Saudi Arabia Wins Gold in GCC Women’s Championship
New Age Islam News Bureau
22
Oct 2019
Saudi women are making waves at the GCC Women’s Championship in Kuwait. (Photo/Supplied)
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• Female Islamic State Member on Trial in Germany Kept Three Slaves
• Registration Opens for 6th Sharjah Women's Sports Cup
• Healthy living: A small town civic body shapes up ‘women’s gym’
• Gender Parity and Women Economic Empowerment On The Rise In Middle East
• 11 Women among 700 Saudi Air Traffic Controllers: GACA
• Turkey Under Pressure To Tackle Sharp Rise In Murders Of Women
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/saudi-arabia-wins-gold-gcc/d/120060
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Saudi Arabia Wins Gold in GCC Women’s Championship
October 21, 2019
KUWAIT: Saudi fencer Hasnaa Hammad on Monday earned her country its first medal on the second day of the GCC Women’s Championship in Kuwait.
She won the gold medal by beating Emirati Shahed Khurram 15 points to 6. Princess Nouf bint Khalid, head of the Saudi delegation, said what Hammad has achieved is evidence that Saudi sportswomen are capable of achieving victory and winning medals.
Meanwhile, the Saudi bowling team started competing, with Hadeel Termin topping the rankings of Saudi players in singles competition, and earning ninth position among 20 players from five countries.
Her teammates Mashael Alabdel Wahed ranked 13th, Ghada Nimr 17th and Amani Al-Ghamdi 18th.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1572381/sport
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Female Islamic State Member on Trial in Germany Kept Three Slaves
CHRIS TOMLINSON
20 Oct 2019
A female Islamic State member on trial in Germany is accused of keeping two women and a young girl as slaves while living with her jihadi husband in Syria.
Sarah O., who travelled to Syria to join the radical Islamist movement when she was 15, is now on trial at the Higher Regional Court in Dusseldorf, charged with being a member of a terrorist group, German tabloid Bild reports.
Now 21 years old, the Islamic State member faces up to 15 years in prison if found guilty. She is said to have lived in a house with her husband and three children which they had obtained after Islamic State fighters had killed its former occupants.
The young girl kept as a slave was a member of the Yazidi minority, who are often kept as sex slaves to be raped and tortured by Islamic State fighters.
Breitbart London
@BreitbartLondon
Jihadist Notre Dame Terror Plotters Get up to 30 Years in Prison https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/10/16/jihadist-notre-dame-terror-plotters-get-up-to-30-years-in-prison/ …
Notre Dame Terror Plotters Sentenced To Up To 30 Years
Two radical Islamic terrorist women who plotted to attack the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris by blowing up a car filled with explosives have been given 25 and 30-year sentences.
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While the trial was closed to the media due to the charges having occurred when Sarah O. was a minor, Gian Aldonani from the Central Council of the Yazidis was present in the chamber.
Speaking about the Yazidis, Aldonani said: “They have been tormented, tortured, humiliated, raped. ISIS women were often crueller than men. Jealousy plays a role here.”
Ahmet S., 51, and 48-year-old Perihan S., the inlaws of Sarah O., have also been brought up on charges. A total of 33 witnesses have been called in the case which is expected to last until December.
Sarah O. is also said to have divorced her jihadist husband.
Breitbart London
@BreitbartLondon
Report: ‘British’ ISIS Bride Was Cruel Sharia Enforcer, Not ‘Housewife’ https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/04/14/report-british-isis-bride-cruel-sharia-enforcer-not-housewife/ …
Report: 'British' ISIS Bride Was Cruel Sharia Enforcer, Not 'Housewife'
Islamic State bride Shamima Begum was not the mere "housewife" she claims, but a cruel enforcer of sharia law, according to reports.
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The start of the trial comes just days after three female Islamic State sympathisers in France were convicted of plotting to blow up the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris in 2016. The two main suspects were sentenced to 25 and 30 years in prison.
Returning female Islamic State members like Sarah O., have been a contentious subject in various European countries.
Some, like Denmark, have stripped the citizenship of Islamic States fighters. Others, like Sweden, have refused to take such measures despite calls from experts not to allow jihadist women back into the country.
Breitbart London
@BreitbartLondon
ISIS Bride Vows Son 'Will Grow Up to Be a Jihadist' as Crumbling Caliphate Evacuated https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/02/23/isis-bride-vows-son-will-grow-up-to-be-a-jihadist-as-crumbling-caliphate-evacuated/ …
ISIS Bride Vows Son 'Will Grow Up to Be a Jihadist' as Caliphate Evacuated
(AFP) -- "My son will grow up to become a jihadist," a woman cried proudly as she stepped off a bus ferrying people out of the Islamic State group's last sliver of territory in eastern Syria.
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https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/10/20/female-islamic-state-member-on-trial-in-germany-kept-three-slaves/
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Registration Opens for 6th Sharjah Women's Sports Cup
October 21, 2019
The sporting event will bring together female employees from Sharjah's government and private sector entities to compete in three games - beach volleyball, 3x3 beach basketball and table tennis.
Sharjah Women's Sports, SWS, has opened registration for the sixth edition of the Sharjah Women's Sports Cup, SWSC, which is set to begin on October 30 at the Sharjah Ladies Club beach.
The sporting event will bring together female employees from Sharjah's government and private sector entities to compete in three games - beach volleyball, 3x3 beach basketball and
table tennis. Winners will receive trophies, medals and Certificates of Appreciation.
SWS is organising this event to encourage the participation of professional women in sporting activities and raise their awareness on the benefits of a healthy and active lifestyle.
Nada Askar Al Naqbi, Director-General of SWS, called on working women to seize this opportunity to put their athleticism to the test and hone their sporting talents conducted in the spirit of healthy competition in a fun-filled setting.
The competitions have been designed to cater all levels of skill and capability of participants and gives professional women the opportunity to achieve success outside of the workplace, in addition to encouraging the adoption of a healthy regimen, she said.
Through the various sports competitions and tournaments organised by SWS, the Sharjah entity seeks to nurture a culture of love for sports and raise community awareness on its importance by providing a stimulating sporting environment.
Female professionals can register for the competition by emailing awatif.a@slc.ae or calling on 0568282790 or 065067852.
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/sport/local/registration-opens-for-6th-sharjah-womens-sports-cup
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Healthy living: A small town civic body shapes up ‘women’s gym’
Oct 21, 2019
MEERUT The fitness revolution has taken the country by the storm, with mushrooming gyms in cities drawing both men and women keen to stay in shape.
However, some backwaters are an exception where gymming is limited only to men and women have no access to any exercise centre. Purkazi, a conservative small town on the national highway 58, which connects Delhi to Hardwar and Dehradun and where Muslim population has an edge over Hindus, was one such place till now.
But now Purkazi is poised for a sea change, being the first in the region where the Nagar Panchayat has established an advanced gym exclusively for women, using union government funds released for development.
The Nagar Panchayat, an elected body of representatives responsible for carrying out developmental activities, has turned this small town of 30,000 inhabitants (Muslims 60%) into an experimental ground for innovative initiatives under the leadership of Zaheer Faroqui who was elected chairman in December 2017.
The latest initiative was setting up an exclusive gym for women in a comparatively conservative town where people largely bank on small trades and farming. Recalling how the idea was opposed when it was proposed in the board meeting of Nagar Panchayat a few months ago, before, Zaheer said, “The then district magistrate Rajeev Sharma supported the idea and gave his consent to go ahead. This encouraged us to transform this dream project into a reality in the past three months.”
Zaheer said it was the only project of its kind in the region where funds released for developmental works were used in setting up a gym for women.
The union government releases money twice to Nagar Panchayats and Purkazi Nagar Panchayat received an instalment of Rs 40 lakh in this account.
Zaheer said that a hall of 30ft X 30ft was built with bathrooms, changing rooms and other facilities and advanced equipment of Rs 25 lakh purchased from a Gurgaon-based company. The interior of the gym was also made comfy and attractive.
An advertisement was placed in newspapers for trainers and more than a dozen women had applied for the post from the neighbouring towns of Roorkee in Uttarakhand and Muzaffarnagar. Their interview was scheduled next week, Zaheer said.
Appreciating the work of Zaheer and his team district magistrate of Muzaffarnagar Selva Kumar J said, “We are encouraging other Nagar Panchayats of the district to follow Purkazi because such initiatives help in keeping women fit.”
Sangeeta Goel, a resident of the town, is excited at the prospect of joining the gym with her two daughters Shivani Goel, 25 and Aditi Goel, 22. She said, “This was much needed because the town has only men’s gyms and women had no place to go to for exercise.” She said over 100 women of her circle were eagerly waiting to join the gym.
Zaheer said that he and his team were trying to take time from the district magistrate for inauguration.
“Everything is ready on our part and we are now waiting for its inauguration,” said Zaheer who also has approached the local MLA for inauguration along with the DM.
Rehana Adeeb, who runs an NGO Astitva to raise issues related to women, said, “Setting up a gym for women in a conservative town like Purkazi was indeed an innovative idea and it will particularly benefit Muslim women who seldom have access to such facilities in a small town.”
She said that Zaheer was popular among his supporters and people because of such innovative ideas and cited his endevour of constructing a ‘pink toilet’ for women in the market and installing a sanitary pad dispenser in it.
“Talking about sanitary pads in public in a small town like Purkazi needs a lot of courage but he dared to set up a dispenser which has been benefitting women,” said Adeeb.
The town has a 98-year-old Ramleela Committee which felicitated Zaheer Faroqui recently for his support in taking care of cleanliness and other facilities during Ramleela. The committee’s president Manish Goel said, “Our town is known for communal harmony and we felicitated Zaheer who always worked to strengthen it. He was also felicitated by the previous year’s Ramleela Committee which gifted him a ‘Quran’ from the dais of the Ramleela.”
The Purkazi Nagar Panchayat also has taken a significant step in commemorating sacrifices made during the 1857 Uprising. Zaheer said over 400 people of the town were hanged by the British while quelling the uprising. The garden where the freedom fighters were hanged is known as ‘ Suliwala Bagh’ and the Nagar Panchayat has started unfurling the Tricolour inside it on August 15 and January 26. Hundreds of people participate in the function after taking out a march holding tricolours in their hands. “The idea behind it was to remind people about the supreme sacrifice of people fighting against British raj,” said Zaheer.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/healthy-living-a-small-town-civic-body-shapes-up-women-s-gym/story-33LmcAjPkroBrNcuUGPZFL.html
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Gender Parity and Women Economic Empowerment On The Rise In Middle East
October 21, 2019
DUBAI — Women are driving positive change in the Middle East and the United Arab Emirates continues to be at the forefront of this progress offering greater opportunities to women to achieve their full economic, political and social potential in keeping with the country’s goal to be one of the world’s top 25 countries for gender equality by 2021. The emirates has closed 64% of its overall gender gap. Women in Leadership Economic Forum (WIL) by Naseba, the largest female economic empowerment platform in the Middle East will gather some of the leading regional and international organizations such as Siemens, Facebook, Allergan, FedEx, Philip Morris, PWC, General Motors and Emaar Hospitality, to share their success stories and strategies on closing the gender gap as they ‘Dare to Build a Better Future’.
According to industry reports organizations where women hold nearly 30% of leadership positions could add up to 6% to their net margins.
Hani Ashkar, PwC Middle East Senior Partner, said “diversity is integral to business sustainability and overall success. Boosting the number of women in work is not just a moral imperative but also has a measurable impact on the bottom line. At PwC Middle East, we recognize that diversity and inclusion are multifaceted and that we need to tackle these challenges holistically. To do this, we believe we also need to honestly address head-on the concerns and needs of our diverse employees and increase equity for all. This is not a one-size-fits-all for our offices around the region, but we are working to drive this through targets and data-centric accountability, in order to be fit for the future and to continue to make a difference in our region.”
The MEA region has been a development platform at Siemens for many high potential females who developed into key global leadership roles after their assignment with the company.
Eva Mourino, SVP HR Siemens Middle East, said: “I am always surprised that whenever we talk about gender parity, we mention specific metrics, like increasing net margins or boosting profit, to justify the cause. Why do we need to provide proof to explain that more leadership positions should be held by women? Women deserve a place at the table. At Siemens we believe that diversity on all levels of the organization contributes to the overall success of the company.”
Philip Morris International (PMI) is in the midst of a massive business transformation to create a smoke-free future. To succeed, the company is developing better, scientifically-substantiated smoke-free alternatives for the millions of adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke, to replace cigarettes as quickly as possible.
“To accomplish this vision, PMI is becoming a more agile, inclusive and gender-balanced workplace. We need a work environment that is inclusive so everyone can thrive, and a culture that is welcoming of different individuals with diverse skills, perspectives and ways of thinking so we can unlock the innovation and creativity needed to completely transform our business”, said Melissa Whiting, Vice President Inclusion & Diversity at PMI.
Today, women hold just under 36% of management roles across PMI, up six percentage points since 2014.
Highlighting steps the company has taken to make progress within this timeframe, Whiting commented, “At PMI, we started by making progress on gender balance a business priority, with clear commitment from the top. We have set ourselves a target to improve the representation of women in management across PMI to at least 40% by 2022 and we regularly track and report on progress. In the UAE, we have seen positive results in our Middle East organization where the representation of women in our Leadership Team has increased by 30% in the last four years. And senior leaders are increasingly taking time to coach and mentor female talent, supporting them in their career development. This is especially important in the UAE, given the country’s vision to become one of the world’s top 25 countries for gender equality by 2021.”
Women currently make up 35% of the GM Middle East (GM MEO) workforce, a significant increase from the 26% just over five years ago. In the past two years alone, nearly 50% of the total new hires at the company were female, with different education backgrounds including STEM fields
John Roth, President and Managing Director of GM Africa and Middle East, said “at General Motors, we know that inclusivity is a vital element to driving success and retaining exceptional talent that makes those business goals possible.
He added: “Our commitment to diversity and inclusion at GM aligns with the UAE’s goals for gender balance, as part of Vision 2021. It sits at the core of our business approach, raising diverse perspectives across our teams and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to grow and create impact.”
Women in Leadership Economic Forum (WIL) by Naseba, will take place in Dubai on October 28-29 at the Address Sky View Hotel Dubai. It is supported by Chain Reaction and CCM as well as 2XL Furniture & Home Décor that will be creating inspiring stage settings for engaging discussions. — SG
http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/580423
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11 Women among 700 Saudi Air Traffic Controllers: GACA
October 21, 2019
RIYADH — The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) celebrated the International Day of the Air Traffic Controller, which falls on Oct. 20. Activities and events were held in various centers and air traffic control of GACA in all regions of the Kingdom.
The authority said in a statement that the percentage of Saudization in the air traffic controller profession in the Kingdom reached 100. The number of Saudi air traffic controllers in the Kingdom reached more than 700 and these included 11 women. They obtained their education and training from the Saudi Civil Aviation Academy, one of the specialized academies, which has received many international accreditations and honors.
The air traffic control in the Kingdoms’ airports and airspace witnessed steady growth year after year, GACA said. In cooperation with the Saudi Air Navigation Services (SANS) company, GACA seeks to develop the work system, raise operational efficiency and achieve qualitative leap in the services offered in the air navigation sector.
The civil aviation system in the Kingdom enjoys generous support from the government of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman. The GACA is keen to achieve a safe environment in accordance with the strictest international safety standards, and build a modern system with improved services in the advanced air transport sector, the GACA statement said.
Air traffic control consists of three main functions (approach control, air traffic control tower, and area control). Approach control is responsible for air traffic management within 60 miles and at a height of approximately 15,000 feet around the airport for outbound and inbound flights. Air traffic control tower covers an area around the airport, take-offs, landings, and ground traffic. While, air traffic management at higher altitudes and handling high speeds falls under the responsibility of area control.
High concentration and quick speed of intuitive decision-making in a matter of minutes are of the most important skills of the air traffic controller. It highlights the importance of this profession in the extent and its impact on the safety, efficiency and regularity of air navigation. Moreover, the responsibilities and tasks assigned, do not bear any room for mistakes. The profession of air traffic controller was categorized as the most difficult profession worldwide, which makes it a very vital job.
http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/580399
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Turkey Under Pressure To Tackle Sharp Rise In Murders Of Women
Daren Butler, Birsen Altayli
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Emine Dirican’s husband shot her in January and was released from jail pending appeal in May, leaving her in fear of being attacked again in a case that underscores the vulnerability of women to violent attack and murder in Turkey.
Last year men murdered 440 women in Turkey, unofficial data show, more than doubling from 2012 when Ankara passed a law on preventing violence against women - a rise which some women’s groups attribute to the failure to implement the legislation.
Turkey does not keep official statistics on femicide. World Health Organization data say 38% of women in Turkey are subject to violence from a partner in their lifetime, compared to about 25% in Europe.
One woman’s murder in August, captured on video, triggered nationwide protests by women, raising pressure on Ankara to act and prompting President Tayyip Erdogan to say he would approve any parliamentary move to restore the death penalty in Turkey.
Emine Bulut, 38, was stabbed by her former husband in front of her daughter. A Turkish court sentenced him to life in jail on Monday.
“We have the same (first) name but don’t let our fate be the same,” Dirican, 43, said in a tearful interview, sitting with her mother in the home where her husband shot her in January after she sought a divorce.
The court sentenced her husband to nine years in jail on various counts including wilful injury, rejecting charges that he attempted to kill her. He was then released pending appeal.
Dirican, a beauty clinic employee, was shot in the leg and had to quit work. She says she is afraid to leave her home for fear of being attacked. She faces a divorce hearing this month.
“I don’t want to be found dead somewhere or for acid to be thrown at me,” she said, adding that she was not receiving personal protection. “What is important to me is that the state protects me while I am alive.”
GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
Turkey led the way in ratifying a 2011 Council of Europe accord, the Istanbul Convention, which prioritizes gender equality. It also passed legislation in 2012 to protect women.
But women’s groups say authorities are failing to implement their commitments under the Convention.
“The reason for violence increasing is that the judiciary and security forces are not using the available mechanisms,” Canan Gullu, head of the Turkish Federation of Women’s Associations told Reuters in an interview.
Perpetrators also believe they can secure reduced sentences through good behavior and acting like a victim, she said.
Turkey’s family ministry did not respond to Reuters’ questions regarding violence against women. However, Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul vowed after the killing of Bulut that the government would do whatever it takes to stem the violence.
“If it will save just one person, if it prevents one child, one woman from dying or facing violence, we will change not just a law but even the constitution,” he told reporters last month.
The government has taken measures such as tagging individuals known to resort to violence and creating a smartphone app in 2018 through which women can alert police.
Downloads of the app surged to some 320,000 following Emine Bulut’s murder from 70,000 beforehand, a deputy police chief said in an interview last month.
The Council of Europe body which monitors the Convention’s implementation called in a report a year ago for Turkey to abolish practices which discriminate against women, saying the root cause of the violence was gender inequality.
Fidan Ataselim, general secretary of a platform set up to halt the killing of women, said the violence also reflected the inability of some men to accept the increased opportunities Turkish women now enjoy due to social changes.
“When you look at the excuses, they were killed because they wanted to make decisions about their own lives - to divorce, to work, to wear what they choose,” she said.
Her group compiles the unofficial data on the number of Turkish women killed by men, which rose to 440 last year from 210. The number stood at 53 in September alone, it said.
“DEVIL WITH ANGEL’S FACE”
However, many in conservative and Islamist circles in Turkey are hostile to the Istanbul Convention and say gender equality undermines the institution of family.
Well-known Islamist writer Abdurrahman Dilipak said legislation designed to protect women, such as through restraining orders, was actually fuelling divorces and violence.
“Wandering among us is a devil with an angel’s face which is organizing conflict, not peace, within the family,” he said in an interview in his home on the Asian side of Istanbul.
“The family is collapsing. With an international agreement (the Istanbul Convention), a trap is being set up against women, men, children, the family.”
While most violence is within the family, and much of it is related to divorce proceedings, women’s groups say there are also many cases where women are victims of violence solely because of their gender in a heavily patriarchal society.
Acelya Sengul’s mother Fatma was shot by a work colleague in front of their house in March and died in the arms of her daughter. After her death, women carried her coffin and staged a march in protest and Sengul said this support helped her cope.
“Women saying they stand beside me gives me more strength. I feel I am not alone. I feel they are beside me,” she said.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-women/turkey-under-pressure-to-tackle-sharp-rise-in-murders-of-women-idUSKBN1X01DV
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/saudi-arabia-wins-gold-gcc/d/120060