Shaheena Shaheen Pakistan’s Female Journalist in Balochistan Shot Dead as Part of Alleged Honour Killing
New Age Islam News Bureau
08
September 2020
• More Than 150 Female Journalists Condemn 'Vile Abuse' In Pakistan
•
Jamaat-e-Islami Chief for Election Ban on Those Opposing Women’s Inheritance
Right
•
Art Museums Have Realized There Is Much to Learn from Contemporary Muslim
Women's Fashion
•
Aligarh Muslim University Organised Workshop On 21st Century Female Leader
•
27 Stranded Nigerian Girls Evacuated from Lebanon
•
Daesh Women Crowdfund Smuggler Fees to Escape SDF Detention
•
Pakistan Prepares to Free Female Prisoners Amid Calls for Jail Reforms
•
Quranic Courses for Women to Be Held in Iraq
•
Nationwide Literacy Campaign Draws Women To Classes In Turkey
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
--------
Shaheena Shaheen Pakistan’s Female Journalist in Balochistan Shot Dead as Part of Alleged Honour Killing
September
07, 2020
Shaheena
Shaheen Photograph:( Facebook )
-----
Falah
Gulzar
Shaheena
Shaheen was a young female journalist working against the odds in the highly
conservative province of Balochistan in Pakistan. On the evening of September
5, “unknown” men shot her dead, and the incident has caused an uproar online.
From fellow media professionals to female rights activists, netizens are
demanding justice, while police are on the hunt for her husband.
The
incident occurred in the Turbat area of Balochistan's Kech district, according
to Pakistani media reports.
Shaheen,
aged around 25 years, was a local anchorperson at state-owned broadcaster
Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) and editor of a local magazine. She was
also a student of fine arts at the University Of Balochistan, local media
outlets reported.
Sharing
pictures of Shaheen at an art gallery and at work, Twitter user @Alhaan_
posted: “Shaheena Shaheen Baloch a journalist, an artist, always struggling for
women’s rights and empowerment unfortunately shot dead in Turbat Balochistan.”
Police
said unidentified suspects opened fire on Shaheen at her residence in Turbat.
The killers reportedly escaped unhurt from the scene.
She
was shifted to District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Turbat where she succumbed
to her injuries. She received three bullet wounds, a police official, Allah
Bakhsh, told a local newspaper.
"The
killing was the result of domestic violence," Kech Superintendent of
Police Najeebullah Pandrani was quoted as saying, adding that police were
investigating the murder.
He
said no arrests had been made so far. However, Shaheen's family lodged a first
information report (FIR) against her husband, whom she married five months ago.
According
to some reports, one of the men who attacked her was her husband. Media reports
suggest the incident can be a case of honour killing. Reportedly, Shaheen’s
husband had asked her to stop working and disapproved of the fame she was
receiving due to her job.
Condemning
the incident and demanding justice, tweep @BanariMengal wrote: “As per some
reports Shaheena Shaheen Baloch’s murder is an act of ‘honour killing’. Men
only see honour when a woman is assertive, independent and hurts their fragile
egos. Shaheena’s case should be investigated, and if this is a case of ’honour
killing’ no one should stay silent.”
In
another post, @BanariMengal wrote: “Deeply saddened to hear that Journalist
Shaheena Shaheen Baloch has been killed in Turbat. Another day, another brutal
murder. We are tired of using hashtags. There is no justice - never will be.
Balochistan is not safe for anyone nor does anyone care.”
Shaheen’s
body was shifted to her residence for burial, according to police, local media
reported.
Balochistan
government spokesman Liaquat Shahwani and Finance Minister Mir Zahoor Ahmed
Buledi separately condemned the murder. They said the culprits in the case will
be brought to book, as per Pakistani news outlets.
According
to latest reports, police are still on the search for Shaheen’s husband.
https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/pakistan-female-journalist-in-balochistan-shot-dead-as-part-of-alleged-honour-killing-police-on-the-hunt-for-husband-1.1599490023748
--------
More
Than 150 Female Journalists Condemn 'Vile Abuse' In Pakistan
Zahid
Hussain Khan
September
08, 2020
Female
journalists in Pakistan say they are the victims of abuse. (Photo: Bismah
Mughal)
-----
More
than 150 female journalists in Pakistan have signed a petition raising the
alarm about “vile and vicious attacks” by people affiliated to the government,
political parties and their social media wings.
The
petition, initially signed by 15 women on Aug. 12, got major endorsement from
scores of other female colleagues, their male counterparts and press bodies on
Sept. 7.
The
fresh statement noted that vile and vicious attacks were “increasingly
impacting our work, mental well-being and security.”
“We
endorse what our fellow colleagues have put on record on 12/08/2020 and widen
the scope to reflect the magnitude and degree of trauma being experienced by
women in media,” it said.
“The
kind of trolling and unfettered vulgarity being experienced subverts every norm
of decency with no law enforcement agency, government or any political party
taking notice or action of what is clearly transgressing all limits of decency
and subverting every ethical standard.”
The
statement lamented that unfounded accusations of peddling fake news are hurled
at journalists by government officials and politicians from all parties. They
are also accused of serving political agendas and being on the payroll of
political parties.
“Such
accusations then trigger abusive campaigns targeting journalists. In some
instances, our pictures and videos are also used and our social media timelines
are then barraged with gender-based slurs, threats of sexual and physical
violence. So vicious is the campaign against women that even the women/female
members of our male colleagues' families are not spared. Their photographs and
videos are doctored, distorted and leaked on social media,” the statement said.
“We
women journalists now often find it difficult to remain active and engage
freely on digital platforms. Out of fear of being hounded and harassed, and our
dignity being violated through vile abuse, many of us self-censor. Hence, we
refrain from sharing information, giving opinion or actively engaging online.”
The
journalists called upon the government and all political parties to immediately
draw up and adopt a code of conduct for social media teams of political
parties, public bodies and other public institutions.
They
urged the government to investigate and identify networks which have been
prominently engaged in launching and running coordinated attacks, hashtag
campaigns and abusive campaigns against women in the media.
They
called for action against those officials found to be directly or indirectly
engaged in the discrediting and harassing of media women.
The
journalists, however, urged the government not to use this statement as an
excuse to introduce further regulations and curbs on social media.
On
Aug. 19, the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called on Pakistani
authorities to ensure that online threats and hate messages are stopped.
“We
regard the highest levels of the Pakistani government as either responsible or
complicit in these recent cyber-harassment campaigns against certain women
journalists who don’t toe the official line,” said Daniel Bastard, the head of
RSF’s Asia-Pacific desk.
“This
tactic, which clearly aims to intimidate all government critics, is a flagrant
violation of article 19A of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s constitution. We
call on Prime Minister Imran Khan to ensure that this unacceptable use of hate
speech is brought to a stop.”
Pakistan
is ranked 145th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2020 World Press Freedom Index.
https://www.ucanews.com/news/female-journalists-condemn-vile-abuse-in-pakistan/89447#
--------
Jamaat-e-Islami
Chief for Election Ban on Those Opposing Women’s Inheritance Right
MANSOOR
ALI
September
08, 2020
Jamaat-e-Islami
(JI) Chief Senator Siraj-ul-Haq
-----
ISLAMABAD -
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Chief Senator Siraj-ul-Haq on Monday said that
those who deny right of inheritance to women must not be allowed to contest
elections.
Addressing
a Hijab Conference, Siraj-ul-Haq said they were not forcing women in the
society to wear Hijab but their responsibility was to convince them for doing
so.
Talking
about violence against women and children in Pakistan, he said that despite the
presence of Justice System, legislative institutions and many other
institutions violence was increasing with every passing day.
While
criticising the role of government in minimising violence against children,
especially women, Senator Siraj-ul-Haq said that coping with violence against
women was nothing more than a hard challenge for the government. “The
government is yet to play its due role,” he said.
He
claimed that other political parties influence women elected on the reserved
seats, but JI was the only party which allowed women leadership to make their
decisions on their own.
Talking
about the women education, he said they had always raised their voice for the
women education and would fight for giving equal rights to the women in the
society as per the directive of Islam.
He
elaborated that his party had strong stance regarding rights of women in the
society as per the directives of Islam; adding that the government should
provide equal chances to both men and women and there should be no
discrimination among them, otherwise Pakistan will never achieve its goals of
becoming a developed country.
https://nation.com.pk/08-Sep-2020/ji-chief-for-election-ban-on-those-opposing-women-s-inheritance-right
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Art
Museums Have Realized There Is Much to Learn from Contemporary Muslim Women's
Fashion
September
7, 2020
Major
art museums have realized there is much to learn from clothing that is both
religiously coded and fashion forward.
In
2018, the Metropolitan Museum of Art hosted a fashion exhibition inspired by
the Catholic faith titled “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and Catholic Imagination.”
With more than 1.6 million visitors, it was the most popular exhibit in the
Met’s history.
That
same year the de Young Museum of San Francisco had the first major exhibit
devoted to the Islamic fashion scene. “Contemporary Muslim Fashions” displayed
80 swoon-worthy ensembles – glamorous gowns, edgy streetwear, conceptual
couture – loosely organized by region and emphasizing distinct textile
traditions. This exhibit wa a bold statement of cultural appreciation during a
time of heightened anti-Muslim rhetoric.
In
studying how Muslim women dress for over a decade, I realized a deeper
understanding of Muslim women’s clothing can challenge popular stereotypes
about Islam. Here are three takeaways.
1.
Modesty is not one thing
While
there are scattered references to modest dress in the sacred written sources of
Islam, these religious texts do not spend a lot of time discussing the ethics
of Muslim attire. And once I started to pay attention to how Muslims dress, I
quickly realized that modesty does not look the same everywhere.
I
traveled to Iran, Indonesia and Turkey for my research on Muslim women’s
clothing. The Iranian penal code requires women to wear proper Islamic clothing
in public, although what that entails is never defined. The morality police
harass and arrest women who they think expose too much hair or skin. Yet even
under these conditions of intense regulation and scrutiny, women wear a
remarkable range of styles – from edgy ripped jeans and graphic tees to bohemian
loose flowy separates.
Indonesia
is the most populous Muslim nation in the world, but Indonesian women did not
wear head coverings or modest clothing until about 30 years ago. Today local
styles integrate crystal and sequin embellishments. Popular fabric choices
include everything from pastel chiffon to bright batik, which is promoted as
the national textile.
When
it comes to Turkey, for much of the last century authorities discouraged Muslim
women from wearing pious fashion, claiming these styles were “unmodern” because
they were not secular. That changed with the rise of the Islamic middle class,
when Muslim women began to demand an education, to work outside the home and to
wear modest clothing and a headscarf as they did so. Today local styles tend to
be tailored closely to the body, with high necklines and low hemlines and
complete coverage of the hair.
A
stunning range of Muslim fashions are found here in the United States as well,
reflecting the diversity of its approximately 3.45 million Muslims. Fifty-eight
percent of Muslim adults in the U.S. are immigrants, coming from some 75
countries. And U.S.-born Muslims are diverse as well. For instance, more than
half of Muslims whose families have been in the U.S. for at least three
generations are black.
This
diversity provides the opportunity for hybrid identities, which are displayed
through clothing styles.
2.
Muslim women don’t need saving
Many
non-Muslims see Muslim women’s clothing and headscarves as a sign of
oppression. It is true that a Muslim woman’s clothing choices are shaped by her
community’s ideas about what it means to be a good Muslim. But this situation
is not unlike that for non-Muslim women, who likewise have to negotiate
expectations concerning their behavior.
In
my book, I introduce readers to a number of women who use their clothing to
express their identity and assert their independence. Tari is an Indonesian
college student who covers her head at her parents’ objections. Her parents
worry that a headscarf will make it harder for Tari to get a job after
graduation. But for Tari, whose friends all cover their hair, her clothing is
the primary way she communicates her personal style and her Muslim identity.
Nur,
who majored in communications at Istanbul Commerce University, dresses modestly
but is highly critical of the pressure she sees the apparel industry putting on
Muslim women to buy brand-name clothing. For her, Muslim style does not have to
come with a high price tag.
Leila
works for the Iranian government and considers her off-duty clothing choices a
form of civil disobedience. Monday through Friday she wears dark colors and
long baggy overcoats. But on the weekends she pushes the limits of
acceptability with tight-fitting outfits and heavy makeup – sartorial choices
that might get her in trouble with the morality police. She accepts the legal
obligation to wear Islamic clothing in public, but asserts her right to decide
what that entails.
Designers
have also used clothing to protest issues affecting their communities. The de
Young exhibit, for example, includes a scarf by designer Céline Semaan to
protest against Trump’s travel ban. The scarf features a NASA satellite image
of several of the countries whose citizens are denied entry to the U.S ,
overlaid with the word “Banned.”
3.
Muslims contribute to mainstream society
A
2017 Pew survey showed that 50 percent of Americans say Islam is not a part of
mainstream society. But as Muslim models and Muslim designers are increasingly
recognized by the fashion world, the misperception of Muslims as outsiders has
the potential to change.
Muslim
models are spokespersons for top cosmetic brands, walk the catwalk for high end
designers and are featured in print ads for major labels.
Today
clothing inspired by Islamic aesthetics is marketed to all consumers, not just
Muslim ones. Take the most recent collection of British Muslim designer Hana
Tajima for Uniqlo. In its promotional materials, the global casual wear
retailer described the garments as “culturally sensitive and extremely versatile,”
clothing for cosmopolitan women of all backgrounds.
To
be hip today is to dress in culturally inclusive ways, and this includes modest
styles created by Muslim designers and popularized by Muslim consumers. Fashion
makes it clear that Muslims are not only part of mainstream society, they are
contributors to it.
This
article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated
to sharing ideas from academic experts.
https://news.yahoo.com/three-things-learn-contemporary-muslim-150802388.html
--------
Aligarh
Muslim University Organised Workshop On 21st Century Female Leader
September
7, 2020
Aligarh:
Experts nurtured, encouraged and catalyzed the potential of female students to
transform themselves and their country through leadership and economic
participation during the Online Workshop on ’21st Century Female Leader: How to
be Present in the Moment’ organised by the Advanced Centre for Women’s Studies,
Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in collaboration with LedBy Foundation SICI Harvard
Kennedy (Harvard Kennedy School Social Innovation and Change Initiative).
Conducting
the workshop, the resource person, Dr Ruha Shadab (Founder and CEO of LedBy
Foundation) exhorted girl students to become role models for their subordinates
and inspire their teams with leadership skills.
Dr
Ruha with Shabeena Shaikh and Paran Amitava of the LedBy Foundation urged
female students to understand the necessity of women leading from the front.
“There
has been a gradual rise in the number of women in senior leadership and female
leaders from across generations are working together to find new solutions to
the world’s biggest problems”, she added.
The
Chief Guest, Dr Hameeda Tariq, a renowned paediatrician pointed out that women
are proving their capabilities in all sectors and men should consider women as
allies and not threats.
Elaborating
the role of women leaders such as New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern
and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in slowing the spread of the Covid19
pandemic in their respective countries, Dr Hameeda said that these women
leaders took the necessary steps to successfully decrease the rate of
infections at a time when most of the world was struggling to contain the
crisis.
She
emphasised that these women leaders came to the helm of affairs in their
countries because of equal opportunities and the way they were socialised in a
surrounding where work of women is celebrated and appreciated.
Prof
Azra Musavi, Director, Advanced Centre for Women’s Studies asserted that these
workshops are necessary for inspiring and encouraging women students.
She
pointed out that AMU faculty members such as, Prof Zakia Siddiqui, (Founder
Director, Advanced Centre for Women’s Studies) and Prof Shireen Moosvi (Former
Director) have set examples of good leadership skills by establishing the
Centre.
Dr
Juhi Gupta introduced the guests to female participants of the workshop, while
Suheba extended the vote of thanks.
https://indiaeducationdiary.in/aligarh-muslim-university-organised-workshop-on-21st-century-female-leader/
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27
stranded Nigerian girls evacuated from Lebanon
07.09.2020
Some
27 Nigerian girls, who were stranded in Lebanon, returned to their country on
Sunday, local media reported Monday.
The
evacuation of the stranded girls, who arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe
International Airport in Abuja, came as a result of joint effort by the
Nigeria’s federal government, the Lebanese government and its community in
Nigeria, according to The Punch news website.
“I
am here on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs who facilitated
this return, together with the Ministry of Aviation, Embassy of Nigeria in
Beirut, the Lebanese Embassy in Nigeria and the Lebanese community in Nigeria,”
the Punch quoted Ferdinand Nwonye, the Nigerian Foreign Ministry spokesman, as
stating the returnees.
“It
is unfortunate the situation you passed through; which is why the ministries
concerned made sure you are here today and we are telling you that you are now
home today and nothing will happen to you,” he said.
Nwonye
told reporters that the stranded Nigerians were evacuated in line with the
Nigerian federal government’s guidelines on COVID-19 evacuations, according to
The Punch.
The
27 evacuated girls tested negative for the virus before heading to their homeland
and would be allowed to return to their homes following 14 days of
self-isolation, he explained.
The
returnees said they have suffered many challenges in Lebanon with many of them
being owed seven to eight months salaries by their employers, according to The
Interview.
On
Aug. 17, local media reported 71 young Nigerian girls trafficked to Lebanon
were brought back to Abuja after they appeared in a video in which they were
crying for help to be rescued.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/27-stranded-nigerian-girls-evacuated-from-lebanon/1965431
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Daesh
women crowdfund smuggler fees to escape SDF detention
September
07, 2020
LONDON:
British and other European female Daesh recruits are being smuggled out of
detention camps in Syria, with some going on to raise funds online for others
to do the same, according to Daesh social media networks.
Numerous
Europeans have escaped Kurdish detention in Al-Hol camp in northeast Syria, and
at least one British Daesh bride is now fundraising online to procure smugglers
to free other detained women.
A
recent video filmed in Idlib — the last rebel-held stronghold in Syria — and
published on Telegram and Facebook showed the British woman, identified as
Maryam Al-Britaniya, urging followers to donate money to help others escape.
“Being
sent out from the Islamic State (Daesh) to the camps was by far one of the
worst moments of my life,” she said, before describing conditions for other
women who remain in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) camp.
“It’s
obligatory on you to free them. Help them and donate every month to help
smuggle them out.”
Other
posts online in English, French, German, Russian and other European languages
have been crowdfunding cash to allegedly help smuggle women and their families
out of Al-Hol.
“This
sister has to have the money by Friday, €1000 ($1,182) is still missing,” one
post in German said.
Another,
in French, read: “Only €3000 more is needed to free two of your sisters. Add
this good deed to your balance, it may gain you entry into paradise.”
Smugglers
charge roughly £12,000 ($15,785) to break families out of Al-Hol, and this
money is usually paid via PayPal or Bitcoin.
It
is not clear how many Daesh members have managed to escape, but footage of numerous
failed attempts has been shared by the SDF, including that of British twins
from Manchester, Zahra and Salma Halane.
Since
Kurdish and Arab forces, under the SDF banner and backed by the US, defeated
Daesh in Syria, they have been left guarding prisons full of thousands of
fighters and their families.
Roughly
10,000 male fighters and around 70,000 women and children are detained in
Al-Hol, including many Europeans, several dozen British women and up to 60
British children.
The
SDF and the US have repeatedly urged European governments to repatriate their
citizens, but those calls have gone largely unanswered.
Raffaello
Pantucci, senior associate fellow at London’s Royal United Services Institute,
said this makes Western security forces’ lives easier in the short term, but it
is not a sustainable long-term strategy.
“The
worrisome thing is, the longer we leave them stuck in this limbo, and with kids
in tow, frankly the more radical they’re going to get and the greater the
threat they might pose,” he added. “Bring them home and get them in court,” or
“God knows where else they might show up.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1730936/middle-east
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Pakistan
Prepares to Free Female Prisoners Amid Calls for Jail Reforms
By
Ayaz Gul
September
07, 2020
ISLAMABAD
- Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan recently directed authorities to release
hundreds of female prisoners who are awaiting trial for minor offenses or who
have served most of their prison terms.
Rights
advocates have hailed the move, hoping it will help ease the plight of the
country’s female prison population.
Khan’s
directive last week stemmed from a new, official study that found women’s jails
are rife with poor conditions and that authorities often ignore laws meant to
protect female inmates.
The
report by the federal Human Rights Ministry said that of the 1,121 women in
prison as of mid-2020, nearly 67% had not been convicted of any offense and
were detained while awaiting conclusion of their trial.
The
government has pledged to pay the financial penalties outstanding against
female prisoners whose remaining sentences are less than three years so they
could be released immediately.
Khan
has also asked for “immediate reports on foreign women prisoners and women on
death row for humanitarian consideration” and possible release.
“Inmates
of jails in Pakistan do not often have a reason to collectively rejoice, but a
humane decision by the federal government will have many female prisoners doing
precisely that,” the English-language daily DAWN wrote in its editorial on
Khan’s announcement.
Need
for reform
On
Monday, Human Rights Watch (HRW), responding to the official actions, noted
that the ministry’s report had highlighted “the massive scale of mistreatment”
of women prisoners in Pakistan and the need for broad and sustained prison
reform.
“While
an important step, this report can only bring change if Pakistani authorities
follow its recommendations and end widespread abuse,” said Brad Adams, Asia
director at the global organization.
The
official report has found that 134 women had children with them in prison, some
as old as 9 and 10, despite the legal limit of 5 years.
“A
critical lack of funding in the prison health care system has meant that
mothers whose children are with them in prison often lack essential health
care, leaving both the women and the children at risk of contracting
infections,” HRW said.
The
outbreak of the coronavirus in Pakistan prompted the Supreme Court in April to
warn authorities that inmates in the country’s overcrowded prisons could become
victims of the pandemic.
The
court ordered Khan's government to reduce prison congestion by freeing
prisoners suffering from a mental or physical illness, inmates 55 years or
older, male prisoners without any past convictions who are awaiting trial, as
well as women and juvenile inmates.
Overcrowding
Pakistan’s
overall prison population officially stands at more than 73,000 inmates, with
most of them living in cramped conditions. Government estimates put the total
capacity of prisons across the country at nearly 58,000.
Most
of the detainees are said to be awaiting trial and have not been convicted.
Critics say court cases in Pakistan can take years, if not decades, to
conclude, even ordinary disputes, because of a shortage of judges and lawyers,
and rampant corruption, particularly in the lower judiciary.
A
government study released earlier this year had also highlighted widespread
problems in Pakistani prisons. It found that almost 2,400 prisoners at the time
suffered from chronic contagious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis and
tuberculosis.
“The
Human Rights Ministry report is an opportunity for the Pakistan government to
take meaningful steps to improve the treatment of women in prisons in the
country and start a much-needed process of systemic, large-scale prison
reform,” Adams said.
https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/pakistan-prepares-free-female-prisoners-amid-calls-jail-reforms
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Quranic
Courses for Women to Be Held in Iraq
September
07, 2020
According
to Al-Kafeel website, Minar Javad Al-Jabouri, head of the institute, said that
the center will organize the courses in the holy city of Najaf and some other
parts of the country.
The
Quranic educational programs will be held online this year due to the
coronavirus restrictions.
Quran
recitation, memorization and Tajweed principles are among the themes of the
courses.
https://iqna.ir/en/news/3472483/quranic-courses-for-women-to-be-held-in-iraq
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Nationwide
Literacy Campaign Draws Women To Classes In Turkey
SEP
07, 2020
Aliteracy
campaign launched by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and First Lady Emine
Erdoğan in 2018 has so far reached nearly 1.05 million people, a majority of
them women.
Around
85% of those applying for literacy classes across Turkey were women, the latest
figures show. Interest in classes was highest in Istanbul, the southeastern
province of Diyarbakır and the southern province of Gaziantep.
Yusuf
Büyük, head of the Education Ministry's Lifelong Learning Department which
supervises the campaign, says almost half of applicants are aged between 23 and
44.
Public
schools and lifelong learning centers have drawn people from all walks of life
and of all ages to learn to read and write. Some 94,000 courses were introduced
as part of the literacy campaign.
Büyük
says more than 800 million people in the world are illiterate and they face
challenges every day, from the inability to fill in job applications to
"not being able to read bedtime stories to their children. Literacy allows
them access to information as vital as protecting their health and boosting
their income," he added. He says women make up the majority of illiterate
people in the world.
"Despite
the progress made, the number of women knowing how to read and write is still
below men in one in every five countries in the world," he pointed out.
In
Turkey, literacy among people aged 15 and over is 95.9% according to 2019
figures. Although access to education has increased, girls in rural areas,
where every family member works to earn a living for the family at an early
age, are often forced to quit education by their parents. Coupled with an
ultraconservative patriarchal mindset, girls are often convinced or forced to
drop out of school after completing mandatory primary education.
Büyük
says they increased the number of literacy classes both at lifelong learning
centers and schools, as well as in correctional facilities, adding that they
also initiated literacy classes for citizens confined to hospitals. "More
than 855,000 citizens learned how to read and write for the first time while
others improved their literacy level in 113,828 courses," Büyük said.
He
said they managed to reach out to about 30% of the country's illiterate
population. Turkey recently introduced distance learning courses for literacy
via an online portal of the ministry which offers video lessons for students.
https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/education/nationwide-literacy-campaign-draws-women-to-classes-in-turkey
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