British Widow Training IS’s Special Squad of Female Suicide Bombers
New Age Islam News Bureau
28
Sept 2014
Girls will be allowed to wear headscarves in schools starting from the fifth grade. CİHAN photo
• Twitter
Users Slam Saudi Girl, 11, For ‘Immodest’ National Day Show
• Women in
Syria and Iraq at High Risk for Sexual Enslavement by ISIS
• Turkey Govt
Frees Headscarf for Students, Bans Make-Up, Tattoos and Piercings
• Meet the
Women Fighting the Islamic State
• The
Power of Girls and Tech Could Change the World
• Africa:
First Ladies Call for Increased Investment in Girls
• African
First Ladies Want Minimum Age of Marriage for Girls Raised To 18 Years
• Virginity
Testing In South Africa Should Be Banned
• KSA
Wants Rights of Children Protected
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/british-widow-training-is’s-special/d/99298
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British
Widow Training IS’s Special Squad of Female Suicide Bombers
28 Sep,
2014
Intelligence
experts have reportedly revealed that a British widow and the daughter of a
former soldier, who joined the Islamic State (IS) earlier this year, is
training a special squad of female suicide bombers within the group.
Samantha
Lewthwaite is one of the most influential, powerful women in the network and is
so highly regarded in the terror group that she is known as the "Special
One" or the "important woman," reported The Daily Star.
According to intelligence sources, she is responsible for and for training and
mentoring white converts to Islam who have volunteered to fight for the IS. A
source added that the 30-year-old woman's ability to manage the outfit's
propaganda has earned her the top position within the group and remarked that
she is a female version of Joseph Goebbels, the report said.
Lewthwaite
was married to Germaine Lindsay, one of the four Islamist suicide bombers who
was involved in the attack on the London transport network on 7 July 2005,
killing 52 people. She is involved in a number of other terror activities and is
wanted in Kenya for possessing explosives and conspiring to commit a felony
dating back to December 2011.
http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-british-widow-training-islamic-state-s-special-squad-of-female-suicide-bombers-intelligence-2022158
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Twitter
Users Slam Saudi Girl, 11, For ‘Immodest’ National Day Show
28 Sep,
2014
HAIL —
An 11-year-old girl who appeared in a theatre play here last Wednesday sporting
makeup and her long hair uncovered while performing a National Day song has
stirred a heated debate on the social media website Twitter, an Arabic daily
reported.
Many
people have criticized 11-year-old Jenna Al-Shammary for not covering her hair
and wearing red lipstick and singing in front of a male audience. Some people
even called her immodest because she did not wear the Hijab (head cover).
A
professor at King Khalid University said the girl’s appearance transcended all
boundaries of modesty and he held her parents responsible for her actions.
Many
people, however, praised the girl and attacked her detractors and described
them as “persons with extreme mentalities”.
Fayez
Al-Malki, a well-known Saudi comedian, told her detractors to mind their own
business and leave the young girl alone. He wished her the best of luck in her
future endeavours.
Jenna’s
father said he would bring legal action against those who used inappropriate
words to describe his daughter on Twitter and other social media websites.
“My
daughter is a young girl! She’s not as old as was reported on the social media
websites. Besides, she sang in front of senior government officials with other
children,” the father said.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140928219619
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Women in
Syria and Iraq at High Risk for Sexual Enslavement by ISIS
28 Sep,
2014
Women in
Syria and Iraq are at high risk for sexual enslavement by ISIS. ISIS is
capturing, abusing, raping, trading, and selling women in areas it controls.
America is politically polarized and citizens are divided on the U.S. policy on
ISIS. Some think the U.S. should be doing more to combat the organization. They
think America should use its full strength to ward off possible terrorist
attacks on home soil. Others worry that air strikes will incur too many
civilian deaths and collateral damage. They believe America should be more
cautious about declaring war on another country in the Middle East.
President
Obama decided there was not time for extended debate and ordered air strikes on
ISIS targets in Iraq and then Syria to support local troops on the ground. A
coalition of world nations including five from the Middle East are fighting
against ISIS hoping to stop its spread. Key nations have refused support saying
that violence met with violence just breeds more terrorism. By getting involved
the West may further incite and unite radical would-be terrorists.
Most
experts agree that the situation in the Middle East is complicated. Religious,
political, ethnic and tribal tensions have been brewing for centuries. It is
hard for Americans to understand the nuances of the conflicts; which groups
side with each other and which are enemies. It is hard for American citizens to
sort through the rhetoric of Middle East leaders to understand the real truths,
but one thing has become glaringly clear – the women of Syria and Iraq – and
other nations with a terrorist presence – are facing immediate peril. They
cannot wait until the situation can be worked out through diplomatic means.
They cannot wait while the underlying ideology is addressed.
Testimony
coming out of Syria and Iraq from the few women who have escaped from ISIS are
chilling. Most stories follow a similar pattern and are from Yazidi women who
have made it to refugee camps. The Sunni ISIS forces are mostly targeting
minorities including Yazidis, Christians and Turkmen, but also are making life
a living hell for Shia Muslims, repressing Sunni women, and executing
professional and political women in the region.
The most
horrific stories have been reported by the Yazidi. Heavily armed ISIS groups
quickly attack and take over a village or town. First, the men and boys are
separated from the women and massacred. Women lose their sons, husbands,
fathers, brothers, uncles, cousins and other loved ones. As horrific as the
mass murder is, for the women, the ordeal is just beginning. They are
transported to a more permanent location and many end up in Mosul’s Badush
prison. The rape and sexual abuse begin immediately. One woman reported that as
they entered the camp they were led to a building where a man met them at the
door, tore off their head scarfs, ripped open their dresses, and sexually
fondled them before sorting them into groups. The women are kept as sexual
slaves for the soldiers or are given as wives. An obscure tradition of Islam allows
for temporary marriage which means women can be traded in marriage from man to
man by those who use Islam to justify their abuse.
Another
woman who eventually made it to safety described the conditions under which she
and others were held, “Every day or two men would come in and make us take off
our head scarfs so they could choose which ones of us they wanted. Many were
raped. They were dragged out of the house by their hair. We don’t know what
became of them.”
Another
young woman was tortured and starved before her escape. She reported that ISIS
sold girls as young as nine. She said some girls find their escape in death.
While she was being held two girls hung themselves and another cut her wrists.
This news caused one woman in the crowd to completely break down. In a haunting
cry for help she declared she just wanted her daughters back. “They took all
our girls. It is all we care about. The world must help us.”
Yet
another girl describes her ordeal. Only 15 years old, she reports that many of
the girls raped were just teenagers. She and her friend were given in marriage
to ISIS soldiers “They were really filthy. They had long beards; they were
really tall and big. Even men would be scared of them. They forced us to marry
them, threatening to hurt us if we didn’t. They gave us a phone to call our
families to tell them we’d converted.” The girls were able to use the phone to
contact help.
In
addition to minority women being held as sexual spoils of war, Sunni women in
towns under ISIS control live in a state of repression and fear of punishment
for transgressions against the ISIS interpretation of Sharia Law. In areas not
under direct control, ISIS targets female activists, professionals and
politicians. Sameera Salih Ali al-Nuaimy, a lawyer and advocate for women’s
rights, was seized from her home, tortured for several days and publicly
executed on Sept. 22. The UN says, “educated, professional women seem to be
particularly at risk.”
Tens of
thousands have been killed or captured by ISIS. An estimated 5,000 Yazidi men,
women and children have disappeared. The men are presumed dead. The women are
likely being held within ISIS strongholds and undergoing continuous sexual
abuse. Many of those arriving at the refugee camps say they were able to escape
during confusion caused by air strikes on the ISIS locations. Already, initial
military moves have had an impact. For the women and men caught by the advance
of the Islamic State there is no time to waste. They need immediate rescue and
a return to safety. Women in Syria and Iraq are at risk for sexual enslavement
by ISIS and need international help now.
http://guardianlv.com/2014/09/women-in-syria-and-iraq-at-high-risk-for-sexual-enslavement-by-isis/#QVaI8BdIJSv6KLDL.99
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Turkey Govt
Frees Headscarf for Students, Bans Make-Up, Tattoos and Piercings
28 Sep,
2014
A
government decree changing the regulation on the dress code in public schools
was published Sept. 27 in the Official Gazette, allowing girls as young as 10
year old attend classes wearing headscarves.
According
to the regulation, the students will not be allowed to wear make-up or have
tattoos or piercings.
Students
“are to be present in schools with their faces visible; cannot use scarves,
berets, hats, bags or similar materials that carry political symbols, pictures
or writings; cannot dye hair, cannot have tattoos or make-up; cannot have
piercings; cannot have moustache or beard,” the new regulation published in the
Official Gazette read.
The
regulation stated that students in pre-school institutions and primary schools
cannot wear headscarves.
The
government announced last week that it would lift the ban for children starting
from grade five, which normally corresponds to the age of 10 in Turkey.
Following
the government’s move, Eğitim-Bir-Sen, an education sector trade union with
conservative views, has demanded the abolition of mixed-sex education, while
also calling for freedom in the dress code as part of a reaction against the
compulsory wearing of ties for men.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/govt-frees-headscarf-for-students-bans-make-up-tattoos-and-piercings.aspx?pageID=238&nID=72245&NewsCatID=338
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Meet the
Women Fighting the Islamic State
28 Sep,
2014
The
history of women serving in armed conflicts probably goes back hundreds of
years -- if not longer.
In the
United States, during the American Revolution, women served on the battlefield
as nurses, water bearers, laundresses and saboteurs.
Ever
since then, their roles in the military have continued to expand in numbers,
skills and responsibilities.
But, it
would still be more than 150 years -- World War II -- before women were allowed
to fly our military aircraft as "Women Air Force Service Pilots," or
WASP.
In 1986,
six Air Force women served as pilots, co-pilots and boom operators on KC-135
and KC-10 tankers that were used to refuel FB-111s during the raid on Libya.
After
Congress, in 1991, repealed laws barring women from flying in combat, the sky
would no longer be the limit to our women in the military.
And so,
it should come as no surprise to see our service women flying armed fighter
jets, refuelling tankers and other kinds of aircraft both as pilots and as crew
members, both in combat roles and on humanitarian missions, during the present
action against ISIL.
However,
it is surprising to read about a woman fighter pilot from the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) Air Force, flying an F-16 "Desert Falcon" fighter jet,
participating in the bombing raids against ISIL in Syria this week.
American
tanker-jet pilots apparently were also surprised. The New York Times:
When
American tanker-jet pilots contacted the flight to arrange for midair
refueling, [Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE's Ambassador to the U.S.] said, they
paused for about 20 seconds after hearing a woman's voice in reply.
The
pilot and squadron commander is 35-year-old Maj. Mariam al-Mansouri, the first
female fighter pilot in the history of the UAE.
Major
al-Mansouri "was likely part of sorties that dropped bombs on Islamic
State positions in Syria's Idlib, Aleppo and Raqqa provinces. Some reports
suggest that she even spearheaded her country's mission, which complemented the
parallel efforts of four other Arab states backing the U.S.: Saudi Arabia,
Jordan, Bahrain and Qatar," according to the Stars and Stripes.
Major
al-Mansouri's participation in the raids is not only rich in setting precedents
but also in symbolism:
"The
symbolism of a female fighter pilot bringing the heat to the women-enslaving
Islamic State ought be lost on no one," says the Stripes. It also notes
that in Saudi Arabia, "women are not permitted to drive cars, don't have
voting rights (more enlightened rules come into effect in 2015), and cope with
a whole regime of draconian, religious laws that circumscribe all aspects of
their lives."
The air
raids against ISIL, however, have given Saudi Arabia some bragging rights, too.
The
Stripes:
[Saudi
Arabia] released pictures of its pilots who took part in airstrikes, including
Prince Khaled bin Salman, the son of the kingdom's crown prince. Long blamed
for their listlessness and inaction, the kingdoms of the Gulf may try to change
their image in the ongoing campaign.
The
symbolism of a woman fighter pilot raining death on the Islamic terrorists is
powerful and far-reaching.
"It's
an Islamic State fighter's worst fear: to be killed by a woman," says the
Stars and Stripes in a recent report and notes that there are many female
Kurdish soldiers fighting ISIL in Iraq.
Although
smaller than their male counterparts, "they talk just as tough as they
prowl the battlefield clutching automatic rifles and vowing vengeance for those
victimized by the Islamic State," says the Stripes.
Zekia
Karhan, one of the female guerrillas from Turkey who is with the Kurdistan
Workers' Party, known as the PKK, said -- "as she stood next to a window
pierced by several bullet holes in Makhmur, a town that the PKK helped
recapture from the Islamic State this month" -- that she wasn't scared
during the battle, but, she added, "Islamic State fighters are very scared
of death because they are only here to kill people... don't mind doing it over
and over again. I've already fought in Turkey, Iran and Syria."
The
female PKK troops get fired up when they talk about the mass rapes and sex
slavery that has been a hallmark of the Islamic State, says the Stripes:
"Everywhere
they go they kill and do bad things in the name of Islam," Karhan said.
"They captured a lot of women and they are selling them in Syria for $100.
They rape women and behead them in the name of Islam."
Karhan
said she'd heard stories about the extremists' fear of being killed by the
opposite sex. In northern Iraq, it is said that the Islamic State fighters, who
are exclusively male, believe that they won't be admitted to heaven if they are
killed by a woman.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dorian-de-wind/women-fighting-the-islami_b_5888784.html
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The
Power of Girls and Tech Could Change the World
28 Sep,
2014
The
Social Good Summit in New York City, meeting-of-the-minds of world leaders,
acclaimed activists and celebrities posed this question at the annual meeting
this week. Answers ranged from a $10 million education X-Prize announced Monday
for software to teach kids reading and arithmetic around the world on tablets
to solutions for the world's 50 million refugees.
The
gathering, which featured speakers from Melinda Gates to Mohammad Yunus to
Alicia Keys to Graça Machel (Nelson Mandela's widow), is fronted by development
heavies like the UN Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, along
with media company Mashable.
If that
sounds like a strange combo, that's kind of the idea. The summit seeks to bring
together big thinkers and big ideas from a slew of sectors to solve big world
problems.
Nicholas
Kristof has called it "a grassroots version of the United Nations
Assembly."
These
big themes emerged from re-imagining the next 15 years in changing the world.
Technology
is not the problem, it's the solution
"When
you look at tech, you can't help but be optimistic," Michael Dell said in
conversation with Fast Company editor Robert Safian. "Tech is accelerating
at a rate to address (world challenges) faster than we realize."
Dell
noted that customers are using technology in clever ways that most people have
never imagined. Cheap solar panels are bringing electricity to remote places of
the world — like Tanzanian villages — where getting on the grid previously
seemed impossible. An inventive clean-burning cookstove, which saves lives in
developing countries by curtailing smoke inhalation from cooking, also has a
port for charging cellphones and electronics.
This
allows people in developing countries who are using cellphones the way others
use computers: to get information, run a business or get access to credit
online.
"It's
almost become a cliché today that people are connected on their
cellphones," said Melinda Gates in another tech-optimistic address.
"You bump into people when you walk outside in New York because they're
texting on their cellphones. The same thing happens in Johannesburg, Nairobi
and Dhaka, Bangladesh."
Next
year, 95 percent of the global population will have access to cellphone
reception and three billion people will have Internet access, she said.
Dell has
even bigger plans for technology and the future.
"We
are still in the early ages of impact on energy, the environment, all of the
big, unsolved mysteries of science," said Dell. He noted that these are
all "computational problems" that processing and other improvements
in tech will help tackle, and will come at a lower cost.
"We
will knock off these problems at a faster rate," said Dell. "It's
enormously exciting."
It's
finally time for women and girls
What do
Melinda Gates, Emma Watson and Machel have in common? They all called for
improved women's rights this week. Issues for women and girls around the world
are a hot topic — from stopping child-forced marriages to equal rights.
"I
think this conversation brings to the centre the understanding of the value of
our girls," said Machel, who is minister of education and culture in
Mozambique and an activist against child-forced marriage. "A girl has the
same value as a boy. And this means a huge change in the way families and
communities look at girls.”
About 15
million girls under age 18 are forced into marriage every year, largely in
Africa and South Asia. Forced marriage can stunt women's lives and the lives of
their families. They rarely complete their education, and in many of the same
places that forced marriage is common, more than 75 percent of people live on less
than $2 a day, according to ICRW reports.
Even as
cellphone technology is catching on in the developing world, there's a gender
gap as women still have far less access to cell technology than men, according
to United Nations Foundation CEO Kathy Calvin, who said that changing that is
critical to women's empowerment and employment.
Tracking
where and how women are being served is also important, said Machel, who would
like to use technology and data to "map" the pockets where women are
still being subjected to forced marriage, female genital mutilation, or don't
have access to maternity care: "For those people, life hasn't changed at
all," she said.
Head of
UN Women Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka called for an increased involvement of men and
boys in the struggle to achieve gender equality.
She
announced the 'HeForShe' campaign in March, which aims to enlist one billion
boys and men around the world to become advocates for women's rights, and
called on the world's fathers, sons, husbands and brothers to stand up and
support equality for women in their lives. Watson of Harry Potter fame spoke
passionately about the HeforShe campaign at the UN this week.
"How
can we affect change in the world when only half of it is invited or feels
welcome to participate in the conversation?” Watson said. “Men, I would like to
take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation.”
The
hashtag #HeforShe has since been trending on Twitter and social media this
week.
HeforShe
is described as a "solidary movement for gender equality that brings
together one half of humanity in support of the other half of humanity,"
on issues like representation and leadership.
The
Inter-Parliamentary Union estimates that 22 percent of parliamentarians are
women. There are also still 100 countries with laws that prevent meaningful
involvement of women in the economy, Mlambo Ngcuka said. Even developed
countries, like the United States where less than 20 percent of Congress is
female, lag sadly in this regard.
The U.S.
ranks No. 69 among countries with the highest percentage of women in
government. Countries that have a higher percentage of women include
Tajikistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uganda.
"Gender
discrimination is the most tolerated violation of rights on earth today,"
said Mlambo Ngcuka. "We cannot have an open-ended struggle as far as women
are concerned. There has to be an expiration date."
Youth
will lead sustainability
Bill
McKibben, environmentalist, founder of 350.org and the man behind the massive
People's Climate March held Sunday where 400,000 people turned out in New York
City, said that he's not optimistic about government leaders making change in
the environment.
"These
guys (national government leaders) have had 25 years to respond and they've
essentially not responded," said McKibben, who sat on a panel with
executive director of Greenpeace moderated by Mashable climate reporter Andrew
Freeman, Monday. "The thought that they're going to start doing so now in
some significant way seems fairly slim to me."
Climate
change and extreme weather were addressed as a "moral obligation"
Monday. Climate change is one of the greatest challenges to ending poverty —
exposing millions to hunger, disease and disaster. Although poor countries have
played little role in creating the climate crisis, they are hit hardest by it.
From Hurricane Sandy to the Sahel drought, the poor are hit hardest and have
the least resources to recover.
There
will be "pious rhetoric around climate change with very little
action," but it doesn't deter the movement, says McKibben. Especially
because so much of the power behind 350.org and Sunday's climate march comes
from young people. High school and college students poured out for the event,
even busing in from other cities like Boston.
The last
few days has brought "great news" because of the sheer numbers that
turned out, said McKibben. Also, the Rockefeller family — the original oil
magnates in the U.S. — pledged Monday to divest from fossil fuels.
Richard
Stengel, the under secretary for public diplomacy and public affairs (the
third-ranking position in the Department of State), also hoped to mobilize
youth to prepare for the future. At the summit Monday, the former editor of
Time magazine said that even media only has a certain amount of power and urged
youth to get involved in the public space.
"Instead
of being an activist outside the system, go into government. Run for office,
work for city council," Stengel urged. "Now is the time to be
involved, get involved in activist organizations ... double down."
He urged
young people to use social media to create change.
"You're
on social media all the time, it's not just clicking that you 'Like' something,
it's also registering when you don't like something or contradicting
something," he said. "Contest the space."
http://national.deseretnews.com/article/2419/The-power-of-girls-and-tech-could-change-the-world.html#G5LQBAJlBkRhEzwi.99
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Africa:
First Ladies Call for Increased Investment in Girls
28 Sep,
2014
The
Organization for African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) today called on
the global community to ensure that young people are put at the centre of
Post-2015 Development Agenda.
In a
communiqué at the end of their high level event on 'Investing in Adolescent
Girls for Africa's Development' held on the margins of the 69th United Nations
General Assembly Special Session on the International Conference on Population
and Development (ICPD) in New York, the organisation emphasized the need for
increased investment in adolescent girls' health in Africa, in line with the
Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA) and
the Maputo Plan of Action.
The
First Ladies expressed concerns on the challenges still facing African
adolescent girls, including low access to maternal health services, complications
arising from marriage at a young age, gender-based violence, early pregnancies,
sexual exploitation, unsafe abortion and the risk of sexually transmitted
infections, such as HIV and AIDS.
They
called for more attention to be given to quality maternal health services,
especially pre-, intra- and post-natal care services, and access to information
and commodities for family planning, to put Africa's women and adolescent girls
to make safe choices for their optimal health.
The
President of OAFLA, H.E Mrs Hinda Déby Itno, called upon the international
community to give priority to women and adolescents in the post 2015 agenda by
defining a specific objective focusing on the promotion of adolescent
reproduction and sexual health so as to reduce the maternal, neonatal and
new-born death.
She also
reaffirmed the determination of African First Ladies to contribute to the
initiatives aiming at improving the health condition of mothers and children in
Africa and to the emergence of a generation without AIDS and without new HIV
infection.
Speaking
at the event, UNFPA Executive Director, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin called on
African governments to prioritize girls' education because according to him
educated women are able to delay their first pregnancy, space their births and
are more likely to ensure that their children go to and stay in school.
Dr.
Osotimehin said girls are the world's greatest untapped resource and therefore
require more investments to achieve significant economic returns.
"We
know, for example that girls completing secondary school in Kenya would add US
$27 billion to the economy over their lifetimes. In Nigeria, if young women had
the same employment rates as young men, the country would add US$ 13.9 billion
annually" he said.
The
First Ladies of Africa reaffirmed their individual and organizational
commitment to advocating for a sustainable response to the elimination of
mother-to-child transmission of HIV; the accelerated reduction of maternal,
newborn and child mortality; the elimination of gender-based violence; stigma
reduction; the empowerment of girls, youth and women; enhanced gender equality;
and universal access to sustained services for the reproductive health and
rights of women in Africa, including effective breast and cervical cancer
prevention and treatment.
The
First Ladies of Africa reiterated their commitment made at the 15th African
Union Summit in Kampala, Uganda in 2010 to accelerate and intensify those
activities, in order to create meaningful change within the African continent.
They
resolved on the following actions to mobilize for investment in adolescent
girls in order to advance maternal and newborn health for Africa's development:
1.
Continue to advocate for the empowerment of women and adolescent girls to
exercise their reproductive rights and ensure their access to sexual and
reproductive health information and services, in line with regional and global
instruments;
2.
Advocate for the introduction of age-appropriate and comprehensive sexual and
reproductive health education for all in order to strengthen school curricula,
and to prevent early sexual debut, unintended pregnancies and sexually
transmitted infections, including HIV;
3. Join
forces with the African Union Commission (AUC) to harmonize national
legislation to raise the minimum age for the marriage of African girls to 18
years and promote the enforcement of laws to end child marriage on the
continent. They called on African Union Member States to extend the Maputo Plan
of Action on SRHR beyond 2015;
4.
Champion education, leadership and skills development for adolescent girls, in
the belief that a woman's level of education and socio-economic status has
far-reaching and positive long-term health implications, and is linked to
improved health outcomes for herself and her children, and contributes to the
sustainable development of her community and country;
5. Call
on African governments and national institutions to ensure law enforcement and
the implementation of international instruments protecting adolescent girls;
6.
Continue to support efforts to engage men and boys, as important partners in
addressing harmful traditional norms and practices that perpetuate violence
against women and adolescent girls, as well as inequalities between the two
genders, while re-enforcing positive values in men and boys;
7.
Support the creation of a conducive environment across the continent that
allocates domestic resources, promotes global investment and private sector
partnerships, and encourages community involvement to increase investment in
adolescent girls and coverage of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH)
services;
8.
Accelerate efforts to reach MDG 5 and have issues of adolescent girls central
in the Post-2015 development agenda.
The high
level event was organized by OAFLA and attended by African First Ladies and the
First Ladies of the Republic of Serbia, Republic of Honduras and Republic of
Haiti, the Crown Princess of Denmark, the Crown Princess of Jordan, Mrs. Ban
Soon-taek, eminent personalities, celebrities and representatives of the
private sector, civil societies and heads of UN agencies.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201409261300.html?viewall=1
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African
first ladies want minimum age of marriage for girls raised to 18 years
28 Sep,
2014
African
first ladies have called on governments in Africa to harmonise legislations and
raise the minimum age of marriage for girls to 18 years.
The
first ladies who met at the United Nations headquarters in New York, on the
sidelines of the ongoing General Assembly session, said raising the minimum age
for marriage will empower women and would ultimately benefit the whole society.
In a
communiqué released on Tuesday after the meeting attended by Kenyan First Lady
Margaret Kenyatta, the first ladies called on governments to attach priority to
the sexual and reproductive health of girls and use laws to bring forced
marriages to an end.
“We
call on our governments and national institutions to ensure law enforcement and
the implementation of international instruments protecting adolescent girls, a€� they said in a statement issued in
Nairobi.
They
also called on governments in Africa to dedicate more resources to create a
conducive environment to empower adolescent girls.
The
first ladies at the same time called for reinforcement of positive values in
men and boys to address harmful traditional practices and inequalities between
the two genders for the good of society.
Addressing
the first ladies, the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund
Babatunde Osotimehin said education is the key to solve the problems of sexual
health for adolescents and reproductive health.
“If
girls finished school and got employment at the same rate as boys, they will
add $27 billion to the economy of Kenya annually and $17 billion to the economy
of Nigeria, a€� he said.
http://en.starafrica.com/news/african-first-ladies-want-minimum-age-of-marriage-for-girls-raised-to-18-years.html
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Virginity
Testing In South Africa Should Be Banned
28 Sep,
2014
The last
20 years has seen the revival of virginity testing in rural KwaZulu-Natal.
The test
on girls, designed to affirm virginal status, is based on whether the hyman is
intact.
The test
is therefore far from 100% reliable; some women are born without a hymen, the
hymen can be broken by tampons or sporting activities, and conversely, the
hymen does not always rupture after one act of coitus.
However,
the results can have profound effects for the girl. Test results are only
divulged with personal permission, but refusal to tell is tantamount to guilt,
so in reality, privacy is not an option.
A
‘non-virgin’ verdict can result in awful consequences, ranging from honour
killing, abuse, isolation, financial penalty, family shame, and poor marriage
prospects.
Surely,
such an inaccurate test should not have the power to affect the course of a
young girl’s life?
A
confirmation of virginal status can have equally damaging outcomes; rape by HIV
infected men who believe sex with a virgin will cure them, or by people jealous
of her pristine status.
With
such terrible consequences, this test needs careful reconsideration about its
ethical status.
The
Children's Act (Act No. 38 of 2005) and its associated regulations allow for
virginity tests to be performed on male and female children over the age of 16,
but in practice is only performed on girls.
The
markers for establishing a boy’s virginity are incredibly tenuous and there is
no evidence of widespread testing on boys. The inclusion of boys is seemingly
to establish an illusion of equality.
The
widespread testing of girls indicates a belief that girls bear disproportionate
responsibility for sexual activity and are ‘seducers of men’.
The
author notes: “re-institution of virginity testing is intended to encourage
young women to embrace a role for themselves as subservient, respectful and
obedient.
This can
only serve to perpetuate patriarchy and the dominance of women by men”. Such
disempowerment can leave women and girls vulnerable to violence, abuse, and
rape.
In
theory girls are free to choose to participate in a test, but in practice
coercion is often the order of the day.
Proponents
of the practice refute the notion that it's an infringement of dignity and
privacy. In the face of past oppression and attacks on customs, traditionalists
emphasise its importance in African cultural values with the prized title of
"virgin" overriding any fears of bodily invasion.
However,
the author argues that no practice should be sanctioned solely on the basis of
culture.
He joins
the heavyweight detractors; the ANC, International Human Rights Commission, and
Gender Commission, in condemning virginity testing as an unjust, discriminatory
practice, and urges a complete ban on all virginity testing.*
What is
the South African Human Rights Commission's position?
The
South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says that African cultures have
placed a high premium on the virginity of girls, especially for marriage
purposes. In some cultures, the lack of such status could affect a marriage or
the bride-price (bohali or lobola).
Amongst
the Zulu people, girls were examined by their mothers once a month to ensure
that they were virgins.
During
the past 21 years there has been the re-emergence of mass based virginity
testing particularly amongst the Zulu people. Virginity testing involves young
girls being physically examined by traditional examiners to determine if they
are virgins.
Thereafter
they are provided with certificates in a public ceremony and others attend the
annual Royal Reed Dance sanctioned by King Zwelithini.
King
Zwelithini is reported to have condemned those opposing virginity testing and was
quoted as saying that “… he would “rather be thrown in jail than allow the
tradition he revived 21 years ago to be abolished".
The
SAHRC maintains that the re-emergence of this cultural practice has led to
concerns being raised about the potential invasion and violation of guaranteed
constitutional rights of the young women who are tested.
These
concerns have also been voiced by the Commission for Gender Equality and the
South African Human Rights Commission. Read more at the SAHRC (PDF).
http://www.health24.com/Lifestyle/Woman/Your-body/Virginity-testing-in-South-Africa-should-be-banned-20140917
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KSA
wants rights of children protected
28 Sep,
2014
The
Kingdom has denounced all kinds of violence against children including physical
and psychological.
This
came during a recent meeting of the Human Rights Council in Geneva in which
several countries participated.
The
Kingdom’s representative at the United Nations in Geneva, Faisal Trad, said
before the Human Rights Council that strengthening and protecting children’s
rights is one of the major responsibilities of local and international
authorities. This issue deserves to capture the immediate interest of the
international community and there should be effective implementation of
international commitments.
He said
violence against children should not be justified, and there is a pressing need
to strengthen international cooperation to protect children from all types of
violence, and ensure that perpetrators do not enjoy impunity.
He said
that domestic violence can be dealt with through education and direction in
addition to strengthening partnerships on the official and private levels, and
finding solutions to ease the suffering of victims.
He added
that Islamic Shariah on which the Kingdom bases its laws, called for the
protecting of human rights including children’s rights.
The
Kingdom has joined the children’s rights treaty, and approved a number of local
and international social initiatives. The basic system guarantees a number of
rights such as protection from violence and abuse based on domestic violence
issues. The national safety program and the research center at King Fahd
Hospital have launched the national register for child abuse in order for child
protection centers in the health sector to enter demographic data, directly
through the Internet by monitoring abuse and cases of neglect.
He said
the Kingdom has launched the Asas program which aims to improve early education
for children, and introduced the Children’s Friends, which makes the basis for
a professional and sustainable partnership with media establishments to raise
awareness about children’s issues.
Trad
said the Kingdom has established the empowerment initiative to raise the
capacity of leaders who supervise children’s programs in the state’s various
sectors and enables them to deal with current and expected challenges. It has
also developed the protection program which aims to participate in raising the
level of prevention of violence against children at the national level, by
training teachers and educators on how to uncover and treat cases of violence.
The Kingdom has also strengthened the “Children’s Partners” program which is
the most important tool for implementing the national strategy for childhood
and aims to achieve full coordination between authorities interested in
childhood.
http://www.arabnews.com/featured/news/636371
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/british-widow-training-is’s-special/d/99298