aden
Isse, a colleague of Saynab, urging more women to follow her example.
“I
would like to tell all girls to work and not depend on anyone,” he told Al
Jazeera. “I also want to tell all the young men that there is work, that they
can find work like Saynab.”
Somalia
has one of the youngest populations in Africa, with more than 70 percent under
the age of 30. But three out of four young Somalis are without formal
employment, according to the World Bank, as conflict and insecurity drag on.
More
than 60 percent of the country’s youth plan to leave to look for better
livelihood opportunities abroad, according to the United Nations.
But
Saynab says young people should not abandon Somalia.
“There
are jobs in our country if someone wants to work,” she says. “I want to tell
the ladies, especially those divorced, you can drive a rickshaw and provide for
your family. It is better than to ask for a handout from someone else.”
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2021/3/7/saynab-abdikarin-mogadishus-first-female-rickshaw-taxi-driver
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Saudi
Arabia Prohibits Men from Marrying Women from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Chad and
Myanmar: Report
20
Mar 2021
RIYADH
(SAUDI ARABIA) : Saudi Arabia has prohibited its men from marrying women from
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Chad and Myanmar, Dawn reported citing a report in Saudi
media.
According
to unofficial figures, there are about 500,000 women from these four countries
currently residing in the kingdom.
Saudi
men wishing to marry foreigners now face tougher regulations, says a report in
Makkah daily quoting Makkah Police Director Major General Assaf Al-Qurashi.
The
move is aimed at discouraging Saudi men from marrying foreigners and additional
formalities have been placed before issuing permission for marriage with
foreigners, the Dawn reported.
Those
wanting to marry foreign women should first obtain the consent of the
government and submit marriage applications through official channels, Qurashi
was quoted as saying.
Qurashi
said divorced men would not be allowed to apply within six months of their
divorce.
The
official said applicants should be over 25 and attach identification documents
signed by the local district mayor as well as all other identity papers,
including a copy of his family card.
"If
the applicant is already married, he should attach a report from a hospital
proving that his wife is either disabled, suffering from a chronic disease or
is sterile," he said.
https://www.livemint.com/news/world/saudi-arabia-prohibits-men-from-marrying-women-from-pakistan-3-other-nations-11616211574411.html
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Turkey
withdraws from European treaty protecting women from violence
20
March ,2021
Turkey
has withdrawn from a landmark European treaty protecting women from violence
that it was the first to sign 10 years ago and that bears the name of its
largest city.
President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decree early Saturday annulling Turkey’s ratification of
the Istanbul Convention is a blow to women’s rights advocates, who say the
agreement is crucial to combating domestic violence.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Violence
against and killing of women is on the rise in Turkey, according to rights
groups.
A
total of 77 women have been killed since the start of the year, according to
the We Will Stop Femicide Platform. At least 409 women were killed in 2020,
according to the group.
Some
officials from Erdogan’s Islam-oriented party have advocated a review of the
agreement, claiming it encourages divorce and promotes LGBT culture which they
say are contrary to the country’s conservative values.
Turkey
was the first country to sign the Council of Europe’s “Convention on preventing
and combating violence against women and domestic violence” at a committee of
ministers meeting in Istanbul in 2011. The law came into force in 2014.
The
Istanbul Convention states that men and women have equal rights and obliges
state authorities to take steps to prevent violence against women, protect
victims and prosecute perpetrators.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/20/Turkey-withdraws-from-European-treaty-protecting-women-from-violence
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Afghan
peace summit includes just one female delegate
18
Mar 2021
A
three-day conference aimed at breathing life into Afghanistan’s stalled peace
process has been launched in Moscow, but Afghan human rights activists have
raised the alarm that the delegates included just one woman.
Habiba
Sarabi, an activist and politician, was the only female delegate on the
12-member team representing the Afghan government and political leaders at
Thursday’s summit in Moscow. The 10-member delegation sent by the Islamist
Taliban had none.
Sarabi
addressed a vast table of male counterparts at a Moscow hotel, calling for a
ceasefire. “Why should [I] be the only woman in the room? We have not been part
of the war, we can certainly contribute to peace,” she said, according to a
tweet from a fellow negotiator that she shared. “51% of people should not be
ignored.”
With
just six weeks left before a deadline for foreign troops to withdraw from
Afghanistan, Shaharazad Akbar, who leads Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights
Commission, said it was unacceptable that only one woman attended the meeting.
It was also a worrying sign for the future: “It’s setting the tone for things
to come in terms of inclusivity,” she said.
The
Moscow summit was the start of a series of international meetings reflecting a
shift in focus by Washington, as the 1 May deadline for the withdrawal of US
and other foreign troops looms, and negotiations between the government and
Taliban in Doha have been stalled.
Diplomats
said Washington wants support from regional powers to push Afghans to form a
power-sharing government. At the talks in Moscow, the United States was joined
by Russia, China and Pakistan in calling for an Afghan ceasefire.
Women’s
rights activists fear that the shift will further dilute the role of the few
women involved in the peace process, in favour of traditional male political
figures.
In
many cases, the regional powers owe their influence in Afghanistan to ties with
warlords who held sway throughout four decades of conflict, all of them men.
“A
number of our colleagues in the international community are going to ... the
same leaders, who ruled Afghanistan 20 years ago,” said Fauzia Koofi, one of
just four female negotiators among the 42 representing the Afghan sides in
Doha.
A
spokesperson for the US state department said Washington wished there had been
more than one woman in the Moscow delegation. The United States would advocate
for “meaningful participation” by women in upcoming gatherings.
A
spokesman for Afghanistan’s presidential palace did not immediately respond to
request for comment.
During
the Taliban’s 1996-2001 rule, women were required to fully cover their bodies
and faces in a burqa, and were barred from education or work – or from leaving
the house without a male relative. The Taliban say they have changed but many
women remain sceptical.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/18/afghan-activists-warn-over-absence-of-women-in-peace-process
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International
Cooperation Minister among 9 Egyptian women to receive Champions of Change
Award
Mar
20, 2021
Egypt’s
Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat is among nine Egyptian
women to receive the Champions of Change Award.
The
awarding ceremony was held on Thursday morning, at the residence of the Mexican
Ambassador in Cairo, Jose Octavio Tripp.
The
Ambassador handed out the awards together with Canada’s Ambassador to Egypt
Louis Dumas, and the Chargé d’Affaires of Sweden, Per-Axel Frielingsdorf. The
awards were handed out as a part of the celebrations for Egyptian Women’s Day
by the respective embassies.
The
ceremony witnessed the honouring of Minister Al-Mashat, along with eight other
women who have all contributed to making Egypt a more gender equal society.
Among
the awardees were: Mona Korashi, a pioneer in the field of women’s rights in
Egypt and a member of the International Women’s Alliance; Heba Rashid, founder
and CEO of the Mersal Charity Foundation, which had a prominent role in
supporting the medical sector in facing the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic; and Souad El-Sayed Abdel-Rahim, Head of Nursing at Al-Qoutrien
Hospital in Aswan.
Other
awardees are: Nadine Ashraf, founder of the “Assault Police Egypt” Instagram
page, an unprecedented online platform that aims to raise the awareness of
survivors of sexual harassment about their rights guaranteed by the law; Mirna
Abdel Azim, an official at the International Organization for Migration (IOM),
where she works to provide protection for migrants and refugees; Rawan Bassem,
Managing Director of Enpact Egypt, who leads the empowering entrepreneurship
initiative into closing the gender-gap every day; Eman Rasmy, a successful
model for women in the field of innovation and information technology in Upper
Egypt; and May ZeinElDein, Founder & President of Alhassan Foundation
“Women’s
participation is micro critical, and we know that if there is gender parity,
Egypt’s GDP goes up by 34%, so with our international partners we are working
hard to achieve these goals,” said Minister Al-Mashat, “I take this opportunity
congratulate the other women who have received this very distinguished awards.
This will be more appetite to do more for the beautiful ladies and men in
Egypt.”
The
Champions of Change awards were established to recognise the contributions of
Egyptian gender equality pioneers and their efforts in building a stronger
country. Gender equality is a priority for Sweden, Canada and Mexico, three
countries that all have feminist foreign policies. The award ceremony takes place in conjunction
with the celebration of International and Egyptian Women’s Day.
Sweden
was the first country in the world to adopt a Feminist Foreign Policy and
Sweden works in Egypt and the Arab region more broadly to promote women’s
economic empowerment through a number of initiatives.
The
Swedish Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) funds a programme focusing on the
social, economic and legal empowerment of Egyptian women, in partnership with
the Egyptian Government, UN agencies, and civil society actors.
“It
is crucial to include a gender perspective in the COVID-19 response,” said
Frielingsdorf, “With our feminist foreign policies, we seek ways to mitigate
the consequences of the pandemic and improve the situation for women and girls,
also in the long term, as we build back better so that women and girls will
have the rights, the representation and the resources that are theirs.”
Mexico
was the first country in Latin America to adopt a feminist foreign policy,
joining countries from around the world, including Canada and Sweden, that put
women and girl’s rights as a top foreign policy objective.
Ambassador
Tripp said, “We support efforts to eliminate structural differences, gaps, and
gender inequalities in order to build fair and prosperous societies. Women are
at the core of the fight against the COVID-19 crisis: they are leading the
health crisis response, where women make up almost 70% of the health care
workforce.”
Ambassador
Dumas said, “Our feminist foreign policies are directed towards measures that
build a more peaceful, inclusive and prosperous world. None of these goals can
be achieved without empowering women and girls. The emerging coronavirus
pandemic makes this priority more important than ever.”
https://dailynewsegypt.com/2021/03/19/international-cooperation-minister-among-9-egyptian-women-to-receive-champions-of-change-award/
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Tunisia:
Women's Access to Justice - Parity Based On Gender Approach in Judicial Sector
18
MARCH 2021
Tunis/Tunisia
— Minister of Women, Family and the Elderly Imene Zahouani Houimel
participated, on Thursday, on the sidelines of the 65th session of the United
Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York, in a VTC event on the
theme "Women's Access to Justice: Gender-Based Parity in the Judiciary
Sector".
"Women's
equitable access to justice and the challenges of achieving gender equality
based on the gender approach" were the main themes discussed during this
meeting, organised at the initiative of the International Development Law
Organisation (IDLO), the Associations of Women Judges, the American Lawyers
Union and the African Women's Organisation.
Recommendations
will be made to obtain as much data and information as possible to consolidate
the 16th point in the sustainable development goals relating to peace and
justice.
The
Minister for Women stressed that women are not properly represented in
decision-making positions in Tunisia, despite their presence in the judicial
sector as magistrates.
"The
council of peers for equal opportunities was created to integrate the gender
approach in planning and programmes and to fight against all forms of
discrimination against women, she added.
Tunisia
is participating by VTC in the 65th session of the United Nations Commission on
the Status of Women held from March 15 to 26 in New York.
https://allafrica.com/stories/202103190457.html
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/naila-shamal-pakistan-asked-books/d/124592
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