Women DJs, Unthinkable Just Years Ago, Becoming Common In Saudi Arabia
New
Age Islam News Bureau
05
August 2022
•
Arab Women Take On Leadership To Improve Health
•
Qatar Participates In International Forum On 'Women's Struggle In Algeria'
•
Egypt’s Women Handball Team Re-Formed 10 Years After Abolition
•
New UN Women Representative Officially Assumes Duty In Uganda
•
Muslim ‘Wife’ Living With Hindu Man In Sindh, Pakistan, Sent To Safe House
•
Major GCC Women’s Volleyball Tourney Set For Abu Dhabi
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/djs-saudi-arabia/d/127652
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Women DJs, Unthinkable Just Years Ago, Becoming Common In Saudi Arabia
Photo: Collected
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Aug
2, 2022
Standing
behind her control tower with headphones around her neck, Saudi DJ Leen Naif
segues smoothly between pop hits and club tracks for a crowd of business school
graduates noshing on sushi.
The
subdued scene is a far cry from the high-profile stages –- a Formula 1 Grand
Prix in Jeddah, Expo 2020 in Dubai -– that have helped the 26-year-old, known
as DJ Leen, make a name for herself on the Saudi music circuit.
Yet
it captures an important milestone: Women DJs, an unthinkable phenomenon just a
few years ago in the conservative Kingdom, are becoming a relatively common
sight in its main cities.
These
days they turn few heads as, gig after gig, they go about making a living from
what once was merely a pastime.
"A
lot of female DJs have been coming up," Naif told AFP, adding that this
has, over time, made audiences "more comfortable" seeing them on
stage.
"It's
easier now than it has been."
Naif
and her peers embody two major reforms championed by Saudi Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman: new opportunities for women and expanding entertainment
options –- notably music.
The
possibility that DJs would be welcomed at public events, let alone that many
would be women, is something "we didn't expect" until recently, said
Mohammed Nassar, a Saudi DJ known as Vinyl Mode.
"You
are seeing now more female artists coming out," Nassar said.
Before
"it was just a hobby to express themselves in their bedrooms".
"Now
we have platforms, and you know they could even have careers. So it's really
amazing."
Winning
over sceptics
Naif
was first introduced to electronic music as a teenager by one of her uncles,
and she almost instantly started wondering whether DJ'ing was a viable job.
While
her friends dreamed of careers as doctors and teachers, she knew she didn't
have the patience for the schooling those paths required.
"I'm
a work person, not a studying person," she said.
Unlike
other women DJs, she had the immediate support of her parents and siblings.
Other
Saudis, however, required some winning over.
Several
years ago, a man came up to her mid-performance, declaring she was "not
allowed" and demanding "Why are you doing this?"
His
complaints got Naif's set shut down, but she doubts the scene would play out
the same way today.
"Now
I bet that same guy, if he sees me, he's going to stand first in line just to
watch."
Naif
has benefited from official attempts to trumpet Saudi Arabia's new entertainment-friendly
image.
Her
nomination to play at the Saudi pavilion of Expo Dubai 2020 gave her an
international audience for the first time.
But
it's the work at home that supports her day-to-day, earning her 1,000 Saudi
riyals (around $260) per hour.
Here
to stay
Other
women DJs have encountered more resistance.
Lujain
Albishi, who performs under the name "Biirdperson," started
experimenting on DJ decks during the pandemic.
Her
family disapproved when she started talking about DJ'ing professionally,
preferring she strive to become a doctor.
She
stuck with it anyway, developing her skills at private parties.
Her
big break came last year when she was invited to perform at MDLBeast
Soundstorm, a festival in the Saudi capital Riyadh that drew more than 700,000
revellers for performances including a set by superstar French DJ David Guetta.
The
experience left her "really proud."
"My
family came to Soundstorm, saw me on stage. They were dancing, they were
happy," she said.
Both
Naif and Albishi say they believe women DJs will remain fixtures in the
kingdom, though their reasoning varies.
For
Naif, women DJs succeed because they are better than men at "reading
people" and playing what they want to hear.
Albishi,
for her part, thinks there is no difference between men and women once they put
their headphones on, and that's why women DJs belong.
"My
music is not for females or for males," she said. "It's for
music-lovers."
Source:
The Daily Star
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Arab
Women Take On Leadership To Improve Health
Health Advocates: Dr. Maha Nubani Husseini (2nd row,
6th from L); the writer; (3rd row, 2nd from L); Dr. Donna Zwas (3rd row, 4th
from R).
(Photo credit: AVI HAYOUN)
-----
By
Barbara Sofer
JULY
30, 2022
“S.”
was 19 when she met her husband for the first time.
Family
members were present and the couple didn’t speak much. The same happened in the
two subsequent short meetings. The man, also young, seemed shy, but “S.” was
shy, too. She’d never met a potential groom before.
“S.”
liked the idea that she would be living in Jerusalem. She was excited and happy
as the wedding preparations moved forward.
Only
on their wedding day did “S.” realize to her dismay that she was marrying a
mentally challenged man. There was no way out. Her family would never take her
back.
The
worst was knowing that her parents were aware of her husband-to-be’s limitation
and had made the match anyway.
This
isn’t a story from a 19th-century novel. I met “S.” when she spoke publicly at
Hadassah Medical Center about how her life had suddenly gotten better. She was
among some 45 women who came to the hospital to celebrate their participation
in and completion of health courses under the auspices of the Linda Joy Pollin
Cardiovascular Wellness Center for Women, with the support of the Jerusalem
Municipality and Efshari Bari, the Health Ministry’s health promotion program.
“S.”
is one of 11 children in a family with a hand-to-mouth family existence in a
periphery village within the Palestinian Authority. Today she’s 38, still
married, a mother of four children – one of whom has severe learning
disabilities. Her husband doesn’t work and they live on disability insurance.
Another
of “S.’s” personal frustrations was not being allowed to go to high school
beyond the 10th grade. So when she heard about a free course on women’s health
at the community center in nearby Wadi Joz, she wanted to attend. At first, her
husband’s extended family with whom they live protested her attending but she
overcame their objections. The workshop had 22 sessions, each three hours long,
and was adapted from the American Diabetes Prevention Program to fit the
Jerusalem community’s needs. At each meeting, the women from Isawiya and Wadi
Joz would hear from a medical professional in Arabic and take part in
discussion groups.
“What
we added to the American program was mostly the element of resilience,” says
Dr. Maha Nubani Husseini, who directs the program curriculum and implementation
in the Arab sector. “Our women deal daily with the challenges of lower
socioeconomic conditions, plus the restrictions on women’s independence within
the norms of Palestinian society. Even in better-off neighborhoods, we have
husbands who show up at the community centers to make sure that what their
wives are doing conforms to their strictures and values.”
A
shocking statistic: by age 70, half of Arab women have diabetes, and they have
a 60% higher rate of cardiovascular mortality than Jewish women.
“There
are not significant genetic differences between the Jewish women and the Arab
women in Jerusalem that explain the disparities in heart disease,” says Dr.
Donna Zwas, the Harvard-trained cardiologist who heads the Pollin Center. “The
major differences are lifestyle and dietary choices that can be changed, which
ultimately will prevent disease and save lives. Arab women in Israel are
diagnosed with heart disease 10 years earlier than Jewish women.”
But
how can a university hospital get to women like “S.” in hard-to-reach
communities most in need of health intervention?
“Everyone
knows that eating well and exercise prevents disease, but the challenge is to
get women to find the culturally and personally appropriate way to make the
changes,” Zwas says.
One
effective method is to train the women themselves to be the leaders, an ongoing
process that requires a carefully crafted empowerment program that won’t draw
ricochets that undercut women’s efforts. This will improve women’s health and
have a ripple effect on the entire community.
Potential
leaders are spotted within the graduates of the basic course and invited to a
smaller leadership training program where they design projects, learning to
write proposals that require specifying goals and needed resources. There’s
also training in public speaking so they can do effective outreach to their
neighbors.
At
the graduation, many women rose to speak, practicing their hard-won new skills.
Among the women who told their stories were a young woman taking the course
despite undergoing treatment for breast cancer, and a feisty retired
schoolteacher with a long history of community service.
The
graduates sang on the bus that brought them to and from the Ein Kerem campus.
They wore their holiday clothes, mostly intricately embroidered Palestinian
dresses. Absent from the buffet table were the usual burekas and cheese
danishes. Instead, there were dessert bowls of yogurt, vegetable-laden
tabbouleh and fruit.
“S.”
says that what stuck to her most in the first course was the idea that she
needed to do something for herself. “There were sessions on how to manage
stress, and I realized I had to get over the justified anger at my mother for
limiting my education and for making such a match for me and do something for myself,”
she said.
The
planning and implementing program in which she was involved is a workshop on
eliminating the home accidents that plague Arab neighborhoods.
According
to Dr. David Rekhtman, who heads the Pediatric Emergency Room at Hadassah’s
Mount Scopus hospital, adjacent to Isawiya and near Wadi Joz, the most common
accidents include falling from roofs, summertime drownings, burns and accidents
from children playing in the street for lack of sidewalks and play areas. There
are also hand injuries from cap guns and firecrackers during Ramadan, and even
bullets that go astray at wedding celebrations. “Awareness campaigns targeting
not storing kerosene in cola bottles have eliminated most of the cases of
kerosene-poisoning, a proof that health activism in the area of home safety can
be impactful.”
“S.”
was delighted when she was chosen to take part in the advanced leadership
course. She said, “I knew that I would feel better about myself if I was
involved in something that would help my family and community. I finally
believed that I had the potential to do something this important. It has
brought me joy.”
Source: J Post
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-713247
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Qatar
participates in international forum on 'Women's Struggle in Algeria'
31
Jul 2022
ALGIERS:
The State of Qatar participated in an international forum that highlights the
struggle of Algerian women as an example of the struggle of Arab women in the
process of liberating their homelands, which was held as part of the activities
commemorating the 60th double anniversary of the Independence and Youth in the
Republic of Algeria.
Qatar's
delegation was headed by Minister of Social Development and Family HE Maryam
bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad.
In
the speech she delivered during the forum, Her Excellency commended the role of
Algerian women in the renaissance of their country, and reviewed the efforts of
the State of Qatar, its programs and policies related to the advancement of women
in various fields, and the achievements made in this regard.
Source:
The Peninsula Qatar
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Egypt’s
women handball team re-formed 10 years after abolition
August
4, 2022
On
Thursday, the Egyptian Handball Federation announced the formation of the
Egypt’s national women’s handball team to participate in foreign tournaments,
ten years after its abolition.
Egypt’s
women handball team last played in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.
The
Egyptian Handball Federation announced several decisions in its meeting, as
follows:
-The
formation of the Egyptian national women’s handball team to participate in
foreign tournaments.
-Ayman
Salah is appointed general supervisor of the women’s handball team and is in
charge of forming the technical, administrative and medical staff and setting
up a preparation program for the coming period.
-The
Egyptian Super Cup for men will be held from September 10 to 12 at the 6th of
October Hall between Zamalek, Al-Ahly and Sporting clubs.
–
The formation of an association to take care of old players, coaches and
referees, and to pay them monthly pensions.
-Senegal
will host the next edition of the Africa Cup of Nations from November 9 to 19,
which qualifies the winner for the 2023 World Cup.
The
Egyptian women’s under-18 handball team made a historic achievement by
qualifying for the quarter-finals of the World Athletics Championships in
Macedonia.
Source:
Egypt Independent
https://www.egyptindependent.com/egypts-women-handball-team-re-formed-10-years-after-abolition/
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New
UN Women Representative officially assumes duty in Uganda
August
4, 2022
New
UN Women Country Representative Paulina Chiwangu formally assumed duty
Wednesday after presenting her credentials to Uganda's Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Hon General Jeje Odongo.
The
presentation took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and was
witnessed by dignitaries from MOFA and the UN Women Uganda Country Office.
During
the ceremony, the minister acknowledged the tremendous work by UN Women in
supporting women’s empowerment and gender equality. The new country
representative was commended on her impressive experience as well as having
worked extensively in Uganda.
“Women
in Uganda are still faced with many challenges, including the effects of
COVID-19, challenges in externalized labour in the countries in which they
work, and patriarchy which still make them lag behind. We want to work with UN
Women to address the prevailing challenges in refugee settings and the
externalization of labour. UN Women should work closely with the government to
identify priority areas that can be worked on together," Hon. Jeje Odongo
said.
Ms.
Chiwangu remarked on her warm welcome to Uganda, highlighting UN Women's
mandate to support all countries to promote gender equality and women’s
empowerment.
“Firstly,
I congratulate Uganda and Brenda Akia for being voted onto the CEDAW committee,
the first time a Ugandan has been elected to the committee. On behalf of UN
Women, I pledge our close collaboration with her on CEDAW work. Further
congratulations to the country on the launch of the Parish Development Model,
and I commit support to ensure that it is successfully implemented,” she said.
Ms.
Paulina Chiwangu holds a Doctorate in Philosophy and has over 20 years of
experience in development and humanitarian work.
She
has previously served as Deputy Country Representative with UN Women in South
Sudan and as Deputy Country Representative for the UN Women Iraq Country
Office, as well as Head of KRG Sub-Office.
Prior
to her work with UN Women Iraq, she worked with UN Women Bosnia and Herzegovina
as Head of Gender Coordination for the UNDAF. She worked with UN Women in
Serbia as interim Head of Office. Prior to that, she was heading the UN
Inter-Agency Joint Programme on Gender Equality and she was the Acting Country
Representative for UN Women office in Uganda for one year.
Before
joining UN Women, she was the Head of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, as
well as the Public Relations Unit for UNDP’s Police Reform Programme in Dhaka,
Bangladesh. She has held positions in various Southern African countries as
well as in the United States and Ireland.
The
UN Women Country Representative is an accredited representative of the UN Women
Executive Director and the Regional Director and is responsible for
negotiations with the host country. The Country Representative also oversees
relationships and activities with the government and other partners, provides
security for UN Women personnel and facilitates functional common services
arrangements with other UN agencies.
Source:
Zawya
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Muslim
‘Wife’ Living With Hindu Man In Sindh, Pakistan, Sent To Safe House
August
5, 2022
MIRPURKHAS:
The third judicial magistrate of Mirpurkhas on Thursday sent a Muslim woman, Ms
Natasha, to ‘Safe House’ in Satellite Town and remanded her purported husband,
Anil Kumar, in police custody for a day after she was picked up by police in a
raid on their apartment in Zubaida Heights, located on Mirpurkhas-Hyderabad
road on Wednesday.
The
couple was produced in the court to record their statements. Ms Natasha stated
that she was Anil’s wife and had been living with him for some years. She
further stated that Anil had promised to her that he would embrace Islam soon.
Anil
was arrested in Hameedpura locality of the city.
The
couple is to be produced in court again today (Friday).
Police
had detained three other persons, Dinesh, Bharat and Haresh, during the raid.
Source:
Dawn
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Major
GCC women’s volleyball tourney set for Abu Dhabi
August
05, 2022
ABU
DHABI: The Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy is set to host its
inaugural GCC Volleyball Cup tournament between Aug. 26 and 31 at the Jiu-Jitsu
Arena, Zayed Sports City.
The
tournament will feature six teams, including three from the UAE — Fatima Bint
Mubarak Academy Team, Al-Wasl Club and Sharjah Ladies Club.
The
event will also include one team each from Saudi Arabia (Saudi Noura Club),
Kuwait (Salwa Al-Sabah) and Bahrain (Bahrain Club), with 72 players set to
compete.
The
staging of this month’s championship has been selected by the FBMA to coincide
with Emirati Women’s Day, which will be celebrated across the UAE on Aug. 28.
By
marking the occasion with the participation of the Gulf’s top players, FBMA
hopes to inspire women and girls to take up the sport.
The
tournament was announced during a press conference at Abu Dhabi Sports
Council’s headquarters, attended by Talal Al-Hashemi, executive director of
sports development at the council, and Amal Al-Afifi, board member of the FMBA.
Al-Afifi
said: “The launch of the first GCC Volleyball Cup for Ladies represents another
significant moment in FBMA’s history as we continue our journey of creating
regular opportunities for females to participate and succeed in sport.
“Volleyball
is a game that is going from strength to strength and rising in popularity and
we are delighted to be bringing this important Gulf competition to Abu Dhabi
that will showcase the best talent that the region has to offer.
“While
we hope to attract new audiences to volleyball, the GCC Volleyball Cup for
Ladies also falls on Emirati Women’s Day, which provides a perfect opportunity
to celebrate the extraordinary women in our society.
“By
placing the spotlight on these female volleyball athletes, we hope the younger
generation that are watching the matches will be inspired by what they see and
be encouraged to follow in their footsteps so they can strive in sport and
become the best individual(s) they can be in life.”
Al-Hashemi
said the tournament was “another great addition” to the busy schedule of
sporting events being hosted in Abu Dhabi.
“We
believe this new tournament that brings together players from different
countries across the GCC will be a valuable opportunity for teams to interact
and gain more experience and deliver better performances.
“We
have formed a strategic partnership with FBMA and we are happy with the progress
made by the Academy as it has become a major supporter of women’s sports in Abu
Dhabi.”
The
format will see the six teams split into two groups with the pool matches
played between Aug. 26 and 28. Following a day’s rest, the semifinals will be
contested by the top two sides in each group before the event concludes a day
later.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2136556/sport
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