Saudi Women Outnumber Men In Visiting Entertainment Facilities
New
Age Islam News Bureau
13
November 2020
• Saudi Ladies International: Maha Haddioui Setting A Shining Example For Female Arab Golfers
•
Iranian Women Entrepreneurs Recognized for Innovative Activities
•
US Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris Inspires Hope, Dreams In Her Ancestral India
•
Saudi Arabia Wins ITU Award For Women Empowerment
•
Former IS Woman Charged In Germany Over Yazidi Abuses In Syria
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/saudi-women-outnumber-men-visiting/d/123463
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Saudi Women Outnumber Men In Visiting Entertainment Facilities
November
12, 2020
Around
65 percent of women above the age of 15 and 63 percent of men visited
entertainment and recreational facilities and destinations during the last
three months
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JEDDAH
— Saudi women outnumber men in terms of visiting entertainment facilities and
destinations, according to the latest figures released by the General Authority
for Statistics (GaStat).
Around
65 percent of women above the age of 15 and 63 percent of men visited
entertainment and recreational facilities and destinations during the last
three months, Al-Watan newspaper reported citing the GaStat figures.
The
GaStat report revealed the latest indices of activities in the Kingdom’s
cultural and recreational sectors.
According
to the report, Saudis prefer to read online editions of newspapers and
magazines rather than their print editions. However, both men and women prefer
to read print versions of books than online editions. Among men, 62 percent
read books while among women the percentage is 54.
Regarding
reading books, 50 percent of men read print versions while seven percent read
online editions while among women 52 percent read print editions whereas seven
percent read online editions.
The
report showed that around 67 percent of Saudi men read newspapers and magazines
while this percentage among women is 51.
Around
96 percent of men watch television while this figure among women is 97 percent.
The report showed that the number of women who listen to radio programs is less
than half of men, with men making 63 percent while women accounting for only 24
percent.
It
was revealed in a GaStat survey that 92 percent of men and 85 percent of women
use the Internet while the percentage in the use of computers among men and
women is 65 and 43 respectively.
Around
92 percent of men use smartphones while the figure among women users of
smartphones stands at 85 percent, the report pointed out.
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/600220/SAUDI-ARABIA/Saudi-women-outnumber-men-in-visiting-entertainment-facilities
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Saudi
Ladies International: Maha Haddioui Setting A Shining Example For Female Arab
Golfers
November
11, 2020
Morocco's
Maha Haddioui is hoping for a memorable week in Saudi Arabia. (Golf Saudi)
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DUBAI:
When - as a child - Maha Haddioui would watch with fascination professional
golf players in her native Morocco, she could never have imagined that two
decades later she would be the first female Arab golfer from her country to be
playing on the Ladies European Tour.
Her
list of firsts grows by the day. Tomorrow she will be the only professional
Arab golfer taking part at the $1million Aramco Saudi Ladies International,
presented by PIF at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Jeddah.
She’s
been called a role model and trailblazer. An engaging and incredibly calm
individual, she seems to be carrying that heavy crown easily, even when the
questions seem to always focus on her identity more than her expertise.
With
each question comes a smile which belies the obstacles she’s had to overcome in
a region of the world where entering into professional sport is not always seen
as a natural, or even respectable, career path.
“I
started golf when I was 12 and at first it was just a game, just having fun
with it,” Haddioui said. “I decided then to go to the US to pursue my education
and play golf more seriously. That was ok, but when I finished university and
graduated, that’s when I started facing some of the challenges. When I wanted
to be a professional golfer and play on the Ladies European Tour, a lot of
people kind of didn’t understand why. They didn’t really take it seriously, and
I think that was the hardest thing to deal with, the doubts and also I didn’t
have other women to play with, I was just used to playing against men. That was
something that improved my game.”
“My
grandma played a big role in that, she was always telling me it’s ok to be
scared, it’s ok to be unsure just go for it head first. That’s what I’ve always
done and it’s worked out ok for now.”
Playing
at the first ever professional golf tournament for women in Saudi Arabia has
shone a light on her personally, and also on the giant steps the game is taking
in the region.
“This
is a new page for women’s golf, a new page for women in Saudi and I’m really happy
and proud to be part of that as the only Arab player, for now. I’m really proud
to represent my region in my region. It’s a big tournament, it’s a big
statement. As we know, women’s golf is sometimes not getting the recognition it
should, and having Saudi put up such a big prize fund for two tournaments in a
row is a huge statement to make, to close that gap between women’s and men’s
golf.”
Haddioui
is no stranger to playing in the Gulf. She has already visited Saudi Arabia
four times, and last week she took part at Dubai Moonlight Classic. But she
sees differences in the course she steps on tomorrow.
“This
week the course is in really, really good shape,” she said. “It’s a course I
really know well now, the greens are amazing. It’s going to be quite different
from last week, the greens are not as grainy. There is going to be a bit less
to worry about when it comes to chipping, and working out the grain. It can be
really windy here so that’s going to be a big focus if the wind picks up. Off
the tee, it’s a straight forward course, some long holes out there. So, it’s
really about hitting the right sides of the fairways and from there trying to
hit as close as I can on the greens.”
Haddioui
has yet to claim a title on the Ladies European Tour and doesn’t see her
participation as a token gesture. She is in Jeddah to win.
“Anywhere
would be special for me to get my first win,” she said. “But it would mean a
lot more to happen here, because it’s somewhere I call home, it’s an Arab
country. I love the course, I love the place and feel really welcome here.”
The
Moroccan is also hoping that in coming years more female Arab golfers will join
her on the tour, and more events in this part of the world can only raise the
profile of the game.
“When
I started playing, I used to look up at the pros and go watch the Lalla Meryem
Cup in Morocco,” Haddioui said. “I think it’s really important to be able to
see the players, to see how they work, how they play. To see they are human, to
realize this is something I can definitely do, and I think in doing that and
creating events, it’s going to motivate a lot of young girls to take up the
game.”
To
celebrate the historic nature of both tournaments, Golf Saudi will this week
launch a world-first ‘Ladies First Club’, which will offer free golf to 1,000
women living across the Kingdom.
“This
is how you start, golf is huge all over the world and it’s huge when it comes
to growing as a person, when it comes to tourism,” Haddioui added. “Saudi is
opening up on a lot of matters, and opening up to golf is very important one
and I think it’s really going to grow the game and I’m really happy about
that.”
While
all the events and initiatives are providing opportunities, Haddioui bellies
that there needs to be a change in mindset of how golf and other sports are
viewed as viable career options for young Arab women.
“To
be honest, I’m always so grateful that I was able to take up this game when I
was younger,” she said. “It’s something that completely changed my life,
travelling the world doing what I love and I wish the same for every woman in
the Arab world, to be able to pursue these kinds of opportunities. I would say
the hardest thing for me is, when it comes to mentalities, people don’t really
understand it or see it as a job.
“Unfortunately,
I was told many times, when are you going to take up a serious job, a real
job,” she added. “Making people understand that this is my job, that having a
good job is not necessarily just being a doctor, that’s something that will
help women’s golf, or golf in general, for any athletes. Taking sports more, a
sport can be a job, it can be a career, it can be something amazing, so when
people start looking to that, I think there will be a lot more great Arab
athletes”
She
reveals she is delighted sharing her experience and advice with up and coming
golfers these days, and can already see the benefits some of them are reaping.
“I
get a lot of questions, we had a young 11-year-old who comes and practices with
me a lot of times, she just won the World Championship for 11-year-old [age
group],” Haddioui said. “Seeing things like this happen, it’s just amazing. And
this week there is an amateur playing from Morocco, Ines [Laklalech]. For me
it’s the first tournament I play abroad where I’m not the only Moroccan, it’s a
huge improvement and something that I’m very happy about.”
But
does Haddioui feel like a trailblazer?
“To
be honest I don’t really think of it that way,” she said with typical humility.
“I’m just doing my thing, I’m just going for my dreams and my goals, and if
that can inspire young girls, then I’m very happy about that. Sometimes it is
hard being the only one doing something, but if it can inspire other people,
then that’s the best gift I can ever have.”
In
Jeddah this week, a lot of attention will focus on her, especially if she pull
off what would be a sensational win.
You
get the impression, however, that she would be as happy, if not happier, when
what makes her stand out today, is no longer important enough to get mentioned.
Should the day come when there are other talented Arab golfers challenging her,
she will know that she has done her job right all along.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1761606/sport
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Iranian
Women Entrepreneurs Recognized for Innovative Activities
November
12, 2020
Top
Iranian women entrepreneurs working in the domains of job creation and creating
added value have been recognized in appreciation of their services.
-----
They
presented their capabilities in a ceremony attended by Sorena Sattari, the vice
president for science and technology, and Masoumeh Ebtekar, the vice president
for family and women’s affairs, who commended the entrepreneurs for their
activities.
In
the ceremony, Sattari said the creation of an appropriate ecosystem for women’s
innovative activities as well as trying to pave the way for that is among the
priorities of the Science and Technology Department of the Presidential Office.
“In
the early days of moving towards [creating] a knowledge-based ecosystem, top
researchers and professors conducted a survey, which was published under the
name “Getting to know the Silicon Valley.” This book answers the question why
this area is unique. The reason is that it highlights the existence of a proper
ecosystem for innovative activities and the existence of its culture,” said
Sattari.
He
said a proper atmosphere to promote innovative activities among women is a
prelude to boosting their businesses innovatively.
“The
same thing goes for women’s knowledge-based businesses. If an ecosystem is
created for their activities, we will definitely see women play a more pivotal
in this arena,” he added.
He
said women should be given the chance to stabilize their role in bringing
change.
Meanwhile,
Ebtekar noted that women have been moving forward on the scientific front and
secured good achievements in the promotion of science and technology.
https://ifpnews.com/iranian-women-entrepreneurs-recognized-for-innovative-activities
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US
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris inspires hope, dreams in her ancestral India
SANJAY
KUMAR
November
12, 2020
NEW
DELHI: US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has made history by becoming the
first woman, and female black American and Asian American to be elected to the
second-highest office in America.
And
women in her ancestral village and throughout India on Wednesday revealed how
they had been “inspired” by the 56-year-old politician.
Some
made colorful rangoli designs outside their houses, while others distributed
sweets among residents of Thulasenthirapuram village, in the southern Indian
state of Tamil Nadu, to celebrate the success of “one of their own.”
Meethavi
Gopalan, a teacher from the nearby town of Mannargudi, told Arab News: “Kamala
Harris belongs to this village (Thulasenthirapuram) as her ancestors lived
here. We feel inspired by her success. This is a great moment for us in the
area and also as a woman.”
The
sleepy village of Thulasenthirapuram, in Nagapattinam district, came to life on
Sunday after American news networks declared Joe Biden and Harris as the winner
of the US elections.
Soon,
women from nearby areas made a beeline to the village temple to partake in
festivities. Leading the initiative was local councilor Arulamozli Sudhakar who
organized the celebratory events.
“We
are very proud of her as she is the first woman vice president of the United
States,” she told Arab News.
A
high school dropout, Sudhakar, 35, said Harris’ win had motivated her to pursue
higher studies. “I am courageous now after Kamala’s victory. Not only am I
going to pursue my degree now, but I am also thinking of fighting for elections
in the regional and national assemblies.”
She
added that several women in the village who had left their jobs to focus on
their domestic lives also “wanted to pursue their interests and be productive
members of society. Harris has made us realize that nothing is impossible for
girls or women.”
Harris
was born in the US to an Indian mother and a Jamaican father – both of whom had
migrated to America to study.
But
despite her mother’s death from cancer in 2009, Harris continued to keep in
touch and foster strong relationships with India and her relatives.
She
was five years old when she last visited Thulasenthirapuram, and in her
autobiography, “The Truths We Hold: An American Journey,” she talks about
walking along Chennai’s beaches with her grandfather.
As
a senator, Harris has been a vocal advocate of women, human, and minority
rights – an endorsement welcomed by many women working for rights groups in
India who said they felt “a sense of relief with Harris’ election.”
Jameela
Nishat, a women’s rights activist from the southern Indian city of Hyderabad,
told Arab News: “I had been watching the US election very closely and with lots
of hope this time. The moment I came to know that Harris’ party had won the
verdict I felt a great sense of relief and joy.”
“The
atmosphere in the country has become so suffocating with the way the government
is going after minority and rights activists that it had become difficult to
breathe. In Harris, we see hope, someone who can listen to our voice.”
Harris’
Delhi-based maternal uncle, Balachandran Gopalan, said that human and women’s
rights would now “get the focus that they deserve.”
“There
is no point comparing the democratic regime with the (President Donald) Trump
one; the new government will be better in every respect not only in human
rights,” he told Arab News. “I feel the new administration’s response to some
of the things happening in India would be different from Trump’s regime.”
Biden
and Harris have both been critical of the treatment of India’s Muslim minority
by the country’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the political
marginalization of Kashmiris after the abrogation of the special autonomous
status of Jammu and Kashmir by New Delhi last year.
Delhi-based
research scholar and activist, Zikra Mojibi, has criticized the Citizenship
Amendment Act (CAA), legislation which extends citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs,
Parsis, Jains, Christians, and Buddhists from neighboring Bangladesh, Pakistan,
and Afghanistan, but excluded Muslims.
“Harris
is a new ray of hope for the minorities. She has always been looked up to. Now
that she is in a position of power, hopefully, the minorities’ voice will be
heard in much better ways,” Mojibi said.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1761901/world
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Saudi
Arabia wins ITU award for women empowerment
November
7, 2020
RIYADH
— The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia won a global award for empowering women, in the
sector of communications and information technology for the Year 2020.
The
award was accorded to the Kingdom by the International Telecommunication Union
(ITU).
Such
achievement highlighted the ongoing support for the women’s role, in all
domains, reflecting the wise leadership keenness on promoting the new women
generation contribution.
Their
contribution would bolster the drive of the national development, in the
context of the National Shift Program as well as the ambitious anticipations of
the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. — SPA
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/600033/SAUDI-ARABIA/Saudi-Arabia-wins-ITU-award-for-women-empowerment
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Former
IS Woman Charged In Germany Over Yazidi Abuses In Syria
November
12, 2020
FRANKFURT:
German federal prosecutors on Wednesday said they had charged a German woman
with crimes against humanity allegedly committed while she was living in Syria
as a member of the Islamic State jihadist group.
The
suspect, identified only as Nurten J and the mother of several children, is
accused of crimes related to the persecution of the Yazidi minority in
territory controlled by IS.
Nurten
J is believed to be the first European woman charged with crimes against
humanity over abuses committed in Syria as part of the jihadist group.
In
a statement, prosecutors said the woman travelled to Syria with her then
three-year-old daughter in 2015 to join IS and marry an IS fighter, also from
Germany, with whom she had other children.
Throughout
2016 and 2017 she received frequent visits from a friend who owned a Yazidi
“slave” also forced to do housework at the suspect’s home.
Nurten
J was “following the ideology of IS according to which the enslavement of the
Yazidis was justified”, the prosecutors in Karlsruhe said.
The
suspect also stands accused of war crimes against property for living in a home
that had been seized by IS from its rightful occupants, and for endangering her
daughter by taking her to a war zone.
In
addition, she faces charges for violating weapons laws.
After
IS lost its territories in Syria, the woman was held in Kurdish captivity
before being transferred to custody in Turkey and then sent back to Germany.
Dying
of thirst
Germany
has charged several German and foreign nationals with war crimes and crimes
against humanity carried out abroad, using the legal principle of universal
jurisdiction which allows crimes to be prosecuted even if they were committed
in a foreign country.
Few
of the charges so far have involved women, however.
A
German woman named as Jennifer W went on trial in Munich last year accused of
the war crime of letting a five-year-old Yazidi girl die of thirst in Iraq.
Both
the child and her mother were held captive as household slaves by Jennifer W
and her IS husband, an Iraqi national. He is on trial in Germany for genocide
and murder.
Last
month, another German court sentenced the German-Tunisian wife of a
rapper-turned-jihadist to three-and-a-half years in prison for having taken
part in the enslavement of a Yazidi girl in Syria.
The
Islamic State group committed atrocities against the Yazidis in 2014 that are
being investigated by the UN to determine whether they can be qualified as
genocide.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2020/11/12/former-is-woman-charged-in-germany-over-yazidi-abuses-in-syria/
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