New Documentary Highlights Saudi Women’s Success Stories
05
June 2022
•
New Documentary Highlights Saudi Women’s Success Stories
•
TN BJP Alleges Rs 77 Crore Loss In Govt Scheme For Pregnant Women
•
Ex-Nurse Christie Watson: ‘Women’s Health Has Always Been Undervalued’
•
Six From Assam, Meghalaya In NIA Chargesheet For Trafficking Of Rohingya, Bangladeshi
Women Into India
•
Four Bangladeshi Women Escape From Shelter Home At Surat Police Headquarters
•
ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier: United Arab Emirates Bundle Out Nepal
For Just 8 Runs
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/documentary-saudi-success/d/127177
--------
New
Documentary Highlights Saudi Women’s Success Stories
New
documentary highlights Saudi women’s success stories. (Supplied)
----
Tareq
Al-Thaqafi
June
04, 2022
MAKKAH:
A new documentary is highlighting the success stories of Saudi women, who talk
about their empowerment, opportunities, and ambitions under the leadership of
King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
In
it, they share the details of their journey to empowerment and express their
joy at the opportunities they now have. They discuss how they were able to
achieve their dreams and ambitions, and how their social life has changed after
being granted their rights.
The
documentary’s content producer Waad Arif said the women were carefully chosen
to represent different sections of society, and reflected how decisions to
empower women had changed the lives of many, even down to the simplest things
in their daily lives.
One
of the goals of the documentary is to present unconventional footage that makes
you live with the characters and feel their suffering, their sadness, their
joy, pride, happiness and, ultimately, be inspired.
Arif
told Arab News: “One of the goals of the documentary, produced under the
guidance of the Kunooz initiative by the Government Communication Center at the
Ministry of Media, is to present unconventional footage that makes you live
with the characters and feel their suffering, their sadness, their joy, pride,
happiness and, ultimately, be inspired. The heroines spoke with honesty, depth,
and transparency to explain the impact of the (Kingdom’s) vision on their lives
and how it contributed to enhancing the status of Saudi women.”
Dr.
Nada Al-Busaili, who is one of the women featured, said the documentary aimed
to highlight the tangible impact of Vision 2030, reforms, and empowerment on
the lives of women and their families by presenting the stories of women who
had faced different challenges in life and how these reforms had changed their
lives.
She
added that the women in the documentary were inspiring and that the viewer
would be surprised by the strength, patience, and ambition of Saudi women.
“One
woman was supporting her seven daughters and son alone. She was the sole
breadwinner despite all the challenges she faced, such as the lack of
transportation. Post-empowerment, she managed to open her own business. She was
really amazing,” she told Arab News. “Viewers will also be taken aback by the
ambition of a woman who lives in a rural, rugged area and has never been to the
city; they will be in awe of how she managed to turn her home into a tourist
destination that people come from everywhere to visit.”
“It
was a beautiful experience with a distinguished team. The documentary showcases
the achievements that have been made in the field of empowering women in my
country and how they had a great impact in facilitating their lives and their
entry into the labor market in various vital sectors. It highlights how women
became an active partner in the country’s development.”
She
said the documentary was particularly special because it selected women from
different Saudi regions. “I believe my contribution conveyed a message that I
have always wanted to deliver to women from where I live, from the heights of
the mountains at the farthest point on the borders of my dear country. I tell
every woman that nothing is impossible when you have will and determination. No
matter how great the challenges are, insistence on overcoming them will allow
you to do so.
“Today,
as the documentary shows, I am working on completing my own project in the
field of tourism, specifically rural tourism. Thank you from the bottom of my
heart to those who gave us the opportunity to deliver our message.”
Abdul
Rahman Hassan Sandokji, the documentary’s director, told Arab News: “We
presented a few examples of thousands of wonderful success stories of Saudi
women under the support of wise leadership. We wanted to provide a platform for
women to talk about the opportunities they now have. After working on this
documentary, I am now convinced that we are heading toward a wonderful and
promising future with the support of our wise government and the great efforts
made by Saudi women.
“No
matter how much we try to document the wonderful stories, we cannot do enough
to highlight the true image of Saudi women. No matter how much we search and
see stories of success, struggle, patience, striving, and diligence by Saudi
women, there will certainly be more stories to be told. Every day we marvel at
the great ambitions of Saudi women. Every day we are happier with women’s
contribution to the development of this dear country.
“If
we are to learn one thing from this documentary, it would be that Saudi women
do not have the word ‘impossible’ in their dictionaries. No matter how
difficult the circumstances are, they run on determination and their morale
remains strong. They will try again and again until they reach their goals. The
message behind the documentary is to show all Saudi women that we live under
the great empowerment of our wise leadership that strongly supports their
ambitions and freedom. We wanted to show women that opportunities are available
for them to take advantage of and seek to achieve everything they dream of.
“I
am happy to have contributed even a small part to shedding light on this
precious category and on this golden era through this documentary. The team was
wonderful, harmonious, and passionate. With the support of the Kunooz
initiative, headed by Dr. Abdullah Al-Maghlouth and Abdullah Al-Ahmari, we were
able to be part of this achievement.”
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2096586/saudi-arabia
-----
TN
BJP Alleges Rs 77 Crore Loss In Govt Scheme For Pregnant Women
Representative
Image/File
----
By
Press Trust Of India
5th
June, 2022
Chennai,
Jun 5 (PTI) The Tamil Nadu BJP unit on Sunday alleged a loss of Rs 77 crore to
the state exchequer in connection with provision of nutrition kits to pregnant
women by involving a private firm.
State
BJP president K Annamalai claimed the said firm provided a health mix and iron
supplement, given as part of the nutrition kit to the pregnant women, at higher
costs compared to state-run agencies.
Addressing
reporters here, Annamalai said while a technical committee concerned had
earlier decided to remove the health mix provided by the private firm and
replace it with that of state-run Aavin, as part of cost-cutting measures, the
decision was later "reversed at the behest" of certain individuals.
"This
caused the government a loss of Rs 45 crore," as the cost of the health
mix provided by the firm was higher than that of Aavin by about 60 per cent, he
alleged.
Further,
the iron supplement supplied by the private firm was costlier by about Rs 180
when compared to a state-run agency, and this resulted in a loss of Rs 32 crore
and the government had incurred a total loss of Rs 77 crore from these two
aspects, he claimed.
He
wanted the government to award the contract for providing the health mix to the
state-run milk cooperative Aavin.
Further,
Annamalai alleged favouritism in granting approvals to a particular city-based
construction firm.
Source:
Republic World
-----
Ex-nurse
Christie Watson: ‘Women’s health has always been undervalued’
5
Jun 2022
Christie
Watson, 46, is a writer and professor of medical and health humanities at UEA.
She won the Costa first novel award in 2011 for her first book, Tiny Sunbirds
Far Away. Her memoir about nursing, The Language of Kindness, was published in
2018 and Quilt on Fire: The Messy Magic of Midlife, her insightful and
outspoken exploration of middle age and the perimenopause, is out this week.
What
is your take on the current shortages of HRT medication in the UK? What does it
say about how our government regards women’s health?
Menopause
seems to be having quite a moment, doesn’t it? There are all these menopausal
warriors raising awareness – Davina McCall, Sam Baker and many others. Women’s
health has always been undervalued and underfunded by governments. And now
there’s a huge influx of women requesting HRT. It is unsustainable, unfair and
heartbreaking that they are not able to access treatment.
I’d
always assumed menopause was about hot flashes and rage but, for me, these were
not the most extreme symptoms. I had the terrifying feeling I’d lost my mind
completely. I didn’t know what was happening, I felt I was having a
catastrophic breakdown. Not only could I not remember details, I couldn’t
remember who I was. It felt like I’d left my body and skin and gone somewhere
else. I absolutely did not believe for a second that this could be anything to
do with hormones. But as soon as I started HRT, I felt so much better. It
worked within 24 hours – I was amazed.
Misogyny.
And there is also a pandemic of ageism in the UK – we do not value the wisdom
of older people enough. There are cultures in west Africa where older women are
revered as they should be and seen as having superpowers – which I love. The
idea is that once you’re over the hump of the perimenopause, where I am now,
you gain your superpowers. If that’s my future, I’m really happy about it.
Even
as a healthcare professional, I didn’t know about perimenopause. A couple of
doctors read proofs of my book – consultants in their 40s – amazing,
professional women. One of them said to me: “I didn’t realise it but I think
I’m going through perimenopause and I’ve made an appointment with my GP.” There
is such a high suicide rate, divorce rate and depression rate in menopause that
we need to focus on the rocky road leading up to it as well.
We’re
living in a culture of perfectionism. We feel we must have the perfect house,
the perfect relationship, the perfect friendships… and that we can do it all by
drinking green juice. Maybe because the world is in such a horrific state – in
terms of Ukraine and climate change and the existential threats we’re facing –
there’s a tendency to focus on minutiae. At the start of the pandemic, I got
sucked into Twitter and was doom-scrolling continuously and watching the news
all the time. It was so detrimental. It made me extremely anxious. I’ve stopped
watching the news now, I’m almost off Twitter and am pulling back from all of
it.
After
your marriage ended, you embarked on online dating with entertainingly dodgy
encounters, including one with a bloke who carried his pet tarantula
everywhere. What are the best and worst things about online dating as opposed
to the old-fashioned way (which eventually served you well, I was glad to
learn)?
I
don’t think there are any “bests” for me – that’s the honest truth - just
“worsts” and more “worsts”. The guy with the tarantula was really quite nice,
one of the better ones. But on the whole, I found online dating horrific,
partly because everything felt fake and I had no idea what I wanted or needed.
The
intensity of our working relationships. The friendship that was almost family
that we formed very quickly because it was such an extreme experience. We had
complete trust in one another. I didn’t go back to nursing through altruism or
duty or because it was a calling, it was about wanting to be with my teammates.
It
gave me a huge dollop of much-needed perspective: my out-of-proportion worries
seemed smaller than they had before. It gave me gratitude.
You
had a rough ride in the pandemic when your daughter became critically ill with
sepsis and nearly died. How did that parental fear affect you?
That
fear contains all the darkness of the universe. Having been an intensive care
children’s nurse, I had never before been able to empathise with the parents of
those children as I can now – it’s a feeling I’d not wish on anyone in the
world. It makes me feel sick just thinking about it. I don’t think my daughter
and I have properly unpicked it yet. It’s going to take years, psychologically,
to get over the trauma.
Really
important but it’s still quite a difficult conversation to have; it’s something
new, not something they’re taught in schools but it affects children because it
affects their mums and grandmas.
For
some women, the menopause is no more than passing turbulence on a long-distance
flight. For others it is a major challenge. What is most positive about this
transition?
It’s
painful to change but once you’ve gone through it, you come out a better –
truer – version of yourself. The midlife journey is a necessary falling apart
to put yourself back together: you’re shaken awake to the precious and
precarious nature of this one life you have. And my goodness that makes you
appreciative. The perimenopause is a becoming, a walking towards wisdom and
what could be more joyful than that?
Source:
The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jun/05/ex-nurse-christie-watson-quilt-on-fire-interview
-----
Six
from Assam, Meghalaya in NIA chargesheets for trafficking of Rohingya,
Bangladeshi women into India
Sumir
Karmakar
JUN
05 2022
Six
persons from Assam and Meghalaya have been named in the National Investigation
Agency's (NIA) charge sheet for their involvement in the alleged trafficking of
Rohingya and Bangladeshi women into India with fake documents.
"Investigation
has revealed that the accused persons were involved in organised human
trafficking of Rohingyas/Bangladeshi minor girls, women in association with
other conspirators based in different parts of the India and Bangladesh. The
accused per...
Five
of the accused—Kumkum Ahmed Choudhury, Ahiya Ahmed Choudhury, Bapan Ahmed
Choudhury, Sahalam Laskar, Jamaluddin Choudhury—hail from Cachar district in
South Assam. The sixth person—Wanbiang Suting—is from East Jaintia Hills in
Meghalaya.
The
six were arrested in March this year. The NIA said 'prime accused' Kumkum Ahmed
Choudhury was operating the human trafficking network from Bengaluru.
Both
Assam and Meghalaya share borders with Bangladesh, where thousands of Rohingya
refugees are taking shelter since the ethnic clash in neighbouring Myanmar.
The
NIA took over the case in December last year after several Rohingya refugees
were arrested in Assam for travelling without valid documents. The agency is
investigating the alleged trafficking of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis into India
in exploitati...
Source:
Deccan Herald
-----
Four
Bangladeshi women escape from shelter home at Surat police headquarters
By:
Express News Service
June
5, 2022
Four
Bangladeshi women lodged in a shelter home at police headquarters in Surat
district escaped on Friday evening, police said. A complaint in this connection
has been registered with Kamrej police station.
Sources
said that the four women, Diya Hasarat Biswas (20), Sumaiya, alias Rupali,
Shaikh (21), Lubnibegum Mulla (22), Hasina Mulla (20), were caught by Surat
police from a house in Kholwad village in Kamrej taluka, on August 14, 2021.
When police asked for their documents, they failed to produce them and were
sent to a shelter home at the Police headquarter in Kamrej. On Friday evening,
the women escaped from the police headquarters. The incident came to light
after some time.
SOG
Police inspector M M Gilator said, “All the four women were staying in Kolwad
in the Surat district and Surat city for five years, before being caught by
police. They had confessed to the police they had come to Gujarat to earn money
as their financial condition in their native place in Bangladesh is poor. They
were working in different jobs and were earning money. Earlier they were
staying in Surat city but due to the regular raids by police, they were feared
of getting arrested, so they shifted their residence to Kholwad.” He said, “We
have sent their photographs to the police stations in neighbouring districts
and in Surat city.We have started procedures to deport them.”
Source:
Indian Express
-----
ICC
U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier: United Arab Emirates Bundle Out Nepal For
Just 8 Runs
05
JUN 2022
Rookie
teenagers from Nepal got a taste of a slightly elite level of cricket as they
were bowled out for an astonishing total of eight runs against the United Arab
Emirates in an ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup qualifier match on Saturday.
(More Cricket News)
The
U-19 Women's T20 World Cup qualifier, a first of its kind, is featuring Nepal,
UAE, Thailand, Bhutan and Qatar. The winner of this five-country competition
will qualify for the inaugural main event in South Africa in early 2023.
While
the Nepalese girls had dismissed Qatar for a paltry 38 in an earlier game to
clinch it by 79 runs, they were in for a rude jolt on Saturday. The match
didn't even last for an hour with a total of 9.2 overs needed for its
completion.
No
cricketer from either side had the scope of even reaching double-digit scores
with UAE's Theertha Sathish's four not out being the highest.
When
Nepal batted, six of their batters failed to even trouble the scorers with
Sneha Mahara's three runs off 10 balls being the highest contribution. Maneesha
Rana scored two and three other batters contributed a solitary run each.
Off-spinner
Mahika Gaur, who opened the bowling for UAE, had incredible figures of 4-2-2-5
and her new ball partner Indhuja Nandkumar was equally effective as she took
three wickets for six runs in her quota of four overs.
While
the Nepal innings lasted for only 8.1 overs, UAE knocked off the required runs
in seven balls. With the ICC focussing on promotion of women's game at the
junior level, most of the associate member countries are trying to start their
junior programme for women.
To
be fair, Nepal doesn't have too many quality turf pitches even for quality
men's cricket and hence these girls deserve a lot of credit as they had already
won a match in the competition and are at least expected to steamroll both
Bhutan and Thailand.
However,
there is no denying that UAE, a team filled mostly with girls from the strong
South Asian expatriate community, are favourites by a distance to book the
flight to South Africa.
Source:
Outlook India
-----
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/documentary-saudi-success/d/127177