Arab Woman Awards Set to Highlight COVID-19 Heroes
New Age Islam
News Bureau
30 August 2020
• Egypt's All-Blind Women's Orchestra Set to Return to Stage
• Social Worker
Helps Saudi Women Athletes Find A League of Their Own
• Ban on
Teachers Who Are Wearing Headscarves Is Unconstitutional: Germany Labour Court
• Italian Nun's
Mission to Empower Rural Bangladeshi Women
• Stanford Scholars
Report French Headscarf Ban Adversely Impacts Muslim Girls
• Dubai Women
Establishment Launches New Legislation For Women Empowerment
• New Lab to
Empower Emirati Women
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/arab-woman-awards-set-highlight/d/122751
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Arab Woman Awards Set to Highlight COVID-19 Heroes
27 Aug 2020
For 2020 only there will be
three awards under the Medical category to acknowledge the importance of this
sector during the pandemic.
-----
The Arab Woman
Awards has announced this year’s awards will be used to highlight the women of
the UAE who have helped during the COVID-19 crisis.
Held under the
patronage of Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al Nahyan, this year’s ceremony will be
held virtually on Thursday October 15.
Launched in 2009
as a way to showcase the achievements of outstanding females in areas including
business, the arts, charity work and education the Arab Woman Awards has
to-date highlighted over 400 individuals across the Gulf region.
Sue Holt, Arab
Woman Awards founder said: “The impact of COVID-19 on the UAE has been
significant and quickly affected all areas of life from business to schooling
from socialising to travel. During this
difficult period there have been women who have risen above their own needs and
challenges to swiftly develop and drive forward initiatives that have helped
others and society as a whole.
"We are
proud to be able to use this year’s awards as a platform to celebrate these
selfless individuals and, above all, thank them.”
Nominations are
now open and there are 19 awards this year
including humanitarian, education, business and young talent. For 2020
only there will be three awards under the Medical category to acknowledge the
importance of this sector during the pandemic.
The key criteria
for all of the awards are that nominees should be female, of Arab descent, have
achieved something significant in their field during the COVID crisis and
should be positive role models.
Holt added:
“Once nominations close they will be assessed in-depth by the Arab Woman Awards
board of judges who follow a strict criteria to determine the ultimate winners.
The winners will then be formally announced at the virtual ceremony and, we are
hoping, hosted at a small private event where we can bring together the
winners, their family members and judges to celebrate them.”
The closing date
for nominations is Friday September 4. For a full list of the awards criteria
or to nominate someone please email: ArabWomanAwards@itp.com
https://www.arabianbusiness.com/culture-society/451269-arab-woman-awards-set-to-highlight-covid-19-heroes
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Egypt's
All-Blind Women's Orchestra Set to Return to Stage
8/29/2020
All-female musicians that
make up the Al Nour Wal Amal Chamber Orchestra is in preparation for a return
concert.
-----
Egypt's
all-blind women musicians who make up the Al Nour Wal Amal Chamber Orchestra
are preparing for a return concert after nearly five months off due to the
Covid-19 pandemic.
According to a
report by Egypt's Nile FM, the group is training for a performance at the
Manasterly Palace on the Nile in Cairo on September 20.
The Al Nour Wal
Amal Association is a beneficiary non-profit association founded in 1954 by a
group of women volunteers.
According to
their website, it was the first non-governmental association in the Middle East
to help visually impaired girls and women and provide them with vocational
training with the aim of reintegrating them into society.
All music must
be memorised since it is impossible to 'read' Braille and play an instrument at
the same time.
According to
Nile FM, while their passion for music drives the musicians, the money they
receive from their concerts, both in Egypt and abroad, form the majority of the
money they receive in their lives overall.
Many of these
women support families and the five months of not performing have weighed
heavily on them.
According to
Amal Fikry, the association's vice-president and head of the orchestra, the
musicians receive a nominal salary every month, but the amount represents a
third of their needs. They gain the remaining amount through concerts, whether
inside or outside Egypt.
According to a
report by online news publication Ahram Online, the group has put various
precautionary measures in place. Since August 9, the 50-member orchestra has
been divided into two groups, each rehearsing once a week.
Meanwhile, the
Junior Orchestra, which consists of 37 young girls, has also returned to
practice, also divided into smaller groups.
https://menafn.com/1100716021/Egypts-all-blind-womens-orchestra-set-to-return-to-stage
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Social Worker
Helps Saudi Women Athletes Find A League of Their Own
Tareq Al-Thaqafi
August 30, 2020
This brings attention to the
needs and challenges of athletes, supports athletes’ strengths and advocates
for case coordination and counselling when needed
---
MAKKAH: A new
female voice advocating for the health and well-being of women in sport has
joined a football club to guide and support players.
In a move aimed
at ensuring that athletes use their experience of sport and work to meet their
needs, Mada Bazaid, a newly appointed social worker at Saudi Arabia’s Al-Wehda
Football Club, is part of the board of directors’ efforts to improve the club’s
status during the next phase, and to attract elements that will bring
development and progress to the organization.
As sports is
often a hook to captivate the attention of the community, advocating for
different social causes, a tool to promote health and more due to its diverse
nature, it takes a village to create change. With the help of
inter-professional collaboration from various members in the sports scene,
social workers can now assist in the process.
Bazaid, who
holds a masters in sociology, is the first woman to be appointed to one of the
Saudi professional league clubs. She is expected to create mathematical
psychological transformations in the coming days in her sports field, a
decision that reflects the positive role women are playing in many sectors,
including sports. This decision also shows the Kingdom’s support for the
empowerment of Saudi women.
Speaking to Arab
News about the impact of social service in sports, Bazaid said that it promoted
the development of human societies and the expansion of human activities.
“One of the most
important areas that needs the presence of a social worker is the field of
sports, in order to achieve the psychological and social balance of players
according to advanced professional methods,” Bazaid said.
As a Saudi
woman, Bazaid highlighted the most prominent challenges and obstacles and the
means to overcome them.
“Saudi women
have reached advanced stages in several areas. Rejection and acceptance are a
natural phenomenon, but the persistence of the Saudi woman is great, and the
Kingdom’s Vision 2030 requires the participation of all segments of society in
the labour market, especially as we are talking about a vital society in which
men and women need to participate in a way consistent with the aspirations of this
society,” she said.
Asked about ways
to create balance in the sports field between the sexes, Bazaid said that based
on the vision of managing the development of age groups in Al-Wehda Club, “We
aim to create a distinguished player in a safe environment. My role as a social
worker for the age groups is to contribute within the framework of the
objectives of social service (therapeutic — preventive — developmental).”
Saudi women’s
participation in sport is not simply confined to areas such as the field, the
benches or the administration.
With this new
appointment, social workers are an emerging speciality, integrating social work
practices into all aspects of athletics for the well-being of individuals and
the community. This brings attention to the needs and challenges of athletes,
supports athletes’ strengths and advocates for case coordination and counselling
when needed.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1726696/saudi-arabia
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Ban on Teachers
Who Are Wearing Headscarves Is Unconstitutional: Germany Labour Court
Cuneyt
Karadag
28.08.2020
BERLIN
The capital
Berlin’s ban on teachers who are wearing headscarves is unconstitutional, a top
German court ruled Thursday.
A Muslim teacher
who was not allowed to teach in Berlin state schools because she wore a
headscarf was "discriminated against because of her religion," the
Federal Labor Court ruled.
Dirk Behrendt,
Berlin's senator of justice, argued against the ban, writing on Twitter:
"In a multi-religious society, it must be about what one has in their head
and not on their head."
Under Berlin’s
2005 neutrality act, which prevents civil servants from wearing religious
clothing and symbols, teachers in the city were banned from wearing
headscarves.
The woman who
was told she would could not teach in Berlin if she continued to wear a
headscarf brought the case to the lower Berlin-Brandenburg labor court.
In 2018 the
lower court ordered Berlin to pay the woman €5,159 ($6,098) in compensation,
saying headscarves could only be banned if there was a concrete threat to peace
at school.
Thursday’s court
decision came after Berlin filed an appeal, citing the neutrality act. But the
federal court sided with the lower court ruling.
The federal
court also cited a 2015 ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court stating
freedom of religion could not be restricted due to an "body_abstract
danger" but only if "sufficient concrete danger" is seen in the
disturbance of school peace.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/germany-labor-court-upholds-right-to-wear-headscarf/1956075
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Italian nun's
mission to empower rural Bangladeshi women
Stephan Uttom
August 29, 2020
Sister Philomena
Alicandro might need to use a stick for walking but she is still full of life
and enthusiasm despite her advanced age.
Every day, after
morning liturgy and breakfast, the Italian nun visits and oversees activities
of the Women and Development Center in the premises of Queen Assumed into
Heaven Church in Gopalpur in Natore district of northern Bangladesh.
The church,
covered by Rajshahi Diocese, has about 1,540 Catholics belonging to Bengali and
ethnic minority groups.
“When I first
came here, I used to sit on jute sacks and offered sewing training for poor
women who were housewives and had no source of earning an income for their
families,” Sister Philomena from the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate (MSI)
told UCA News in fluent Bangla, the national language.
Her efforts
inspired Italian missionary priest Father Angelo Canton from the Pontifical
Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) to build the center in 1989. Thousands of
local women, Christian and non-Christian, received training from the center and
changed their lives.
“From my
childhood I wanted to sacrifice my life for poor people. As a nun I have found
my mission in serving extremely poor and needy people in Bangladesh thanks to
my religious order,” said Sister Philomena, who at 83 is the oldest among PIME
nuns serving in Bangladesh.
In normal times,
the center employs about 70 poor rural women, both Bengali and indigenous, and
produces various types of clothes for churches, handkerchiefs, school dresses
for children and embroideries. Due to Covid-19, the center has scaled down
production and has only 10 active women workers.
Depending on
work orders, these women can earn 3,000 to 5,000 taka (US$35-59) per month,
while the income of the center is reinvested in production.
“In the past
women were looked down and oppressed in their families. I believed if I could
help in their economic development, they could be free from abuse and earn
respect,” the nun noted.
Besides
socioeconomic empowerment of women, the nun has taught in primary schools and
offered catechism classes to Catholic children in every place she has been
based in her more than five decades of Bangladesh mission.
A life serving
the poor
Sister Philomena
Alicandro was born in Latina, Italy, on Jan. 28, 1937, the eldest of three
daughters.
She entered PIME
and pronounced her first and final vows in 1961 and 1967 respectively. In 1966,
she was sent to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to serve as a missionary in the
north of the country.
“When I came
there was no institute to learn Bangla, so I learned it myself by mixing with
people for years. The roads were pretty bad. I used to ride a motorcycle to
visit women and train them in sewing in faraway villages,” Sister Philomena
recalled.
The nun began
her mission at Our Lady of Lourdes Church at Bonpara in Natore before moving to
the PIME-run Leprosy Hospital in Dhanjuri in Dinajpur district.
She was then
based for years at Christ the Savior Church at Boldipukur in Rangpur district.
While in the parish, she had the most dreadful experience in her missionary
life.
In 1971,
Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan through a nine-month bloody war
that left about three million dead, about 300,000 women raped and some 10
million made refugees in India by Pakistan's military and their local Islamist
collaborators.
Even during
those violent days, the nun continued to visit women in villages and the
military suspected she might be helping Bengali freedom fighters.
“The military
came to our house and wanted to arrest me. Local people rushed in and told them
the truth that I was simply visiting women to train them in sewing. They were
convinced and left,” the nun recalled.
During the war,
many Hindus and Muslims relied on priests and nuns to save their lives from
military atrocities, and they sheltered in church compounds for months, she
added.
Since 1989,
Sister Philomena has been serving people in Gopalpur through the center for
women. She also pioneered a women’s society to encourage local women to be
united and to save money for the future.
In 2017, she and
her women were greatly honored to prepare cassocks for the pontiff and priests
for a grand public Mass in the capital Dhaka during Pope Francis’ visit to
Bangladesh. “The pope wrote a personal letter to thank us,” the nun said.
Sister Philomena
is happy that her efforts and the endeavors of many women activists and groups
empowering women in the past have yielded fruit.
“Due to lack of
education and income, women used to be treated as slaves, which has largely
changed, if not entirely. There is more work to do and I hope young nuns and
activists will continue efforts to empower women,” she said.
A pioneer in
women's development
To many local
women, Sister Philomena is a pioneer in women’s development and dignity, said
Munguli Philomena Biswas, 50, an ethnic Paharia Catholic who has been involved
with the center from the beginning.
“Sister
Philomena has been an umbrella for poor rural women like us. She has helped
women to get rid of abuses in the family by earning money and respect. They
have supported their family, educated their children and have a happy life,”
Munguli, a mother of two, told UCA News.
Many women
learned the sewing trade here and found jobs in garment factories, she noted.
“Due to
Covid-19, orders have declined, but we hope things will change once the crisis
is over,” she added.
PIME nuns have
been serving the country since 1953 and currently there are 66 nuns — 55
Bangladeshi and 11 foreigners.
Meanwhile,
Sister Philomena’s only regret is that she may not be able to breathe her last
in Bangladesh as she wishes.
“There is no old
home for nuns in Bangladesh, so I might be asked to go back to Italy soon for
old-age care services before death. I have placed my future in the hands of
God,” the nun said.
https://www.ucanews.com/news/italian-nuns-mission-to-empower-rural-bangladeshi-women/89324#
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Stanford
scholars report French headscarf ban adversely impacts Muslim girls
AUGUST 25, 2020
The French ban
prohibiting Muslim girls from wearing headscarves in public schools has been
shown by two Stanford political scientists to have had a detrimental effect on
both the girls’ ability to complete their secondary education and their
trajectories in the labor market.
In a paper
published last month in the American Political Science Review, Vasiliki Fouka,
assistant professor of political science in Stanford’s School of Humanities and
Sciences, and Aala Abdelgadir, a doctoral candidate in political science, found
that the 2004 ban led to increased perceptions of discrimination, which
hindered Muslim girls from finishing school.
The scholars
also found that the ban strengthened both national and religious identities for
young Muslim women who were most affected by it. This nuanced picture could be
seen to be at odds with the intended goal of the ban, which was to reduce the
visibility of religion in the public sphere in accordance with French values.
“I think we
have, from different contexts, quite a bit of evidence that these types of
prescriptive policies are likely to backfire,” Fouka said. The scholars write
that one way of interpreting their findings—based on insights from interviews
they conducted—is that native-born children of immigrants are redefining what
it means to be a citizen of a Western country. Many are asserting that existing
notions of national identification should be broadened to make room for
expressions of cultural and religious differences.
Using evidence
to determine effects
“In response to
rising immigration flows and the fear of Islamic radicalization, several
Western countries have enacted policies to restrict religious expression and
emphasize secularism and Western values,” the co-authors write. “Despite
intense public debate, there is little systematic evidence on how such policies
influence the behavior of the religious minorities they target.”
In order to
provide that systemic evidence on the effect of the French ban, Fouka and
Abdelgadir used data from the French Labor Force Survey, the French census, and
a representative survey of immigrants and immigrant-descendants. These sources
were used to compare differences between Muslim and non-Muslim women who were
born earlier than 1986, and had likely left secondary education by the time the
ban was enacted and those born in 1986 or later, who were affected by the ban.
The latter group was young enough to be at school when the law was enacted in
2004 and then could be followed for many years after the ban went into effect.
The French law
banned the use of religious signs and garments in primary and secondary public
schools in France. While it did not single out particular symbols or
religions—large Christian crosses, Sikh turbans, and Jewish yarmulkes were
included in the ban—the authors contend that it most widely affected Muslim
schoolgirls.
Educational
disruptions
Fouka said the
most notable disruptions occurred during the period of the ban's
implementation. While Muslim women born before the ban took effect were less
likely than non-Muslim women to complete secondary education, which in France
covers students ages 11–18, this gap more than doubled for the group that was
born after 1986. This was particularly true for those aged 16-18 in 2004, who
under French law, were allowed to drop out of school.
The study also
found that the number of Muslim girls who were adversely affected was much
higher than the number of girls who wore veils before the ban took place. The
scholars contend that this points to a discriminatory culture in the schools
that had a negative impact on a broader population of Muslim schoolgirls, not
just those who chose to veil, by calling more attention to how they dressed.
“This perceived
discrimination has a big effect particularly in the adolescent years,” Fouka
said. The data showed that school-aged Muslim girls reported higher
discrimination in school, but not in other contexts, such as in the streets,
stores, or while obtaining public services.
Another finding
is that Muslim women affected by the ban took longer to complete secondary
education and were more likely to have repeated a class. Among 20-year-old
non-Muslims, only about 7.9 percent were still attending secondary education.
For Muslims this share is 13.3 percent, a difference the scholars attribute largely
to the effects of the veiling law.
Ongoing impacts
After the
implementation of the ban, girls were required to come to school unveiled. If
they failed to do so, girls were required to enter into mediation to discuss
their options. If negotiations failed, they were expelled from school. Their
options were then to leave the education system (if older than 16), switch to
private school, pursue distance learning, or leave the country.
By conducting
interviews with women who were affected by the policy, the scholars sought to
add a human element to the data. Twenty-eight-year-old Nadia, who started
veiling at age 13, told the scholars that her teachers tried and failed to
convince her to unveil. This occurred, the scholars note, before the ban went
into effect, when school officials were allowed to decide how they would
approach the issue, and Nadia’s school decided to ban headscarves. Her story is
included as an illustration of the processes involved, because they are similar
to those girls faced after the ban.
The school
suspended Nadia and engaged a government mediator to resolve the impasse. While
her parents, concerned about her education, ultimately convinced her to unveil
and return to school, the protracted mediation process led her to fall behind
relative to her peers. “Her experience illustrates how outlawing veiling in
schools directly disrupts the educational trajectories of veiled Muslim girls,
with the potential to undermine their academic performance,” the scholars
write.
The lack of or
delay in completing secondary education also was found to have longer-term
consequences through lower participation in the labor force, lower employment
rates, and higher likelihood of living with parents. The study found that the
veiling law widens the employment gap by more than a third, the labor force
participation gap by more than half, and the gap between Muslims and
non-Muslims in cohabitation with parents by more than a third.
Movement in two
directions
Bans, such as
the French law, have been proposed in many countries to further assimilation
among immigrant populations. In the context of the French headscarf law, Fouka
and Abdelgadir found that on average, women exposed to the ban showed an
increase in both French and religious identities.
Several women
continued to veil, while at the same time maintaining that they were as French
as anyone else. "Some interviewees did choose to integrate on their own
terms, by maintaining their veils and French values,” the authors write. “As
one respondent put it, she was born in France, she speaks the language, and she
respects the laws, and therefore she was as French as any other citizen."
However, the
headscarf ban led many of those who reported a stronger connection to their
religious community to begin with to strengthen that connection even more. Some
respondents chose to retreat from French society and moved closer to their
Muslim identity, which for some girls may have meant putting on the hijab as an
act of resistance or attending a school where children of immigrants
predominate.
https://humsci.stanford.edu/feature/stanford-scholars-report-french-headscarf-ban-adversely-impacts-muslim-girls
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Dubai Women
Establishment Launches New Legislation For Women Empowerment
August 29, 2020
Dubai: Dubai Women
Establishment (DWE), in collaboration with the Supreme Legislation Committee of
Dubai, has launched the Women-Specific Legislations Lab that seeks to develop
new legislations to support the enhanced socio-economic participation of women
in the emirate. The initiative, launched on the occasion of Emirati Women’s
Day, will address various aspects related to women’s development, including
their active inclusion in society, personal status law, women in the economy,
the protection of women and their health and wellbeing.
Mona Al Marri,
Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Dubai Women Establishment, stated: “We
are pleased to forge a collaboration with Dubai’s Supreme Legislation
Committee. This initiative translates the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed
bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler
of Dubai, to enhance government performance by strengthening partnerships
between government entities.
"The
Women-Specific Legislations Lab, which has the goal of enhancing the legal
framework required to support the advancement and welfare of women in Dubai,
will work to review and monitor the implementation of women-specific
legislations and develop new legislations focused on women."
The initiative
reflects the commitment of Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, President of Dubai Women
Establishment and wife of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, to launch initiatives and
projects that promote women’s participation in various sectors and enhance
their role in shaping Dubai’s socio-economic future, Al Marri said.
Ahmed Saeed bin
Meshar Al Muhairi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Legislation Committee of
Dubai, stated: “The Women-Specific Legislations Lab will contribute to the
continued development of Dubai’s legislative structure, in line with the UAE
leadership’s commitment to empowering women and enhancing their participation
in economic, political, diplomatic, social, cultural and legal spheres.”
“We are
pleased to collaborate with Dubai Women Establishment to launch this initiative
on the occasion of Emirati Women’s Day,” he further said.
Shamsa
Saleh, CEO of Dubai Women Establishment, said the launch of the Women- Specific
Legislations Lab is in line with the Establishment’s strategic framework for ensuring a stable and
prosperous future for working Emirati women.
https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/dubai-women-establishment-launches-new-legislation-for-women-empowerment-1.73507434
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New Lab to
Empower Emirati Women
August 30, 2020
Such initiatives
are vital in promoting women's economic success, happiness and well-being.
A lab to develop
new legislations to support socio-economic participation of women has been
launched by the Dubai Women Establishment (DWE), in collaboration with the
Supreme Legislation Committee of Dubai.
The
Women-Specific Legislations Lab, launched on Emirati Women's Day, will address
various aspects related to women's development including their active inclusion
in society, personal status law, women in the economy, the protection of women,
and health and wellbeing.
Mona Al Marri,
chairperson of the board of directors of DWE, said the lab will work to review
and monitor the implementation of women-specific legislations and develop new
legislations focused on women. "By monitoring possible discrimination in
legislations and proposing alternatives, the initiative seeks to reinforce
efforts to introduce new legislations that can enhance the emirate's global
standing," she said.
Ahmed Saeed bin
Meshar Al Muhairi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Legislation Committee of
Dubai, said: "The lab will contribute to the continued development of
Dubai's legislative structure in line with the UAE leadership's commitment to
empowering women and enhancing their participation in all spheres."
He also
highlighted the important role the initiative plays in introducing new
legislations that address women's requirements and help fulfill their
aspirations, while strengthening the legislative environment needed to empower
women to be active partners in the nation's development.
Shamsa Saleh,
CEO of DWE, said such initiatives are vital in promoting women's economic
success, happiness and well-being. She also expressed her pride in the
achievements of Emirati women.
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/news/general/new-lab-to-empower-emirati-women
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/arab-woman-awards-set-highlight/d/122751