Taliban Let Girls Return to Some High Schools, Segregating Classes and Teachers by Gender
New
Age Islam News Bureau
28
October 2021
•
First Indoor Football Championship for Female Students in Saudi Arabia to Kick-Off
•
At United Nations, Afghan Women's "Simple" Appeal: Don't Let Taliban
In
•
Egypt's National Council of Women Chief Maya Morsi Presents before UNCHR
Figures, Legislations Reflecting Women Empowerment
•
Turkish, Syrian Women Join Forces for Olive Production
•
Will Quota Seats In Iraqi Politics Advance Women's Rights?
•
Unemployment among Egyptian Women Declines To 17.7%: Planning Minister to World
Economic Forum Directors
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/taliban-girl-education-afghanistan/d/125665
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Taliban Let Girls Return to Some High Schools, Segregating Classes and Teachers by Gender
Christina
Goldbaum
Oct
28, 2021
Taliban's lack of clarity has led to increased
worry among female educators and students who fear the group could return to
the hardline restrictions of their five-year rule in the 1990s [File: Jalil
Rezayee/EPA]
------
Mazar-E-Sharif:
When Nargis and her sisters were finally allowed to return to school last month,
they braced for the new world outside their home. Following their mom's lead,
each layered on a black dress, black Abaaya, headscarf and Niqab, as well as a
face mask. Minutes later, overcome by anxiety, Nargis' sister Hadiya, 16,
fainted even before leaving the house. When Hadiya went outside and saw a Talib
for the first time, tears poured down her face.
Still,
the girls consider themselves lucky. In Mazar-e-Sharif, a commercial hub in
Afghanistan's north, the Taliban have allowed middle- and high school-aged
girls back into the classrooms, even as in the rest of the country most have
been forced to stay home.
Under
pressure from foreign governments and international aid groups, Taliban
officials insist that things will be different for girls and women from the
last time the militants were in power, and that some form of education for them
will be permitted, including graduate and postgraduate programmes. Some middle
and high schools have already been allowed to reopen for girls in the north,
where women have long played a more prominent role in society than in the
Taliban's southern heartland.
But
many parents and teachers still have doubts that the move means the new
government, which so far has kept women out of government and most
public-facing jobs, will rule any different than before. "They may open
schools, but indirectly they are trying to destroy women's education,"
said Shakila, Nargis and Hadiya's mother. Already in Mazar-e-Sharif, the
conditions for girls' return are so restrictive that many are simply forgoing
education altogether.
New
rules segregating classes and teachers by gender have exacerbated a severe
teacher shortage and threaten to eliminate higher education opportunities for
girls. Many parents have kept their daughters home, afraid to send them to
school with armed Talibs lining the streets. Others no longer see the value of
educating daughters who would graduate into a country where job opportunities
for women seemed to disappear overnight.
The
Taliban have not clearly stated why some girls have been allowed to return, but
not others. But other recent policy decisions, like excluding women from top
government positions and shuttering the ministry of women's affairs, have sent
a clear message to Afghan women: Even if they can get an education, their role
in society will be circumscribed.
Source:
Times of India
--------
First
Indoor Football Championship for Female Students in Saudi Arabia to Kick Off
October
25, 2021
The
tournament has been lauded as an important step for the Saudi sports world.
(SPA)
-----
RIYADH
— Saudi Arabia’s first indoor football championship for female university
students will kick off here on Tuesday. The Saudi Universities Sports
Federation (SUSF) is organizing the tournament that coincides with the second
sports season for female university students.
Minister
of Education and Chairman of the Board of Directors of SUSF Dr. Hamad Al-Sheikh
will grace the occasion of launching the sports season at King Saud University
(KSU). Those who will be attending the launching ceremony include Dr. Ghada
Bint Saif, deputy president of KSU, and Dr. Mezna Al-Marzooqi, advisor at SUSF
and head of the Female Students’ Sports Development Team at SUSF.
SUSF
President Dr. Khalid Almuzaini said that this is the first indoor football
tournament for female students in the history of Saudi Arabia.
“Developing
female students’ sports is one of the most important projects of SUSF. This is
the second season for female students’ competitions and the first season was
held last year, despite the difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic,”
he said.
He
stressed that the federation seeks in all its activities the importance of
equal opportunities for both genders.
SUSF
Secretary Dr. Abdulelah Al-Silwi said that the federation would hold eight
championships for female students during this season. “The federation enjoys
great cooperation from Saudi universities to make the female competitions a
great success,” he said.
For
her part, Dr. Mezna Al-Marzooqi congratulated SUSF officials, especially the
women’s team, on the occasion of the start of the second season of the female
students’ championships.
Director
of the Futsal Championship Haifa Al-Suwailem said that preparations for the
tournament are in full swing. A total of 94 players representing seven
universities will participate in the tournament, which will conclude on Friday.
The
universities include Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University, King Saud
University, Princess Noura Bint Abdulrahman University, Northern Border
University, Al-Jouf University, King Faisal University, and Inaya Medical
Colleges.
Source:
Saudi Gazette
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/612702
--------
At
United Nations, Afghan Women's "Simple" Appeal: Don't Let Taliban In
October
22, 2021
Left to right: Former Afghan diplomat Asila
Wardak, former Afghan politician and peace negotiator Fawzia Koofi, Afghan
journalist Anisa Shaheed and former Afghan politician, Naheed Fareed speak to
reporters outside the U.N. Security Council, in New York, U.S. October 21,
2021. REUTERS/Michelle Nichols
------
United
Nations: A group of Afghan women urged the United Nations to block the Taliban
from gaining a seat at the world body, calling for better representation for
their country during a visit to the organisation's New York headquarters on
Thursday.
"It's
very simple," former Afghan politician and peace negotiator Fawzia Koofi
told reporters outside the UN Security Council in New York. "The UN needs
to give that seat to somebody who respects the rights of everyone in
Afghanistan."
"We
are talked a lot about, but we are not listened to," she said of Afghan
women. "Aid, money, recognition - they are all leverage that the world
should use for inclusion, for respect to the rights of women, for respect to
the rights of everybody."
Koofi
was joined by former politician, Naheed Fareed, former diplomat Asila Wardak
and journalist Anisa Shaheed.
"When
the Taliban took Afghanistan ... they said that they will give permission to
women to resume their jobs, to go back to the school, but they didn't keep that
promise," said Fareed.
Since
seizing power in mid-August, Taliban leaders have vowed to respect women's
rights in accordance with sharia, or Islamic law. But under Taliban rule from
1996 to 2001, women could not work and girls were banned from school. Women had
to cover their faces and be accompanied by a male relative when they left home.
The
United Nations is considering rival claims on who should represent Afghanistan.
The Taliban nominated their Doha-based spokesman Suhail Shaheen as UN
ambassador, while Ghulam Isaczai - the UN envoy representing the government
ousted by the Taliban - is seeking to remain in the country's seat.
UN
member states are expected to make a decision by the end of the year.
Wardak
urged countries to pressure the Taliban "to put their words in action"
when it comes to women's rights, adding: "If you're going to give them a
seat, there should be conditions."
The
women spoke to reporters before addressing a UN event on support for Afghan
women and girls, organized by Britain, Qatar, Canada, UN Women and the
Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security.
The
UN Security Council also met separately on Thursday to discuss women, peace and
security.
"Women
and girls in Afghanistan are pinning their hopes and dreams on this very
council and world body to help them recover their rights to work, travel and go
to school," Isaczai told the 15-member council. "It would be morally
reprehensible if we do nothing and let them down."
Source:
ND TV
--------
Egypt's
National Council of Women Chief Maya Morsi Presents before UNCHR Figures,
Legislations Reflecting Women Empowerment
26
Oct 2021
CAIRO
– 26 October 2021: President of the National Council of Women (NCW) Maya Morsi
presented Tuesday before the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR)
in Geneva a report on the progress Egypt made to Implement articles of the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW).
The
following is NCW president's speech:
I
would like to express my pleasure today for presenting Egypt’s report after an
absence of more than ten years, during which, Egypt witnessed many political,
social, economic events and developments,
I
affirm that my presentation is complement to what was stated in the report and
the responses we provided to the questions received to Egypt.
The
esteemed Committee
Egypt
witnessed the January 25 revolution of 2011 followed by a dark year due to the
rule of the Muslim Brotherhood, during this year women’s achievements were
subjected to a setback, the percentage of representation in Parliament dropped
to 2%, while it was 12% before the revolution, there were demands in Parliament
to amend personal status laws with the repealing of the law of khul’ (which is
a woman’s right to divorce herself), the reduction of the age of child custody from 15 to 7 years, the
reduction of the age of marriage, the repealing of the law on female genital
mutilation “FGM”, directions appeared to exclude women from leadership and executive
positions, and The history of the Egyptian women's struggle was obliterated in
the school curricula.
That
period also witnessed the adoption of the 2012 Constitution, which represented
a major setback to the rights of Egyptian women, where it dealt with woman from
the perspective of the family only, not as a partner in the country, through
only one article moreover the only female judge of the Supreme Constitutional
Court was excluded, this deprived right, which was recovered in December 2020
with the appointment of a woman judge at the Supreme Constitutional Court.
It
is worth noting that the premises of the National Council for Women was
completely burnt down during the events of the January 2011 revolution, But it
gathered its strength thereof, and continued its work until the reformation in
2012 to face a greater challenge during the rule of the Brotherhood, which
fought NCW with all its might through deliberate malicious campaigns to
intimidate and prevent it from defending women’s rights, and expressing their
hopes.
Then
the June 30, 2013 revolution commenced, where women led and proved to be the
primary and 1st line of defense for their rights, the 2014 constitution was
issued and included more than 20 articles regulating the issues of citizenship,
equality and criminalizing violence and non-discrimination.
Esteemed
Committee
2016
witnessed the re-formation of the National Council for Women, to include for
the first-time representation of women with disabilities, rural, and young
women.
I
now proudly stand before you, , as the third and youngest elected president of
the National Council for Women, to assure that the Council, by virtue of the
constitution and the law, has become a firm national mechanism with a strong
and active presence, as the law regulating its work issued in 2018 becoming an
independent national council, where its president holds the rank of minister,
reporting directly to the President of the Republic, as he is the supreme
executive authority in Egypt, and to both government and parliament.
The
number of women beneficiaries of the activities increased to more than 28
million beneficiaries in 2020 ,while it was 393 thousand in 2014 , and the
budget allocated to NCW multiplied by nearly five times.
Esteemed
committee
The
Egyptian government composes of264 units in its central and a local structure
that includes public units and departments to achieve equal opportunities for
the empowerment of women in all ministries and the affiliated bodies and
directorates in 27 governorates.
Esteemed
committee
In
June 2014, a new era began, when the President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi assumed the
presidency, a conscious and enlightened political will that respected and
valued women was born with the belief that empowering them is a national duty
and an inherent human right.
This
was embodied in a historical precedent by declaring 2017 a “year of Egyptian
Women, and the “National Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women 2030”
was launched, within the framework of the sustainable development goals, in
line with Egypt’s Vision 2030, and in a participatory approach with all
concerned parties and civil society.
The
United Nations declared that Egypt is the first in the world that launches the
national strategy within the framework of the sustainable development goals.
In
parallel, the "Egyptian Women's Observatory" was established as an
independent observatory to ensure the follow-up of the implementation of the
strategy through the accurate and continuous application of monitoring and
evaluation mechanisms.
The
esteemed committee
The
National Human Rights strategy was recently launched, where women is a main
focus area, in consistent with the objectives of the National Strategy for the
Empowerment of Egyptian Women 2030
With
regard to planning responsive to the needs of Egyptian women, a national review
of the statistics was conducted; to set priorities and produce accurate data.
The
Ministry of Planning and Economic Development prepared the first follow-up
guide for women-sensitive planning. The Ministry of Finance is working on
reviving the application of the principles of women-sensitive budgeting, which
Egypt adopted to implement in 2008, and Egypt has also begun to implement
participatory budgeting
The
allocations directly related to women in the state’s general budget multiplied
this year, For example, within the framework of health programs, they reached
202 million EGP, 19 billion EGP for social protection, 179.3 million pounds for
health insurance for women heads of households ,1837 billion EGP to spend on
services provided to women and men without discrimination , half of them are
directed to women ,and 2.9 billion EGP for women in the family development plan
to be launched soon
Microfinance
balances have grown to reach 9 billion EGP, at a rate of 11%, and the
percentage of women benefiting there from has reached 62%, while 4.3 billion
EGP in loans have been provided to women entrepreneurs during the past two
years.
Esteemed
committee:
The
constitutional rights of women have been translated into laws, strategies and
executive programs, a constitutional quota that guarantees the presence of 25%
of women in Parliament, 25% in local councils, 10% in the Senate, and tangible
representation in the boards of directors of financial companies and the
banking sector.
At
the same time, several campaigns were launched; Empowering women and protecting
them from all forms of violence, combating information technology crimes, safe
transportation for them, making them aware of their rights and the services
provided by the state to them, inclusion of men and young people, from these
campaigns; the “Taa’ Marboota", the Secret of Your Strength” campaign,
which succeeded in achieving 135 million outreach, knocking-doors campaigns
achieved 42 million visits, the "ethical code for women in the media"
was launched, and a media observatory was established to follow up on the
implementation thereof.
During
the Covid-19 pandemic, a program was adopted to raise awareness of the
repercussions of Covid-19, and the development of referral systems and hotlines
to provide economic and psychological support in addition to electronic
awareness campaigns, moreover, campaigns to combat cybercrime were launched in
partnership with Facebook and Instagram platforms.
The
National Coordinating Committee for Combating and Preventing Illegal Migration
and Trafficking in Persons was established and headed by a woman, the first
hosting shelter for victims of human trafficking was established, lines were
allocated to report these crimes, a presidential campaign was launched to raise
awareness on the dangers of illegal immigration led by the Ministry of
Migration, and Specialized criminal departments were established within the
courts of appeal at the republic level for these crimes .
A
significant study is also undergone the issues related to the situation of
domestic workers, to provide protection with a legal and legitimate framework
for them, a draft contract to improve the conditions of female workers in this
sector was also presented.
The
esteemed committee
Egypt
is the first Arab country to launch a survey "The Economic Cost of
Violence against Women in Egypt.
During
the covid-19 pandemic, several opinion polls were launched for Egyptian women
about the covid-19 and the consequences on the family, it started in April 2020
and the results showed a 19% increase in violence rates among family members,
7% the rate at which wives were exposed to violence by their husbands, this
data is periodically updated.
Egypt
has also recently adopted a set of important executive procedures and policies
in the field of women's protection, including the decree of the Prime Minister
to create the first one stop center for the protection of women victims of
violence, where a consolidated headquarters is established for the services of
the concerned authorities and ministries in one place to facilitate the
procedures followed, a code of conduct has been adopted in the transportation
sector to promote the safe movement of women, an ethical code to promote a safe
work environment for women in financial companies, 26 units were established to
combat harassment and violence within universities, four medical response units
within universities hospitals, a unit to combat violence against women in the
Ministry of Justice, units in directorates of The Ministry of Interior, and 27
digital offices for family offices in the Public Prosecution
The
complaints office of the National Council for Women includes a network of legal
supporters, where there are in the administrative structure80 lawyers and case
managers, and 450 volunteer lawyers, provides legal, psychological and social
support services and referrals to the concerned authorities.
With
regard to the executive procedures and the practical application of the law
during the period from January to September 2021, the Complaints Office
succeeded in obtaining judicial rulings in favor of the complainant woman in
1,367 cases.
Reporting
lines were also provided to assist victims of violence in all its forms in the
National Council for Women, the Ministries of Interior and Transport, the
National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, the General Secretariat for
Mental Health, and the Attorney General's Office.
While
the women’s support offices in the courts received 552 cases,the number of
women attending the offices of persons with disabilities in all courts was
1,177, in addition to the family dispute settlement offices in the family
courts and the legal aid offices in the courts of first instance,3 forensic
clinics were established to medically examine the victims of women in crimes of
violence and sexual assault, and the Forensic Medicine Department participated
in the protocol for establishing women safety medical units in Egyptian
universities
Egypt
was chosen from the first ten countries in the Arab States region to implement
the Essential Services Package model for the United Nations Population Fund
“UNFPA” and the United Nations Women” UN Women”, for the efforts regarding
policies related to empowering women and protecting them from all forms of
violence, gender equality and women's empowerment, and enacting legislations
that addresses all forms of violence ,the first national referral system was
prepared to report cases of violence against women, the essential services
package targets the ministry of justice, public prosecution, ministry of
interior, ministry of health, ministry of social solidarity and other entities.
Training
was provided to those who are concerned with providing services to women
subjected to violence, judges, female judges, members of the Administrative
Prosecution Authority, forensic doctors, doctors and members of the nursing
staff in hospitals, NGOs, Lawyers of the Women’s Complaint Office, social
workers and psychologists, police officers , representatives of Anti-violence units, universities, the
marriage officers, the family prosecutors’ auditors and members of the Public
Prosecution Office
The
First National Committee to eradicate of Female Genital Mutilation “FGM” was
formed in May 2019, the committee succeeded, with the cooperation of all partners,
in achieving 81 million awareness contacts and outreach until September 2021.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, intensive
awareness and media campaigns were organized to raise awareness of the dangers
of this crime, Legislative amendments were issuedand activated to increase the
punishment to prevent committing the crime.
regarding
the executive procedures and the practical application of the FGM law during
the period from January to the end of September 2021, 132 reports were
received, from them, 92 cases were in which the commission of the crime was
ceased, while the number of reports related to female genital mutilation, which
have already been committed, reached 40, and was referred to the Public
Prosecution. Recently, a ruling was issued applying the new law with a severe
penalty.
Esteemed
committee:
The
percentage of women’s representation in the Egyptian parliament increased to
28%, the President of the Republic multiplied appointments in the Senate to
14%, also, women percentage in the Cabinet increased to 25%, 56% in the
diplomatic corps, 27% in the positions of vice- ministers, the deputy governors
are 31%, and 44% are members of the National Council for Human Rights.
A woman was appointed as an advisor to the
President of the Republic for National Security in (2014) to be the first woman
to hold this high position is considered one of 12 advisors to presidents of
the world
For
the first time in the Egyptian history, two women have reached the position of
governor, the first female president of an economic court, the first deputy
governor of the Central Bank,the first female president of the National Council
for Human Rights, and a woman runs the World Youth Forum; as well as a women
deputy to the president of the House of Senate.
There
are 1,988 women out of a total of 4,635 in the Administrative Prosecution
Authority,677 are women advisors to the State lawsuits Authority, 37 are women
advisors to the head of the State lawsuits Authority , and 66 are women judges,
The historic step came after 72 years of struggle, with the appointment of
109women judges and prosecutors to work in the State Council and the Public
Prosecution , we are still hoping to increase the number of women judges.
Awareness
programs have been launched for women on the importance of participating in
elections, the right to vote, and training and mentoring programs, as well as
the issuance of national ID cards for women, amounting to about 965,000 ID free
of charge. The National Training Academy was established, also led by a woman,
aims to achieve human development requirements for youth in all sectors of the
state and to improve their capabilities and skills. The principles of equality
and women's empowerment have been incorporated into their curricula targeting
state employees.
Esteemed
committee
In
addition to what was mentioned in the report, Egypt chairs the Executive
Council of Women development Organization of the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation, holds the position of Under-Secretary-General of the United
Nations, executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and
Director of the International Organization Headquarters.
Esteemed
committee
The
percentage of women graduates of public and private universities reached 57.8%,
56% of women obtained master's and PHD degrees.
The
enrollment rate of girls enrolled in education reached 49.2%, while the rate of
girls’ enrollment in pre-university education in the rural areas has been close
to that in the urban areas in the last three years, the rate of girls’ enrollment
in education in the rural areas has increased to be more than in the urban in
the last two years, a guide has been produced Promoting gender equality and
women's empowerment and equal educational opportunities, and the curricula at
all educational levels included a section on women and their national role.
Moreover,
the enrollment rate of refugee and migrant students in Egyptian schools has
increased during the last three years, with an average enrollment rate of
nearly 48%.
There
was a decrease in the percentage of girls dropping out of school from 4.5%
between 2014-2015 to 2.5% during 2019-2020, the illiteracy rate of women
decreased to nearly 20% in 2020, while it was more than 30% in 2014.
The
"gender gaps" in the education levels in Egypt have vanished.
Thanks
to all these achievements, Egypt joined the category of countries with high
human development.
Esteemed
committee
In
the field of economic empowerment and women's work, which is one of the biggest
challenges; the unemployment rate of women decreased from 24% in 2014 to 17.7%
in 2020,the participation rate thereof in the labor force dropped to 16.8% in
2020,the percentage of women who hold transaction accounts increased to 47.5%
Compared to 27% in 2017.
Egypt
calculates the cost of unpaid care, estimated at 496 billion pounds, women and
girls bear the responsibilities of caring for children and the elderly, in
addition to daily household chores, the imbalance is particularly evident
through the social situation.
With
regard to tools for integrating the principles of women's empowerment, Egypt
has implemented international tools in cooperation with the United Nations
Development Program, the World Bank, the World Economic Forum and the UN Women.
Esteemed
committee
The
Presidential Initiative for Women's Health was issued for the early detection
of breast cancer and the detection of other diseases. The initiative reached 19
million women, which led to a 50% decrease in the percentage of women with the
disease from the third and fourth degree to the first and second degree.
Regarding
to reproductive health and family planning, the percentage of women using
family planning methods has increased to nearly 60%
Social
empowerment services are provided to women, as 31.3 million women benefited
from ration cards, 75% of the total beneficiaries of social protection programs
until February 2021, and 64% of women benefited from training programs for the
micro, small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency.
The
Ministry of Youth and Sports established the Higher Committee for Women’s
Sports, headed by the National Council for Women, to prepare specialized
studies for women’s sports aimed at increasing the number thereof as coaches,
players, referees and administrators, and to develop programs and an action plan
to meet the challenges facing women in the sports field.
Rural
women receive the attention of the Egyptian state, as the percentage of women
in the informal sector who benefited from cash support reached 47.4%,the value
of the monthly income of rural women leaders increased from 300 to 900 Egyptian
pounds, during the Covid-19 pandemic
Rural
women have also been participated in savings, loans and financial inclusion
programs in partnership with the United Nations and the Central Bank, targeting
500,000 women, the allocations for women in the family development plan amount
to 2.9 billion pounds.
And
recently, in 2021, the "Hayah Karima Decent Life" program was
launched, which aims to enhance infrastructure, and includes programs for
economic and social empowerment, the program is the largest development program
in Egypt and around the world that includes women and considers planning for
their needs, this program includes allocating 800 billion pounds to 58 million
citizens, and 50% of them are women, in 4584 Egyptian villages.
Esteemed
committee
In
addition to what was stated in the report, the Financial guardianship act, the
bullying law, the protection of victims of sexual harassment and assault crimes
law, the Personal Data Protection online law, were issued, the amendments to
female genital mutilation for the third time, the increasing of the penalty for
harassment for the second time, and the prevention of discrimination against
women in financial services.
Recently,
the Central Bank of Egypt issued new regulations to facilitate guardianship
transactions over minors' accounts.
Although
the Personal Status Law is still in the process of preparation, there are many
amendments that have been approved and are related to personal status issues,
including the amendment of some provisions of the Penal Code to confront those
evading the payment of alimony or those who are stubborn in paying alimonies
debts, and regulating some litigation situations and procedures in personal
status issues.
There
are laws that we still hope to be issued, such as the issuance of a law to
prevent child marriage, the strengthening of procedures to prevent forced and
temporary marriage, the proposal of a draft regulating domestic workers, the
issuance of an alternative penal code for male and female debtors imprisoned
“replacing freedom-depriving penalties with public service” , making further
legislative amendments to the code of Criminal Procedure for the Protection of
Witnesses and reporters, a new Personal Status Law that guarantees the best
interest of the child and promotes women's rights and facilitates obtaining all
her rights and the rights of her children fully without delay, and we seek to
issue a comprehensive law to protect women from violence, including amendments
to the Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure with regard to
discriminatory articles, and criminalizing all forms of violence against women.
With
regard to the amendments to labor laws, we hope to put legal articles in the
labor law that criminalize and punish harassment, violence in the work
environment, continue issuing codes of professional conduct that provide the
punishment of any discriminatory practices or all forms of violence or
harassment in the workplace, to stipulate the principle of Equal pay for equal
value, amending the maternity leave in the Labor Law (the private sector) in
accordance with the international period, and
the Civil Service Law (which is 120 days),and a proposal for paid
paternity leave.
Esteemed
committee
The
constitution paid attention to persons with disabilities and allocated a
percentage for them in Parliament, a law was passed to organize the work of the
National Council for Disability, a law for the rights of people with
disabilities, a law to criminalize bullying and increase the penalty in case of
the victim or the person with disabilities, the application of accessibility
models in government buildings, a code of conduct for dealing with women with
disabilities in government service agencies, and awareness programs were launched
on the laws of the rights of women with disabilities.
The
Ministry of Social Solidarity also provides a variety of services to women with
disabilities, including: rehabilitation, physical therapy, day and night
hosting, training, and scholarships for blind female students.
The
number of beneficiaries reached 126,200 women with disabilities, the ministry
also launched a campaign to employ people with disabilities, especially women,
the number of women with disabilities who benefited from the "Karama"
program reached about 258,340, with a total monthly cost of 116.253.000 pounds.
Periodic
visits to the women’s prison are organized, providing awareness-raising
meetings about public health, health care, basic services such as literacy
classes, a comprehensive library, and the possibility of female prisoners to
complete their studies, in addition to providing production units such as a
sewing workshop and a manual labor workshop.
Female
prisoners are paid a fee for selling their products, in addition providing
yards for sports activities.
The
imprisoned mother has the right to keep her child with her until he reaches the
age of four, and to obtain the right of visitation after that age
With
regard to equal pay, the National Council for Wages has been reconstituted to
include in the membership, the National Council for Women to ensure the study
of policies responsive to women's needs.
The
Egyptian government also approved a draft law on the rights of the elderly men
and women; to emphasize the enhancing of social protection and providing money,
housing, care, health and psychological services to them.
The
Ministry of Social Solidarity provides cash support of 262,000to elderly women
who lack the economic situation that provides them with a decent life, at a
value of more than 1 billion pounds annually, 6% of the total cash support
budget, The Ministry has 168 nursing homes for the elderly, comprising at least
2,000 men and 2,200 women, and provides them with protection and services, and
70% of them receive pensions.
The
Ministry also provides programs to support and empower the elderly in
cooperation with Nasser Bank, including providing job opportunities,
interest-free loans, and elderly home expenses and others, while the Ministry
of Interior allocates separate places for the elderly (including women) and
people with disabilities in all police agencies that provide public services.
Esteemed
committee
Egypt
places the agenda of women, security and peace at the heart & center of its
international and regional efforts to achieve peace, in light of the strong
political will and sincere commitment to empowering women and girls, Egypt is
one of the largest contributors countries to United Nations peacekeeping
operations, Egypt's first national plan for women, peace and security is being
prepared.
The
features of Egypt’s agenda include strengthening the role of women as
mediators, preservers and peace builders, and strengthening gender-sensitive
peacekeeping operations, In addition to external support for efforts to combat sexual
abuse and exploitation in United Nations operations, effective participation in
regional mediator networks, and training of Egyptian peacekeeping forces on
preserving and building a peace that is sensitive to the situation and needs of
women.
With
regard to climate and environmental change, environmental camps were set up,
aimed at training women and encouraging them to engage in environmentally
friendly industries such as waste recycling projects, organic farming, biogas
production and alternative energy, awareness was raised on the sustainable
management of torrents.
The
Ministry of Environment also launched an environmental awareness campaign and
solid waste recycling to spread awareness about safe disposal and recycling of
solid and agricultural waste, and agricultural waste recycling projects were
launched in the governorates.
Esteemed
committee
Egypt
was the first country in the world, with the testimony of the United Nations,
to issue a quick response policy towards the situation of women during the
Covid-19 pandemic, and the first country in the world to issue a tracker to
monitor the measures taken by the state in response to the needs of women.
The
United Nations Development Program and United Nations Women have issued a
report confirming that Egypt is the first in the Middle East and North Africa
and Arab countries to take measures that take into account the needs of women
in light of the pandemic.
The
United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted an Egyptian resolution on
strengthening a rapid national and international response to the impact of
COVID-19 on women and girls.
Five
reports were issued that monitored 165 supporting policies and preventive
measures for Egyptian women from March 2020 to January 2021 in the areas of the
labor market, protection from violence against women, social protection,
policies responsive to women's needs, and financial and economic policies.
The
Esteemed Committee
Despite
the great achievements and gains mentioned, and the preservation of previous
achievements, which have been achieved for women in the field of equality and
non-discrimination, there are still challenges that we are working on in
partnership with concerned ministries, entities & civil society
organizations, including: the persistence of some negative cultural legacies
that entrench discrimination against women, and the low percentage of females
in the labor force, which is the main challenge facing Egyptian women now.
Finally
I
affirm Egypt’s constitutional and legal commitment to the principles of
non-discrimination, equality and equal opportunities, and that human rights and
freedom under the constitution, are a supreme value that includes rights that
shall not be waived, divided or disposed of, and the principles shall be deemed
as constitutional texts that the legislator is bound by, shall not be deviated,
violated, prejudiced, or disrupted, except by the rules and procedures
stipulated in the constitution and under the supervision of the judiciary.
Source:
Egypt Today
--------
Turkish,
Syrian women join forces for olive production
OCT
28, 2021
Kilis,
located near the Turkish-Syrian border, traces its history of olive production
back at least 4,000 years. Olive seeds and other discoveries at the ancient
site of Oylum Höyük in the province verified that the Bronze Age settlement was
among the east’s most important olive hubs, supplying the fruits to lands far
away. This was the “oil” of ancient ages, according to Professor Atilla Engin,
who leads Oylum Höyük excavations. Most recently, olives and olive oil have
served as an inspiration for a group of local women and women from neighboring
Syria who took shelter in Kilis due to the ongoing conflict in their homeland.
Undaunted
by a patriarchal mindset, which discourages women from adopting a more active
role in the economy, women came together for an agricultural cooperative
focusing on olive-related products. Supported by a local public development
agency, the women managed to produce high-quality olive oil and olives in a
short time.
Every
harvest season, the women gather the fruit from olive orchards they run just a
few meters away from the Syrian border. They prefer traditional harvesting and
olive oil extraction methods over newer technology, as it helps achieve the
best quality in olive production, an industry that has long been dominated by
Turkey’s western provinces. Along with domestic production, they also started
exporting their products, like soaps made of olive oil.
The
Ipekyolu Development Agency (IKA), a regional body providing financial backing
to such initiatives, helped women from the villages of Kocabeyli, Karaçavuş,
Süngütepe and Saatli to set up the cooperative, with a grant of $735,000 (TL 7
million). Syrian women soon joined the cooperative, which now has 49 members.
These
women hope to serve as role models for others in Kilis. “When we decided to
start this cooperative, men in our villages did not believe we could make it.
We did not care about what they said,” Hamide Polat, director of the
cooperative, says.
The
work “changed a lot” in the lives of women, Polat says. “Women have more
self-confidence and faith in standing on their own now. The men’s view of women
also changed thanks to our work,” she says.
Polat
calls on fellow women to never doubt themselves when it comes to starting an
enterprise or finding a way to earn a living. “They should never step back and
ignore any pressure they face. They do better if united. They should produce
something in their spare time by joining forces (with other women) instead of
sitting idly,” she said.
An
early harvest
Women
are among the thousands making a living from olive production in the province.
The local governorate provides incentives for olive producers to boost
production and guide them to new production methods.
The
olive harvest, normally held in November, now starts in early October thanks to
changing methods such as cold pressing. Cold pressing is a natural method of
olive oil production that does not involve the use of heat or chemical
additions to speed up the process.
In
a bid to keep the product “organic,” olive producers use handpicking methods
and conventional sieves.
Kilis
is home to 266,000 decares (65,730 acres) of land for olive production and more
than 3.5 million olive trees. Its yearly production amounts to 9,146 tons.
Burhan
Akyılmaz, secretary-general of the IKA, says they provided funds for 12
projects in Kilis for olive production. “We are investing in the development of
olive production and set up a union of organic olive oil producers. We built
olive oil and oil processing facilities and support small and medium
enterprises here. Kilis’ olive oil and olives now have an international
reputation,” he said.
Akyılmaz
noted that local producers recently started exports to countries as far away as
the United States, Canada, Germany, Qatar, Oman and Japan. He says their next
goal is diversifying olive products, such as promoting the production of
olive-based supplements.
Source:
Daily Sabah
https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/turkish-syrian-women-join-forces-for-olive-production/news
--------
Will
quota seats in Iraqi politics advance women's rights?
Mohammad
Salami
27
October, 2021
“Women
set a historic record in the election,” Iraqi officials announced in a
statement after the 10 October parliamentary vote.
Ninety-seven
female candidates were elected to the 329-seat chamber, forming 29.4 percent of
the next Iraqi parliament. This was 14 more seats than the quota for female
MPs, set by Iraq’s election laws at 83, or 25 percent of the total.
Such
was the support for female candidates that 57 MPs will enter the next
parliament based solely on their votes rather than the allocated quota system.
However,
they will inevitably encounter problems in Iraq’s political arena.
Public
support for female candidates
Iraq’s
electoral system has provided more space for female participation in politics,
particularly in comparison to other parliaments in the Arab world, and even the
global average.
Women
currently make up 29.4 percent of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, in
comparison to 27.4 percent of the US House of Representatives, 12 percent in
Jordan’s parliament, 28 percent in Israel, and 23 percent in Morocco.
According
to the data collected by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the level of women’s
representation in Iraq's parliament is also higher than the world average of
24.5 percent. These figures indicate that the future of democracy in Iraq could
be hopeful, and progressive.
The
economic crisis, pervasive corruption, and the government's inability to
provide public services to Iraqi citizens led to the October revolution in
2019, one of the largest civil society mobilisations in Iraq’s modern history.
To
a degree, Iraqi female candidates were less associated with pervasive financial
corruption and were able to gain the public’s trust by explicitly campaigning
against systemic abuses and talking directly to voters.
“Like
in many countries in the Middle East, women in Iraq have become politically
active, despite the violence against them. Iraqi women were active in the
Tishreen protests, and the new parties which emerged from the protest
movement,” Geneive Abdo, a visiting fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in
Washington, told The New Arab.
“The
young men in the protest movement work well with women and believe they have
much to offer. Because the movement is secular-oriented, there are few
obstacles to female political participation that otherwise might be caused by
conservative Islamic interpretations.”
Political
challenges for women
Although
female candidates enjoyed widespread public support in the 10 October
elections, deep-rooted challenges remain. “Iraqi women have proven to be
energetic, fearless, and engaged in reforming laws that would give women more
rights, especially as it concerns personal status laws,” said Geneive Abdo.
But,
she added, “women no doubt will face gender bias in general and intimidation
specifically by the MPs affiliated with the Iranian-backed militias”.
Some
of the problems facing Iraqi society such as domestic violence, discrimination
in the workplace, a lack of professional opportunities, and the approval of
pro-equality legislation are better understood by female MPs, who could lead
the way in the protection of women’s rights in a patriarchal society.
But
one problem facing female candidates is that once they enter parliament their
status as independent representatives with a policy program is subsumed by the
needs of their political party.
“The
women's quota should be used to highlight the role of Iraqi women in
parliamentary and political activities and be effective in promoting their
role, but unfortunately, we didn’t see any women’s parliamentary activities to
promote the status of women in political activities during the previous
parliamentary terms. The presence of women is limited to completing
parliamentary seats,” Shorugh al-Abayegi, a former member of the Iraqi
Parliament told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, The New Arab’s Arabic language sister site.
In
addition, women are not in key government positions. Major ministries such as
the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Oil and Interior ministries have no
senior female ministers, even less so in key parliamentary portfolios such as
the Defence and Security Committee.
Often,
pervasive sexism in Iraqi society means that management and senior roles are
considered better suited to men. “The women’s quota guarantees 25 percent of
their presence in parliament, that must be preserved, but it should create competition
above the fixed quota so that women who acquire more votes than men can run for
parliament regardless of the quota,” al-Abayegi added.
Another
problem for female representatives in Iraq is how the gender quotas themselves
are used by Iraqi political parties. According to the law, 25 percent of the
electoral quota is reserved for women, but political parties rarely add
independent female candidates to their lists, or those advocating independent
policies. This is to ensure candidates are completely obedient to the party's
goals.
In
some cases, especially where tribal loyalties are ingrained, women run in
districts simply to fulfil the electoral requirements for political parties. As
a result, of the 951 female candidates in the 10 October election, only 16.8
percent were independent.
Iraqi
political parties have still not invested time or resources into empowering
female politicians or developing their capacity in any real way. There are rare
exceptions, such as in the Kurdistan region, where political organisations
train female members for roles in government management, but there are also
parties that use women as tokens of representation.
This
involves exploiting their presence in parliament, robbing them of their agency,
and denying them the freedom to make their own decisions on how they vote. In
that sense, women often only serve as numbers to fill seats and as votes for
the party line, with their chances for self-definition as politicians extremely
low.
“[Iraq’s]
women still suffer from many challenges in trying to enter the world of
politics in general, and the elections in particular but despite these
challenges, women must prove their existence, present their electoral program
and defend it in front of the voters, and work hard to convince and attract
them,” Ayat al Mudhaffar, the spokeswoman of the Victory Coalition in Iraq,
said.
Dr
Mohammad Salami holds a PhD in International Relations. He is a specialist in
Middle Eastern policy, particularly in Syria, Iran, Yemen, and the Persian Gulf
region. His areas of expertise include politics and governance, security, and
counterterrorism.
Source:
The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/analysis/will-quota-seats-iraqi-politics-advance-womens-rights
--------
Unemployment
among Egyptian women declines to 17.7%: planning minister to World Economic
Forum directors
27
Oct 2021
CAIRO
- 27 October 2021: Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala El-Said
chaired on Tuesday in Paris the bilateral session with the Directorate of the
World Economic Forum (WEF) presenting the "National Plan for the
Development of the Egyptian Family" having the economic empowerment of
women at its core.
On
the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Egyptian women and the measures taken by
the state to protect them; El-Said indicated that the rate of women's
participation in the labor market recorded 13.8% in 2019, adding that Egypt has
scored 0.449 on the United Nations Development Program's Gender Inequality
Index (GII) during the same year.
El-Said
explained that the female unemployment rate has decreased from 21.4% in 2018 to
17.7% in 2020, in spite of the effects of the pandemic, noting that the
Egyptian state aims to improve the rate of women’s participation in the
workforce to reach 23%. El-Said highlighted the Egyptian state's measures to
protect women in the face of the Covid-19 challenge, noting that these measures
included granting working women exceptional leave for pregnancy or female
employees who take care of children 12 years old or younger.
El-Said
pointed to the continuation of the "Executive Leadership for Women"
training program offered by the National Institute for Governance and
Sustainable Development (NIGSD) - the training arm of the Ministry of Planning
and Economic Development - despite the pandemic conditions.
“A
sustainable innovation lab was launched, which specifically targets the
economic empowerment of women and people with special needs, in 2021, in
addition to developing a joint action plan between the Ministry of Interior,
the National Council for Women (NCW), and the National Council for Motherhood
and Childhood to address domestic violence against women and children during
the pandemic,” El-Said explained.
El-Said
referred to the Egyptian government’s efforts in the field of gender equality,
where she explained that the state had taken some important institutional steps
to empower women economically, including reviving the process of the World
Bank’s Gender Equality Model and localizing it in the Egyptian context through
the Egyptian Gender Equality Seal (EGES) certification process.
El-Said
explained that companies and commercial entities can apply for this
certificate. “Two companies from the private sector have been accredited,”
El-Said added.
El-Said
said that Egypt is the first country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
region to launch the model for closing the gender gap at the World Economic
Forum (WEF), noting that it focuses on a partnership between the public and
private sectors to enhance the economic empowerment of women.
El-Said
continued that among the Egyptian government’s efforts in the field of gender
equality is the investment law (Law No. 17/2017, Article 2) dedicated to
ensuring equal investment opportunities for both men and women, and the
inheritance law (Law No. 219/2017) has been amended to impose more penalties on
the one who withholds the inheritance from the one who has the right to this
inheritance.
Concerning
promoting women's financial inclusion; The Minister of Planning and Economic
Development emphasized that another pillar through which the Egyptian
government addresses gender equality is economic empowerment through financial
inclusion, as the proportion of women with bank accounts nearly doubled to 27%
in 2019, up from only 14% in 2014.
In
2020, Egyptian women obtained 51% of the total loans directed to
micro-enterprises, with a default rate of not more than 1%. Moreover,
microfinance balances destined for women increased during 2020 to constitute
62% of the total number of beneficiaries of microfinance programs.
The
minister added that the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) introduced some regulatory
reforms to complement the government's initiatives towards enhancing financial
inclusion for women. These include issuing guidelines for banks to collect and
report sex-disaggregated data to track progress in women's financial inclusion,
standardizing the definition of women-owned businesses, and issuing new regulations
for mobile banking.
On
the financial savings plans established and supported by the government, the
Minister of Planning indicated that village savings and loan associations are
being implemented, allowing women to save, develop their financial capital, and
start their small projects. These associations target 500,000 women in various
governorates.
El-Said
indicated that the total amount provided by Nasser Bank to finance new small
businesses amounted to LE346 million, bringing the total number of beneficiaries
to 71,431 during 19/2020.
The
bank also provided a total amount of LE 278.4 million as soft loans to 32,386
people, including a “Hidden Loans Program” with a total amount of LE 31.2
million, and the number of 1,713 beneficiaries during 2019/2020.
During
her speech, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development referred to
partnerships for gender equality; She explained that the Egyptian government is
working alongside national and international development partners to promote
gender equality, and this work includes joining the Equal Pay International
Coalition.
El-Said
said that the digital gap is not between countries, but within each country as
well, noting that there is a digital gap between males and females, as 61.5% of
males between the ages of 15 and 74 use the Internet, as for females, these
percentages decrease.
This
digital divide also exacerbates equitable financial inclusion and equal access
to ICT-based financial services.
According
to the Network Readiness Index issued by the World Economic Forum (NRI), Egypt
ranked 115 out of 134 countries in the sub-index on the “social and economic
gap in the use of digital payments” in 2020.
Source:
Egypt Today
--------
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