Women's March Malaysia Calls For Equal Pay And Immediate End To Child Marriages Through Changes In Policy And Law In 2023
12 March 2023
•
Women's March Malaysia Calls For Equal Pay And Immediate End To Child Marriages
Through Changes In Policy And Law In 2023
•
Ban on Female Education in Afghanistan Continues to Spark Intl Criticism
•
Princess Of Wales Kate Middleton Visits Hayes Muslim Centre In London To Meet
Earthquake Fundraisers
•
Afghanistan: Women Carpet Weavers Face Challenges In Badakhshan
•
Art Forum Celebrates Women’s Role At Egypt’s Historical Site
•
Iran Arrests More Than 100 People Over Suspected Poisonings Of Schoolgirls
•
Austria: Afghan Women Protest Against Taliban Atrocities In Afghanistan
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/march-malaysia-child-marriages/d/129305
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Women's March Malaysia Calls For Equal Pay And Immediate End To Child Marriages Through Changes In Policy And Law In 2023
Demonstrators take part in Women's March Malaysia
2023 in conjunction with International Women’s Day in Kuala Lumpur March 12,
2023. — Picture by Raymond Manuel
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By
Keertan Ayamany
12
Mar 2023
KUALA
LUMPUR, March 12 — Some 300 people from all walks of life gathered outside the
Sogo mall on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman at 10.30am today to take part in an
annual march to commemorate Women’s Day.
Along
the way, they chanted for changes to Malaysian policy and law. Among their
demands were equal pay as men, the end of child marriages, and social protection
for “all oppressed genders” — which were part of their nine demands.
“They're
trying to drown out our voices, so we’re going to be louder than the sirens,”
one of the speakers for the march, R. Shalini, announced through a megaphone.
“We’re
fighting not only for us, but also for her rights,” one participant who gave
her name only as Aissa, told Malay Mail, and gestured to her one-year daughter
inside a baby stroller.
She
was accompanied by a 34-year-old man who gave his name as Ikram who said he was
there as women’s issues were a matter of concern to him as a father and a
husband, “but also more importantly”, as a citizen of Malaysia.
Multiple
women attested to feeling supported and empowered by the show of support from
like-minded individuals at the event, while also from having an outlet to voice
out their grievances.
This
feeling of support was also extended to members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community, as well as to refugees in the country.
“I’ve
known what it feels like to be dehumanised by authorities,” said Harshini, who
stated that she was at the Shagrilla Halloween show that was raided last year
by Islamic religious authorities.
“I
think this should be a space for everyone, I think if you don’t support all
women, then you’re not supporting women,” said Odie, a 24-year-old film
industry freelancer, who was sporting make-up depicting the bruises of a
physical assault victim.
“Or
like if you support women, but only if they are pure Bumiputera, or pure
Chinese, or pure Indian or pure biological cisgender women.
Kirath
KS, who was part of the volunteer group that organised this year’s march, said
she was proud of the turnout and outcome of the march this year.
In
a statement last Friday, Women’s March Malaysia listed their nine demands,
which included the protection of “bodily autonomy”, the banning of child
marriages, elimination of violence against oppressed genders and sexual
minorities, as well as enhanced protection systems and more safe public spaces
for oppressed genders.
It
also asked for constitutional and legislative reforms for gender equality,
equal political participation of oppressed genders at all levels of governance,
the ensurement of decent work standards and living wages, and the declaration
of a climate crisis together with an action plan.
Source:
Malay Mail
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Ban
on Female Education in Afghanistan Continues to Spark Intl Criticism
Schoolgirls in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Lauryn Oates),
Author provided
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By
Mitra Majeedy
11-03-2023
The
US Permanent Representative to the UN Human Rights Council, Ambassador Michèle
Taylor, stated on Twitter that female students in Afghanistan face unacceptable
restrictions on their freedom and ability to pursue education.
“Over
600 million children worldwide are unable to attain minimum proficiency levels
in reading and math. In Afghanistan, girls are barred from attending secondary
school and face unacceptable restrictions on their freedom of movement,” the
statement reads.
"We
worked hard and learned a lot; we have goals and ambitions, and it is vital
that our schools be opened in order to accomplish our educational dreams,”
Husna, a student in the eleventh grade, told TOLOnews.
"We
ask the officials to reopen schools for female students at the same time as it
is opened for male students," said Salwa, another student.
Kabul
residents said that education provides the basis for the progress of the
country, and they asked the Islamic Emirate to reopen schools for girls.
"If
they reopen schools and universities it will be a very good thing, and we will
get rid of the need of others. We should have doctors and engineers and serve
our country,” said Janan, a resident of Kabul.
"We
ask the Islamic Emirate to open schools for girls, and this is our only request
and it will make everyone progress in the country,” said Amir, another resident
of Kabul.
Source:
Tolo News
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-182445
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Princess
Of Wales Kate Middleton Visits Hayes Muslim Centre In London To Meet Earthquake
Fundraisers
By
Web Desk
March
12, 2023
Kate
Middleton expressed her support for Turkey and Syria after the two countries
faced devastating earthquakes in the past month.
The
Prince and Princess of Wales visited the Hayes Muslim Centre in London on Saturday,
March 11th, 2023, to meet with fundraisers who have supported the countries
after their recent disastrous earthquakes.
She
paired it with the same classic black Catherine Walker coat and pleated
Alexander McQueen dress she previously wore to meet members of the public after
Queen Elizabeth II died last September.
For
her visit to the Muslim centre, Middleton carried a Grace Han top handle bag
and wore black Gianvito Rossi heels, and kept her makeup minimal.
Middleton
has donned headscarves on a number of past occasions; she wore a light blue
style to visit a mosque in Malaysia during a 2012 visit, and sported several
colourful styles during her 2019 Pakistan tour.
Source:
The News.Com.Pk
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Afghanistan:
Women carpet weavers face challenges in Badakhshan
12
March, 2023
Kabul
[Afghanistan], March 12 (ANI): Women carpet weavers in Afghanistan are facing
challenges in Badakhshan for a suitable market for selling and the lack of a
specific place for carpet weaving, reported Tolo News.
“We
don’t have a good place for washing carpets and when they are transferred to
Kunduz province it costs us a lot,” said Nadia, a carpet weaver.
Nearly
fifty women and girls weave carpets in the city of Faizabad and these women
said that the lack of a carpet processing center has made their work difficult,
reported Tolo News.
Officials
of the carpet weaver’s union in Badakhshan said that currently, four thousand
women are busy with carpet weaving in this province, reported Tolo News.
“Four
thousand women are busy with carpet weaving, they work with us for two years
and after that, they graduate and we give them a certificate,” said Abdul Ali,
the head of the carpet weavers union in Badakhshan.
“When
women report their products to us, we are ready and have a plan for them,” said
Samruldden Rahmani, head of the industrial park in Badakhshan.
According
to officials of the industry and commerce department in Badakhshan, currently,
10 carpet weaving workshops are active in Badakhshan, reported Tolo News.
Taliban
banned women from attending university last December, nine months after the
Islamist group barred girls from returning to secondary schools amid a brutal
crackdown on women’s rights since it seized power in 2021.
Taliban
also announced a ban on female NGO workers – prompting multiple major foreign
aid groups to suspend their operations in the country.
The
Taliban’s return to power preceded a deepening humanitarian crisis in
Afghanistan, worsening issues that had long plagued the country.
Source:
The Print
https://theprint.in/world/afghanistan-women-carpet-weavers-face-challenges-in-badakhshan/1436563/
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Art
forum celebrates women’s role at Egypt’s historical site
MOHAMMAD
SHAMAA
March
11, 2023
CAIRO:
About 30 female artists from 14 different countries exhibited artworks as part
of the International Women’s Art Forum held this week in Hurghada, Egypt.
The
event was staged in March, a month reserved to celebrate women, and was part of
the Egyptian Tourism Ministry’s efforts to attract visitors to the country
during spring.
“This
International Women’s Art Forum is its third edition, with about 120 artists
participating during the previous two sessions, but there was a plan to develop
the event into a bigger show this year, so the organizers of the exhibition
contacted the Tourism Ministry to get support,” said Mohammed Hamida, head of
the forum’s organizing committee.
Artist
Ahmed Abdel-Naim said that such forums are needed because “they attract tourism
and introduce Egyptians to the world’s creations in plastic art, and this is
important because plastic art, in particular, spreads through exhibitions, most
of which are limited to the people of the country.”
He
added: “Holding the exhibition at the Temple of Hatshepsut has important
tourist and historical connotations. On one hand, it introduces guests to the
history of Egypt, and on the other, it promotes tourism at a time when we
desperately need it.”
The
forum allowed female artists to exchange ideas and collaborate, and also promoted
Egypt’s artistic heritage and cultural significance to a global audience.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2266811/middle-east
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Iran
arrests more than 100 people over suspected poisonings of schoolgirls
By
Mohammed Tawfeeq
March
11, 2023
CNN
— Iran has arrested more than 100 people “in connection with” the suspected
poisoning of hundreds of schoolgirls across the country, according to the
state-run IRNA news agency.
Citing
a statement from Iran’s Interior Ministry, IRNA said the people had been
“identified, arrested and investigated” in several cities, including the
capital Tehran.
“Initial
inquiries show that a number of these people, out of mischief or adventurism and
with the aim of shutting down classrooms and influenced by the created
psychological atmosphere, have taken measures such as using harmless and smelly
substances,” the statement read.
While
Iranian politicians have suggested the girls could have been targeted by
hardline Islamist groups, activists believe that the poisonings may be linked
to the nationwide protests that erupted last September over the death of Mahsa
Ami. Many schoolgirls have been active in the protests, removing their
mandatory headscarves in classrooms, tearing up pictures of Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and calling for his death.
Iran’s
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei previously called the suspected poisonings an
“unforgivable crime” and called for “severe punishment” for anyone found
responsible.
Among
those arrested, the ministry said, were “individuals who have had hostile
motives, tried to create fear and horror among people and students, shut down
schools, and created pessimism toward” the Iranian government.
They
would remain “under investigation until required assurances are achieved,” the
statement said, adding that the number of poisoning cases at girls’ schools
across the country had been decreasing “over the past several days.”
The
first suspected poisonings happened in November at a high school in the city of
Qom which saw 18 schoolgirls hospitalized, according to Iranian state media.
A
mother of two daughters from Qom previously told CNN that both girls, who
attended different schools, had suffered significant health issues after being
poisoned.
One
girl experienced nausea, shortness of breath and numbness in her left leg and
right hand while the other now had “difficulty walking,” she said.
Another
incident in the city took place in February when more than 100 students from 13
schools were hospitalized after what Iranian state news agencies described as
“serial poisonings.”
Both
the United States and United Nations have called on Iranian authorities to
fully investigate the suspected poisonings and hold those responsible to
account.
The
White House on Monday said there must be a “credible, independent”
investigation of poisonings among schoolgirls in Iran, suggesting it could be
within the purview of the United Nations to look into the matter.
Previously,
the Biden administration had noted Iran itself was conducting an investigation.
But questioned by CNN’s Phil Mattingly on Monday, press secretary Karine
Jean-Pierre said the situation could fall within the mandate of the UN’s
independent fact-finding mission on Iran.
“We
are closely following this deeply concerning situation that we’re seeing in
Iran,” she said. “The continued poisoning of schoolgirls across Iran is
unconscionable. There must be a credible, independent investigation (and)
accountability for those responsible.”
“The
possibility that girls in Iran are being possibly poisoned for simply for
trying to get an education is shameful, it’s unacceptable,” she said.
Source:
edition.cnn
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/11/world/iran-schoolgirl-poisonings-arrests-intl-hnk/index.html
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Austria:
Afghan women protest against Taliban atrocities in Afghanistan
FP
Staff
March
11, 2023
Vienna
(Austria): The Afghan diaspora in Austria’s capital Vienna staged a
demonstration against the Taliban’s assault on women’s rights in Afghanistan in
front of the local United Nations (UN) office.
The
demonstration, which included women, was held in assoiciation with Afghan
diaspora organization Afghanische Kultur, Integration und Solidaritat (AKIS).
They
also spoke about the inhumane way Pakistan treats Afghan Refugees, especially
women and children. Around 100 Afghan women participated in this demonstration.
At the end of the protest, they also submitted a memorandum to UN authorities,
urging all member states to act decisively on this issue.
The
Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, at least 20 years post they
were ejected by US troops. Women’s rights have been neglected, ever since,
under their harsh rule.
In
November, last year, the Taliban intrusively disrupted a women’s press
conference held in the Dasht-e-Barchi area and also arrested several women
journalists, reported Khaama Press.
Since
the Taliban took over Afghanistan in mid-August last year, it rolled back
women’s rights advances and media freedom revoking the efforts on gender
equality and freedom of speech in the country.
Taliban
banned women from attending university last December, nine months after the
Islamist group barred girls from returning to secondary schools amid a brutal
crackdown on women’s rights since it seized power in 2021.
Source:
First Post
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/march-malaysia-child-marriages/d/129305