Burqa Ban, Face Mask Laws Frustrate Dutch Muslims
New Age Islam News Bureau
2
Aug 2020
• Breaking Through the Patriarchy: Women Calling the
Shots in Family Business
• Women Police Squads to Patrol Noida, Uttar Pradesh,
On Scooters
• How I Celebrate Eid As A ‘Muslim-Ish’ Woman from
Kazakhstan
• Chandigarh Women Make A Special 7-Feet Eco-Friendly Rakhi
For Lord Hanuman's Statue
• Free Bus Travel for Women in UP on Raksha Bandhan
• The Women Who Overcame Radio’s Earliest Glass
Ceilings
• Women’s IPL Will Take Place In UAE And We Have A
Plan For The National Team Also: Sourav Ganguly
• Women’s Month: Four South African Women Who Have Won
Olympic Gold
• Nigerian Laws Need Amendment To Help Women In
Business — Kehinde-Peters
• Pakistani Family Creates Foundation Honouring
Daughter Killed in US Shooting
• In A First, Mumbai Traffic Signals Feature Women Pedestrians
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
-------
Burqa Ban, Face Mask Laws Frustrate Dutch Muslims
01.08.2020
It is
really difficult wearing the burqa. People just see you as the enemy.
-----
Walking quickly across the Bos en Lommerplein, a
square in the west of Amsterdam, Emarah* stands out. Raindrops run down her
long black burqa, soaking the bottom of the black body-covering garment. It has
been three years since she first started wearing a burqa, which also covers her
face.
"People often think that I have to wear it as my
husband says so, but it is my own choice," she tells DW. "Actually, I
did not have a husband when I started wearing it.
"It is really difficult wearing the burqa. People
just see you as the enemy. It makes me feel totally alone, pushed in a
corner," she says.
It's unfair, Emarah says, frustration evident in her
voice. "I am being discriminated against only because I want to practice
my religion, for my choice."
On August 1 it will be one year since the Dutch
government approved a controversial law prohibiting clothing that
"completely covers the face." It followed similar, albeit stricter,
bans in France and Belgium.
The Dutch ban prohibited such clothing from being worn
in public transport or in public buildings such as schools, hospitals and
government buildings. Unlike in France and Belgium, the burqa is still
permitted to be worn in the streets.
Public safety was the main reason given by the
government for the ban, a process initiated 14 years ago by Geert Wilders,
leader of the right-wing Party for Freedom. The penalty for refusing to remove
a face covering is a fine of between €150 and €450 ($177 and $529).
However, according to a spokesperson for the Dutch
National Police Force, only a "handful" of people have been fined in
the past year for wearing the garment.
"Reactions in public have become more aggressive
than ever before," says Emarah, despite the fact it is still legal to wear
the burqa on the streets. Prior to the ban she would experience violence, she
says. "When I was in the supermarket, people would hit me with a shopping
cart on my ankles to get me to move away."
But she says that levels of aggression have escalated
significantly: "A man even tried to hit me with his car."
Sisters Anne and Truus Postma are having tea on the
Lambertus de Zijlplein in the west of Amsterdam, looking out over merchants
selling fresh vegetables at the Monday market. It's a popular migrant
neighborhood.
The square, they say, has not changed much since the
ban. "I prefer to see their faces — but there were hardly any women with
such face coverings anyway," says one of the sisters.
Leila sits on a wooden bench on the other corner of
the square. She says she is happy with the ban.
"It simply is too much," she explains.
"You are living in a European country, why do you need to cover yourself
like that? A scarf like the one I am wearing is good enough."
Giulio Bonotti, a Somali-Italian worker for the city
council, is also happy with the legislation. "I don't like those veils at
all, it is torture," he argues. "It is like the woman is worth
nothing at all, they are right to ban the burqa."
Muslims 'don't feel welcome anymore'
Despite being famous around the world for its
liberalism, "the Netherlands is becoming less and less tolerant,"
says Emarah, with a sigh. She views the law as "an attack on the
Islam" and says it goes directly against her right to freedom of religion
as enshrined in the Dutch constitution and the European Convention of Human
Rights.
If she was forced to remove her burqa, she says
"it would feel humiliating …it was my choice to put it on, and I would
want to make the choice to take it off."
Safa*, a practicing 30-year-old Muslim, feels the ban sowed fear among the wider Muslim society, despite only a tiny minority of women — perhaps 150 — wearing the burqa or niqab in the Netherlands.
Some of her more religiously conservative friends have
now emigrated to other countries, in particular the United Kingdom. "They
don't feel welcome here anymore," she explains.
That sentiment was particularly high when Dutch
newspaper Algemeen Dagblad published an article in July 2019 calling for
"citizen arrests" of women breaking the law. "When that happened
even young, moderate Muslims started to get concerned," says Safa.
A woman in a head scarf and medical face mask pushes a
pushchair and holds her young daughter's hand
Some Dutch Muslims see an irony in face masks now
being necessary on public transport
COVID-19 masks: One rule for them, another for
everyone else?
Emarah and other women wearing a niqab or burqa see an
irony in the new COVID-19 rules in the Netherlands, which made face masks
mandatory on public transport.
Women, it seems, are now punished for both wearing and
for not wearing face coverings, depending on their purpose. "It is totally
contradictory," argues Emarah, who thinks it's wrong that public health is
deemed to be an acceptable reason for covering a face, but religious belief is
not.
She isn't alone. A number of organizations, led by the
group Don't Touch My Niqab, are now appealing to the Dutch Foreign Ministry,
the House of Representatives and the Senate to revoke the face-covering law,
appealing that in light of recent COVID-19 rules legal arguments supporting the
ban are void.
https://www.dw.com/en/burqa-ban-face-mask-laws-frustrate-dutch-muslims/a-54397964
-------
Breaking Through the Patriarchy: Women Calling The
Shots In Family Business
02 August, 2020
When a
woman joins a family business, it’s equally challenging as their male
counterparts.
------
Gone are the days when a woman’s contribution to her
family was only confined to the kitchen. Right to higher education, awareness,
being disgruntled about their corporate jobs, shrinking size of the family and
sometimes their own families’ circumstances have forced them to take up the
family business. As the times are changing, the participation of women in the
ownership, management and direction of family business has been growing from
the last decade. Even their roles have also been shifted from softer roles in
Corporate Social Responsibility, Philanthropy, Human Resources to decision
making and operations across all industries. These new roles have put the myth
that women are not skilled at networking and socializing in a business
environment to rest.
If we see various data, family businesses are
considered as a foundation of the global economy, representing an estimated 70%
to 90% of the global GDP and 50% to 80% of jobs in the majority of countries
worldwide. After excelling in the roles of a mother, doctor, teacher, lawyer or
any professional, they have proved their mettle in the family business too and
that’s the reason women- led family businesses have increased by 58% since
2007. Women are becoming the able custodians of their family businesses on
their own and claiming what is rightfully theirs. This rising trend takes many
of us by surprise because the Indian families have traditionally been the
patriarchal space ruled by “efficient” male members and only catered and
caressed by the “soft” and “ignorant” women in the families.
The Early Days
Acclaimed Business Historian Ms Gita Piramal had
participated in the 7th Asian Invitational Conference on Family Business
organised by the Thomas Schmidheiny Centre for Family Enterprise at the Indian
School of Business and revealed that an Indian woman’s participation in the family
business can be traced in 1960s when the government introduced the family
planning program. As the initiative stressed on the need of small family,
resulting less sons or sometimes no son, paved the way for the daughters.
Families with only daughters or those with one son and one daughter started
focusing on nurturing and training their daughters for family business. They
were given international exposures by sending them off to elite business
schools for learning the nuances of business. This is how the daughters in
business families became scions of their organizations breaking the shackles of
gender disparity.
Making a difference
When a woman joins a family business, it’s equally
challenging as their male counterparts. But their inbuilt role of a nurturer,
caregiver and emotional support system make them analyse a situation in a
broader way and within no time, the business gets a new high. In the journey of
achieving the success, a woman has to wear the multiple hats of sales, brand
management, customer marketing personnel besides understanding the dynamics of
the business.
Why women are reaching new highs confidently?
Whenever a woman has taken the command of a family
business or took up the enterprenual role, she always made a positive impact
not only in business but also in society and families. The major change that
has propelled women to touch new heights confidentially is they are well aware
of their strengths as well as weakness. Another key factor is that they are no
longer victims to the struggle between a personal and professional life. They
have very well learnt to strike a balance between the two. Education and
financial independence are the biggest factor behind this change. All these
have made them feel more empowered in the male-dominated workplace or society.
They come with experience and knowledge and have been seen as great leaders.
Secondly, today competition is tough. Businesses need leaders who are
passionate and understand the business. It does not matter whether it is a
woman or a man. It really boils down to which sibling has the drive to run the
business.
Why women leading such businesses are faring better
than non-family business?
We have so many women to look upto when it comes to
managing a business and family businesses. If we see the global scenario,
family businesses have a better share of women in leadership roles either as
promoters or non-promoters. What sets them apart in a family business or from
non- family firms is their long-term strategy and vision to preserve and
sustain the business for future generations. With this focus, the average
tenure of family leadership is usually around 20 years as compared to six years
for non-family firms. The long tenure provides an opportunity for the women
leaders in the family business to adapt and influence their management styles
and showcase their contribution and accomplishments over time.
Way Forward
Kudos to the professional education, financial
independency and availability of new digital technologies, there is no glass
ceiling for who should wear the boss’s cap. Always believe in your true
calling. It will give you reason to get up in the morning and drive you to make
the difference you want to make. Always keen to learn and no matter if you are
learning something from the junior-most in your company. Stay connected to your
roots is utmost as it will keep you humble, help you grow and be compassionate
about others. The key to success lies within one’s self. Find your calling and
do that with absolute commitment. Feel proud of the product or service you aim
to sell, and let that pride shine through in all your work. Don’t let the
criticism bother you. Spread your wings and fly.
http://www.businessworld.in/article/Breaking-Through-The-Patriarchy-Women-Calling-The-Shots-In-Family-Business/02-08-2020-303553/
-------
Women Police Squads To Patrol Noida, Uttar Pradesh, On
Scooters
02 August, 2020
As a
measure to boost women’s security in Noida, the police have launched a women
police squads to patrol the city on scooters.
-----
Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Aug 2 (ANI): As a
measure to boost women's security in Noida, the police have launched a women
police squads to patrol the city on scooters.
Police Commissioner Alok Singh flagged off the new
patrolling team from the commissioner's office on Saturday.
DCP Women's Protection Vrinda Shukla said that
scooters have been deployed in areas with more women footfall.
"We have around 100 scooters and we have deployed
them in various areas. In areas frequented by women we have deployed closed to
12-13 scooters and the areas with less footfall we have deployed two-three
scooters," Shukla told reporters here.
"The idea materialised after feedback mechanism
through social media platforms. And asked women about the areas where patroling
is needed and how can it be provided," she added.
Alok Singh, Police Commissioner Noida said, "At
present, we have flagged off close to 50 scooters today. We would be increasing
the capacity as and when the lockdown opens, more improvements would be made on
the same."
http://www.businessworld.in/article/Women-police-squads-to-patrol-Noida-on-scooters-/02-08-2020-304175/
-------
How I Celebrate Eid As A ‘Muslim-Ish’ Woman from
Kazakhstan
1st August 2020
Elmira Tanatarova
Although many people in Kazakhstan aren’t practising
Muslims, Elmira Tanatarova discovered the significance of Eid after moving to
London.
Eid al-Adha is a traditional Muslim celebration,
honouring the sacrifice Ibrahim was willing to make for God. It marks a very
holy period for followers of the religion. I’d learned the significance of it
for the first time at 18-years-old at university in East London, despite having
celebrated it many times before in my home country of Kazakhstan.
Being a Central Asian woman and living abroad means
that you’re always explaining your existence to people who have no idea how to
process you, or your place in the Muslim community. We have perfected the art
of telling others where the country we’re from is (“right under Russia – you
can’t miss it, it’s huge”), even though it is quite likely one of the biggest
landmasses in the world. We have laughed off the confusion as people try to
uncouple what we look and act like from the stereotypes they have floating
around in their heads.
There’s a joke amongst Kazakhs that it’s baffling for
Westerners to see Russian-speaking Muslims who drink alcohol, and look like
they may be from China, Korea, or Japan. Central Asian people can’t be
understood and easily unpacked by the Western lens, which often sees these
demographics as separate sects that don’t cross over.
A lot of Kazakh-Muslim traditions involve large family
gatherings – and when I moved away from Kazakhstan at eight-years-old, any
inkling of connection and tradition I had left with my Muslim heritage
vanished.
Gone were the big and bustling family gatherings where
plates were piled high with horse meat, mutton and noodles. Gone were the ten
different varieties of fried bread my grandmother would make, which you’d
slather in homemade jam and drink with hot black tea. Gone were those feasts
followed by a quick incomprehensible prayer from a man I never recognised,
reading what I had yet to realise, was the Qur’an. They were gone, and I had
decided to park my identity into a corner of my mind left untouched for years.
Attending Queen Mary, University of London, in the
largely Muslim community of East London, confronted me with what I knew (or
moreso, didn’t know) about Islam. Mosque back home was a quiet, unassuming
affair – I had only gone once in my whole life. It was nothing compared to the
constantly attended and busy East London Mosque. One day I pass it when a kind
man outside the mosque hands me a leaflet, hoping to introduce me to Islam and
teach me all about it. “But I am Muslim,” I wanted to say, “I’m one of you!”
And then I said nothing, realising I hadn’t thought of myself as Muslim in
years.
I had not grown up in a culture where I prayed once,
let alone five times a day. I was taught nothing of the hijab. I had never read
a passage of the Qur’an. How could I call myself a Muslim? Mosque was not
considered a community gathering – it’s somewhere you could go for special
occasions, and even then, that was only for “religious” people.
Islam isn’t a religion people are used to seeing as
engrained in culture but followed without commitment, especially in the more
recent couple of decades. But that’s exactly what a lot of Central Asia is.
“Largely speaking, most people in Kazakhstan will have
the same relationship with Eid as British people will with Christmas”
Kazakh illustrator Didar says it best in a personal
essay on her blog, titled ‘Russian-Speaking. Culturally Muslim. Central Asian’:
“Kazakhstan, like other Central Asian countries, adopted and freely adapted
Islam within its existing shamanic belief system in the 7th century, which
resulted in the development of an eclectic set of practices.
The shamanic and the Islamic elements are tightly
interwoven together in the patchwork of Kazakh culture, which is
incomprehensible to people who are used to thinking in strictly binary terms.”
Before nomadic Kazakhs accepted the mainstream spread
of Islam, there had already been local spiritual Shamanic and pagan religions
which worshipped spirits linked to nature – and Islam slotted itself compatibly
alongside these practices before becoming widely accepted towards the 18th
century.
It’s worth saying that Kazakhstan’s Islamic identity
is changing as we speak. The fall of the Soviet union in the 1990s has led to
more Muslims in Kazakhstan exploring their faith when separated from the Soviet
Union’s state-enforced atheism, and many Kazakhs see an attempt to reconnect
with their faith as reclaiming their culture.
“When I moved away from Kazakhstan at eight-years-old,
any inkling of connection and tradition I had left with my Muslim heritage
vanished”
However, largely speaking, most people in Kazakhstan
will have the same relationship with Eid as British people will with Christmas.
There is, of course, a handful of the population that will root their
festivities in faith, but it won’t be seen as an overwhelmingly spiritual
occasion. My family celebrates Eid al-Adha, in practice, with the same rituals
other Muslim countries will, the hallmark moment being the slaughter of an
animal (usually a sheep) in honour of Ibrahim.
And yet, as I call my great-aunt to ask her what the
festival means to her, she doesn’t mention Ibrahim, his son Ismael, or the
Qur’an at all. “It’s about family,” she gently explains to me. “It’s about
giving blessings to the dead on the Day of Arafah (the day before Eid), and
blessings to the living on Eid al-Adha (which Kazakhs refer to as Qurban Ait).”
She tells me that the slaughter of the animal more than anything is a way to
bring communities together. When the meat is cut, you then bring some of the
food over to your family and friends’ houses, and they to you. “Whether people
have read the Qur’an or haven’t, they do this,” she explains, “and everyone
comes together.”
I hang up the call with my great aunt after wishing
her blessings and good health for tomorrow. She can’t see the whole family and
go round to her friends’ houses as she does every year, but tells me she will
make sure to give everyone a call.
Putting the phone down, I look around my family’s
house in Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. There will be no sheep
slaughter here – but mum will make food for the family, and for now, that’s
enough.
https://gal-dem.com/how-i-celebrate-eid-as-a-muslim-ish-woman-from-kazakhstan/
-------
Chandigarh Women Make A Special 7-feet Eco-friendly
Rakhi For Lord Hanuman's Statue
2nd August, 2020
Ahead of Raksha Bandhan, a group of women has made an
eco-friendly Rakhi for Lord Hanuman's statue in Chandigarh. The eco-friendly
Rakhi is seven-feet long and it will be tied to the right hand of the
32-feet-tall Lord Hanuman statue. The women took over 15 days to make the
special rakhi.
Meena Tiwari, one of the women involved in the Rakhi
making told ANI, "We have been spending around two to three hours daily
decorating this rakhi, for the past 15 days. It is an eco-friendly rakhi and we
will be adding Rudraksha to this."
The women have decorated the rakhi with artificial
flowers, ribbons, rudrakshas and a Lord Ram's picture at the center. Tiwari
further said that they make rakhi's every year however this year it is special
as they made a special rakhi for the deity.
"We make rakhi every year but this year we are
designing a special rakhi for Lord Hanuman's statue. It is a seven-feet-long
rakhi and Lord Hanuman's statue is 32-feet-tall. We have used coloured paper
along with other decorative materials. This rakhi will be tied on the right
hand of the statue," Meena Tiwari added.
UP govt provides free ride to women on Raksha Bandhan
The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC)
will provide free rides to women in all categories of buses on the occasion of
Raksha Bandhan. The chief minister Yogi Adityanath has issued directives to
this effect and has also directed for intensive patrolling on the occasion of
Raksha Bandhan, the spokesperson said. This facility would be available in all
categories of buses for women passengers. The CM has further directed rakhi and
sweet shops to remain open on Sunday in view of the festival.
Mail services make arrangements for delivering rakhis
Meanwhile, the postal departments in several parts of
the country have made elaborate arrangements to deliver rakhis across the
country amid the pandemic as sisters living in different locations would not be
able to personally visit their brothers to tie rakhis. Chandigarh Postal
Division which has 43 post offices in Chandigarh, 25 post offices in Mohali and
27 post offices in Ropar, introduced a Rakhi Mail Box in post offices.
Furthermore, the Rail Mail Services of the Ambala division will be working this
Sunday owing to the increasing number of Rakhi posts amid the Covid-19
pandemic.
https://www.republicworld.com/india-news/general-news/chandigarh-women-make-a-special-rakhi-for-lord-hanumans-statue.html
-------
Free Bus Travel For Women In UP On Raksha Bandhan
02 August, 2020
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Aug 2 (ANI): For the
festival of Raksha Bandhan, Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation
(UPSRTC) has announced free travel for women in its buses of all categories.
The free bus travel for women, announced by Chief
Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday is applicable from midnight of August 2 to
midnight of August 3.
According to an official release, in view of the
festival, Rakhi vendors and sweets shops will remain open on Sunday.
Instructions have also been given to the police for
intensive patrolling on the occasion.
Chief Minister Yogi further directed the officials to
ensure that the protocol for COVID-19, including social distancing norms should
be followed on Raksha Bandhan.
Rakshan Bandhan is being celebrated on August 3 this
year.
http://www.businessworld.in/article/Free-bus-travel-for-women-in-UP-on-Raksha-Bandhan/02-08-2020-304109/
-------
The Women Who Overcame Radio’s Earliest Glass Ceilings
BY JOHN SCHNEIDER ⋅
PUBLISHED: AUGUST 1, 2020
Before the dawn of broadcasting, women were frequently
hired as wireless operators, and so it was not a surprise that women’s voices
were heard as announcers and program hosts in the early days of broadcast
radio.
Sybil Herrold was perhaps the world’s first disc
jockey; she played Victrola records on her husband Charles Herrold’s
experimental station, which broadcast in San Jose from 1912 to 1917.
In Boston, Eunice Randall’s voice was heard on a
variety of programs over AMRAD station 1XE (which became WGI in 1922). In New
York City, WOR audiences regularly heard Jesse Koewing, who was identified on
the air only as “J.E.K.” while Betty Lutz was the popular “hostess” heard on
WEAF.
Sixteen-year-old Nancy Clancy was reportedly the
youngest radio announcer in the country in 1924. Here she is shown in the
studios of WAHG, the Alfred H. Grebe station in Richmond Hill, N.Y. WAHG grew
to become today’s WCBS in New York City. Credit: Author’s collection
Additionally, women were frequently hired as “program
managers,” responsible for booking the live entertainment that filled their
stations’ airwaves, and they often came before the microphone to introduce the
entertainers.
Broadcasters complained that the tone quality of early
receivers and speakers made women’s higher-pitched voices sound shrill and
dissonant; but this prejudice remained even as higher-fidelity receivers became
available in the early 1930s. The conventional wisdom was that “audiences don’t
like or trust women as announcers” and “only male voices can speak with
authority.”
An audience survey conducted by WJZ in 1926, with
5,000 respondents, determined that listeners of both sexes preferred the male
voice by a margin of 100 to 1. In 1934, an article in the Journal of Social
Psychology concluded that “the male voice is more natural, more persuasive and
more likely to arouse interest over the air than the feminine voice.”
In 1935, Cantril and Gordon Allport published “The
Psychology of Radio, and determined that 95% preferred hearing male voices over
the radio.
This prejudice against female announcers was expressed
by station managers of the day. In a letter to the editor in Radio Broadcasting
Magazine, a station director wrote that “for announcing, a well-modulated male
voice is the most pleasing to listen to. I have nothing against a woman’s announcing,
but really do believe that unless a woman has the qualifications known as
‘showman’s instinct,’ it really does become monotonous.”
Another station executive from Pittsburgh wrote, “I
would permit few women lecturers to appear [on the radio]. Their voices do not
carry the appeal, and so whatever the effect desired, it is lost on the radio
audience. Their voices are flat or they are shrill, and they are usually
pitched far too high to be modulated correctly.”
As a result, by 1930 women’s voices had virtually
disappeared from the airwaves, except for mid-afternoon programs aimed at the
housewife and discussing such banal topics as cooking, fashion and beauty tips.
In a notable experiment, NBC hired the vaudeville
comedienne Elsie Janis in 1934 to be the network’s first female announcer,
joining a staff of 26 men. But when listeners complained that a woman’s voice
was inappropriate for serious announcing work, an NBC executive commented that
they were “not quite sure what type of program her hoarse voice is best suited
for, but it is certain she will read no more press news bulletins.”
Over at CBS, they paired radio actress Bernardine
Flynn with Durward Kirby to host a daily newscast. But Kirby was assigned to
read the “hard” news stories while Flynn reported only the “human interest”
items.
Mary Margaret McBride broke the mold that kept women
from serious announcing work on the networks. Her afternoon NBC interview
program commanded an audience of millions, and she enjoyed a reported $52,000
annual salary in 1941. Here she is seen interviewing General Omar N. Bradley on
the first anniversary of D-Day. Credit: Author’s collection
Perhaps the only woman to break the taboo on women
reporting serious news stories during the network era was Mary Margaret
McBride.
She began her radio career on WOR in New York in 1934,
taking the air name Martha Deane and playing a grandmotherly-type woman who
dispensed philosophy and common sense. In 1937, she moved over to the CBS
network under her own name, and became recognized for her interviewing
capabilities.
Her daily afternoon program included high-level
politicians, generals and movie stars. She moved to NBC in 1941, where her
daily audience numbered in the millions. She remained a regular feature on
network radio until 1960, and then continued in syndication.
World War II temporarily opened employment
opportunities for women in radio, as the male staffs of the networks and local
stations were siphoned off by the armed services.
Women assumed the roles of announcers and newscasters,
studio engineers and sound effects specialists. In 1943, NBC hired 10 young
“pagettes” to supplement its depleted staff of Radio City pages. Around the
country, women were also hired as advertising sales persons, program directors,
traffic managers, continuity directors and even station managers.
But sadly, just as occurred in manufacturing plants,
when the men returned home after the war the jobs reverted to men who “had to
support their families,” and the women were told to go home and be happy homemakers.
In the 1950s, as the radio industry adapted to the new
competition from television, many radio announcers turned into disc jockeys,
but the prejudice against female voices on the radio continued. The big-name
deejays at local stations around the country were all men.
But there were a few exceptions. In 1955, Sam Phillips
(of Sun Records fame) opened WHER in Memphis. Phillips enjoyed hearing women’s
voices on the air, and he hired an all-female staff to run the station.
WHER operated from studios in a Holiday Inn motel, and
this led to a spinoff program, sponsored by Holiday Inn. WHER personality
Dottie Abbott, taking the air name Dolly Holiday, hosted an overnight program
of easy listening music syndicated to stations around the country. Her soothing
voice and soft music could be heard across the AM band after midnight almost
anywhere in the country into the early ’70s.
In the late 1960s, FM station WNEW in New York City
experimented with an all-female format. Allison Steele won an audition against
800 other women and began working there as a disc jockey. She stayed on when
the format was abandoned 18 months later, and gained popularity as “The
Nightbird.” Her overnight show drew an estimated audience of 78,000, and she
was chosen by Billboard Magazine in 1976 as the “FM Personality of the Year.”
WHER in Memphis was the first of several stations to
adopt an “all-woman” format during the disc jockey era. In 1955, Sam Phillips
(of Sun Records fame) opened the station; his wife Becky was one of the first
DJs. WHER broadcast until 1973. Other stations that tried “all-girl” formats,
as they were often called.
CHIC in Toronto and KNIT in Abilene, Texas, both had
all-female deejay staffs, although the newscasts continued to be voiced by men.
An all-woman format was tried at WSDM in Chicago, where Yvonne Daniels
sharpened her chops before moving on to the AM powerhouse WLS in 1973.
https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/headlines/the-women-who-overcame-radios-earliest-glass-ceilings
-------
Women’s IPL will take place in UAE and we have a plan
for the national team also: Sourav Ganguly
02-08-2020
India captain Sourav Ganguly on Sunday said that a
four-team event, along the lines of Women’s T20 Challenge held in 2019, is very
much on with a tournament planned in November in the United Arab Emirates
alongside the men’s event, reported PTI.
Ganguly, whose tenure as Board of Control for Cricket
in India president is currently up in the air with a hearing pending in Supreme
Court, also said that a camp will be held for the women’s team soon.
The men’s Indian Premier League event is set to be
held between September 19 and November 8 or 10 (final date yet to be locked in)
in the United Arab Emirates due to the surge in Covid-19 cases in India. The
women’s event will also be fit in to the schedule, according to the BCCI chief.
“I can confirm to you that the women’s IPL is very
much on and we do have a plan in place for the national team also,” Ganguly
told PTI ahead of the IPL Governing Council meeting later on Sunday.
Ganguly also said that the centrally contracted women
players will have a camp that has been delayed due to the prevailing situation
in the country.
“We couldn’t have exposed any of our cricketers – be
it male or female — to health risk. It would have been dangerous,” Ganguly
said.
“The NCA also remained shut because of Covid-19. But
we have a plan in place and we will have a camp for women, I can tell you
that,” he added.
Senior cricket journalist Boria Majumdar said that
India are likely to have two full-fledged white-ball series against South
Africa and the West Indies before playing the ODI World Cup in New Zealand. The
BCCI’s cricket operations team is chalking up a schedule, reported PTI.
In 2019, the Women’s T20 Challenge was expanded from a
one-off match before an IPL qualifier in 2018 to a week-long tournament with
three teams – Trailblazers, Supernovas and Velocity. There were three group
games and a final in the inaugural edition. For 2020, the BCCI had earlier
announced that a fourth team was set to be added to the mix.
It is worth noting that the Women’s Big Bash League is
to be played from October 17 to November 29 in Australia and will overlap with
this proposed IPL-style event in UAE.
Ganguly, who is awaiting a Supreme Court verdict on
waiver of the cooling-off period to continue in the position, did not divulge
details but another senior official privy to the development said that women’s
challenger event will be held during the last phase of IPL like last year.
“The women’s challenger series is likely to be held
between November 1-10 and there could be a camp before that,” the source said.
The treatment of women’s cricket in India has been a
big talking point in the past fortnight after the team’s September tour to
England was cancelled by the Board of Control for Crcket in India without an
official reason given. The implication was that it was due to the rising cases
of coronavirus in India, which could cause logistical issues.
Before international cricket returns, however, India
will need to put together a selection committee. The previous panel helmed by
Hemlata Kala finished their tenure earlier this year and while an advertisement
inviting applications for new selectors was put up in January, no appointment
was made. The process is set to be further delayed because of protocol and the
inability to hold face-to-face meetings during the lockdown due to coronavirus.
“The BCCI will start making the appointments [in due
course of time] because given there’s no cricket at the moment, and the
complete lockdown, and we not being able to go to [the board headquarters in]
Mumbai,” Ganguly was earlier quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“It is going to take some time because this needs
following of protocol as interviews will need to be taken by a committee as per
the BCCI’s new constitution, and this will have to be cleared by them, and it’s
very difficult to do it without a face-to-face meeting,” he had added.
https://scroll.in/field/969237/womens-ipl-will-take-place-in-uae-and-we-have-a-plan-for-the-national-team-also-sourav-ganguly
--------
Women’s month: Four South African women who have won
Olympic gold
by James Richardson
2020-08-01
Women’s Month: Two ladies are responsible for bringing
home four of South Africa’s ten gold medals since being welcomed back into the
Olympic family in 1992.
In August, Women’s month around South Africa, we
celebrate the women who have claimed gold medals at the Olympics.
Athletics and swimming are the disciplines that have
brought in all the Olympic gold medals won by South African women.
Women’s month: Esther Brand, representing South
Africa, wins the women’s high jump. Photo: Still from Finnish Olympic Film.
This image is in the public domain.
Esther Brand missed out on the best years of her
athletic career due to the Second World War but won gold at the 1952 games in
Helsinki, Finland.
The second woman to win Olympic gold just a short time
after Brand had taken the first, Joan Harrison swam to gold in the 100 metre
backstroke.
A swimming prodigy who wowed the 1950 British Empire
Games at the age of just 14, she would win Olympic gold while still a teenager.
Penny Heyns remains the only South African to win two
Olympic gold medals at the same games dominating the 100 and 200 metre
breastroke events at the Centennial games in Atlanta.
At the first Olympics after the historic 1994
elections, Heyns gave South Africans plenty to be proud of with her
performances. Atlanta was her second games after she was the youngest member of
the South African Olympic team at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.
Heyns was the first woman ever to win both the 100 and
200 metre breaststroke golds at an Olympic Games, and she also broke the world
record for the shorter distance during qualifying for the final.
Caster Semenya became the only South African woman to
win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the same discipline when she dominated
the field at the Rio Olympics even if we didn’t know she had done it at the
time.
Semenya’s first gold medal was awarded after the fact
when Russian runner Mariya Savinova was stripped of her results after being
found guilty of doping in 2017.
Regulations slammed as discriminatory by the World
Health Organisation, will prevent Semenya from competing for a third 800 metre
gold unless she submits to taking testosterone limiting medication.
Semenya ruled the women’s 800 metres race with an iron
first for nearly a decade and she hopes to qualify for the 200 metre sprint at
the Tokyo Games.
https://www.thesouthafrican.com/sport/womens-month-south-african-olympic-gold/
-------
Nigerian laws need amendment to help women in business
— Kehinde-Peters
August 2, 2020
Oluwaseyi Kehinde-Peters is the founder of the Pan
African Women Empowerment Network. She tells TOFARATI IGE about her advocacy
for women empowerment and other issues
What led to the creation of the Pan African Women
Empowerment Network?
In the course of my career and entrepreneurial
journey, I have seen how some women work and live below their potential largely
due to lack of education and exposure to the right information and networks. As
someone who has benefited significantly from the support and investment of
individuals and corporate bodies in my life and career, I decided to start an
organisation that would equip women with the competence, connections and
confidence to succeed in their chosen career, business and governance.
What are the services offered by PAWEN?
PAWEN is a capability development social enterprise
with a focus on leadership development and economic empowerment of women. We
leverage technology to deliver practical and collaborative learning programmes
that help to develop the capacity and capabilities of African women. Our online
community also provides a platform where continuous learning and sharing take
place among our members. The two programmes we have launched are the Aspiring
Entrepreneurs Programme (a development programme for aspiring and young
entrepreneurs), and Accelerate (a career development initiative which comprise
a series of sessions and seminars).
In what ways has PAWEN empowered women?
PAWEN started this year and we have executed the two
programmes.
For the first edition of the AEP, we trained 130 women
from 10 African countries by helping them to start and scale their businesses.
While the world was experiencing a lockdown, these women were learning and
developing their business models through our digital platforms. The impact has
been marvelous as 48 per cent of the participants have reported increased
revenues.
Our first Accelerate session also trained over 300
women on the Future of Work and how women can navigate the new world of work
successfully.
As the founder of PAWEN, what are your duties?
My main role is to chart the mission and objectives of
the organisation, drive strategy and design the execution of programmes to
achieve these objectives as well as facilitate the resources required for execution.
What are the factors militating against women
empowerment in Nigeria?
There are several factors responsible for this, but I
will focus on the five main factors.
The first is legal constraints. There is a need to
develop our labour laws in a way that actively promote the inclusion of women
in the workforce and in strategic positions. We need to ensure that the
empowerment of women becomes the ethos of public and private rganisations. Our laws discriminate against female police
officers, women who are married to foreign spouses, as well as the significant
variation in the legal rights afforded to women across the country regarding
asset ownership and marriage.
Secondly, there are political constraints. Women
comprise about 50 per cent of the population yet have less than 10 per cent
representation in political positions. This is due largely to the systemic
constraints coupled with violence and male domination of decision-making which
prevent women from engaging in politics. Also, the oganisation of politics and
influence significantly limit the ability of women to participate in politics.
Also, there are socio-cultural constraints. The
patriarchal nature of the Nigerian culture constitutes a major factor for the
relative disempowerment of women. This is coupled with a mix of cultural and
religious beliefs that infringe on women’s rights and are integrated into
customary laws. The deep-set role of men in decision-making in the household,
the lack of self-identity, the legally justified abuse and ‘corrective’
violence, not forgetting the boy-child preference all serve to promote gender
inequalities.
There is also lack of access to finance. This is one
of the major factors impeding the growth of women-owned businesses in Africa.
The key barriers include lack of ownership of collateral― as tradition would
seldom cede property rights to women; coupled with the absence of credit
histories.
Lastly is the issue of education. The girl-child has
limited or no access to proper education. Currently, the female adult literacy
rate in Nigeria is 59.4 per cent, compared to the male adult literacy rate of
74.4 per cent. This lack of basic education precludes further education which
is crucial for empowerment. Lack of education is the biggest barrier to
empowerment. Education equips women with the knowledge, skills and
self-confidence necessary to participate fully in the continent’s development
process
Rape (and other forms of gender-based violence) is a
violent crime that agonises the victims, devalues their sense of self-worth and
affects them negatively. Sadly, Nigeria has an inherent and pervasive
misogynistic culture of rape and abuse and we see this manifest in different
forms in our society― sex-for-grades in our educational systems, sex-for-roles
in the movie industry, sex-for-jobs/promotion in the corporate world, men
sleeping with housemaids in the home , etc. Our legal system makes it nearly
impossible to convict suspected rapist and there is a stigmatisation of rape
victims. The responses by our law enforcement agencies make me wonder sometimes
if they are complicit in these crimes. We need new laws that protect women from
rape and gender-based violence. However, I want to applaud the work done by
some civil society organisations who are actively working on educating and
giving rape victims a voice, but we can all individually and collectively do
more.
A lot of non-governmental oganisations get grants and
spend it on themselves, rather than on the purpose the funds were earmarked
for. How is your organisation different in that regard?
It is disheartening to hear of this trend among NGOs
and I think it is reflective of the decadence in our ethical and moral values
at large.
PAWEN started as my way of giving back to society and
contributing my own quota to empowering African women. While PAWEN has been
privately-funded and supported by friends and family, we are committed to
handling any funding we may receive in future with utmost transparency and
accountability. We have a strong governance structure and system (which we are
currently expanding) to ensure 100 per cent transparency and accountability in
all our activities.
Some people have said that women are their own worst
enemies because they don’t help one another. What do you think about that?
I’ve heard that in the past but I think that narrative
is changing. Women are more aware and are supporting each other now, more than
ever.
How do you think small and medium enterprises can
better position themselves to get loans and grants?
SMEs can better position themselves for loans and
grants by making adequate preparation. They should know the type of funding
they need, what the application requirements and process are, and prepare
adequately for this.
They should also keep proper records of accounting
transactions for the business distinct and separate from the personal accounts
of the owner.
Cultivating a relationship with the financial
institutions early is also important. This starts by opening and operating an
account with them at least six months – one year before you would need funding
from them. They should also avail themselves of the various products they have.
Keeping accurate and updated financial and non-
financial records is also imperative.
Finally, they should articulate, document and follow a
clear structure in their businesses. This includes having a functional business
plan and model, having systems and structures that reduce the business’
dependency on the owner, as well as having governance, audit and risk
management structures in place.
https://punchng.com/nigerian-laws-need-amendment-to-help-women-in-business-kehinde-peters/
-------
Pakistani Family Creates Foundation Honouring Daughter
Killed in US Shooting
August 2, 2020
NEW YORK, Aug 02 (APP):The parents of Sabika Sheikh, a
Pakistani exchange student who was killed in the deadly mass shooting in a
Texas high school two years ago, have started a foundation to keep her memory
alive through providing university scholarships to low-income Pakistani women,
according to a report in The Houston Chronicle.
Ms. Sheikh, 17, was among the 10 people killed in the
18 May 2018 shooting at Santa Fe High School near Houston, Texas. Thirteen
others were wounded.
Her parents, Abdul Aziz Sheikh and Farah Naz, have
created the Sabika for Peace Foundation to expand educational opportunities for
those most in need, the Chronicle said.
“I’m always worried that we might forget (Sabika),”
Farah Naz, the mother, told The Houston Chronicle during a Zoom interview with
the family from their Karachi home. “But starting this foundation I know this
is impossible. I know if I continue working with foundation, she will always be
with me.”
The foundation is a partnership between the Sheikh
family and several prominent nonprofit organizations, including the Everytown
for Gun Safety Support Fund and the American Council for International
Education (ACIE), the report said. ACIE, the American Institute for Foreign
Study and the International Education and Resource Network are providing a seed
grant of $300,000 to establish the foundation, which will support programmes to
“honor Sabika’s memory,” including by providing scholarships to fund university
studies for low-income Pakistani women, particularly those with civic
engagement aspirations.
Naz, Sabika’s mother, said that ACIE representatives
approached the family prior to the coronavirus pandemic with the idea of
honouring Sabika’s legacy through an educational foundation. While the pandemic
presented some obstacles in getting the organization off the ground, in part
because the academic year in Pakistan was postponed, the hope is that the
foundation will be prepared to give out scholarships whenever Pakistani schools
reopen.
“I’m always worried that we might forget (Sabika),”
Naz said during the Zoom interview. “But starting this foundation I know this
is impossible. I know if I continue working with foundation, she will always be
with me.”
The Sheikh family said the scope of the foundation
will target scholarships for universities in Pakistan for now, but will
eventually expand to offering exchange opportunities for American schools “so
that the connection and ties” with the United States continues, said Sania
Sheikh, Sabika’s sister.
The new foundation will be led by a board of
directors, which will include representatives from the Sheikh family as well as
four independent directors selected by the family in consultation with the
partnering organizations. Everytown for Gun Safety, which is representing
Sabika’s parents in two civil lawsuits against the accused Santa Fe High School
shooter’s parents and an online ammunition dealer, will maintain an advisory
role with the foundation.
Sabika Sheikh came to Santa Fe High School in August
2017 as a youth ambassador with the State Department-sponsored Kennedy-Lugar
Youth Exchange and Study programme, which provides scholarships for secondary
school students from countries with significant Muslim populations to spend one
academic year in the United States.
She excelled academically and threw herself into the
American teenage lifestyle, volunteering at the local library, dressing up as a
pirate for Halloween, keeping score at baseball games and attending
graduations, according to the report. At the time of the shooting in May 2018,
Sheikh was weeks away from returning home to her family in Karachi.
Her sister, Sania Sheikh, said that despite Sabika’s
distance from her family and the inherent difficulties being a young Muslim
girl living in a small, rural, politically conservative Texas community, she
believes Sabika cherished her school year in the United States.
I think my sister spent the best days of her life in
America,” Sania was quoted as saying.
https://www.app.com.pk/global/pakistani-family-creates-foundation-honoring-daughter-killed-in-us-shooting/
-------
In a first, Mumbai traffic signals feature women
pedestrians
02 Aug 2020
Aditya Thackeray shared the image of Dadar traffic
signal where women were depicted on the pedestrian lights and boards
First time in India, a traffic signal in Mumbai's
Dadar has displayed a female pedestrian signage in a bid to promote gender
equality. Maharashtra's Tourism and Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray
shared the information on social media on Saturday. Tweeting the image of Dadar
traffic signal where symbol of women pedestrian were depicted on the traffic
light and the signboard, he wrote, "If you’ve passed by Dadar, you’d see
something that will make you feel proud. Ward-GN of Municipal Corporation of
Greater Mumbai is ensuring gender equality with a simple idea- the signals now
have women too!"
If you’ve passed by Dadar, you’d see something that
will make you feel proud. @mybmcWardGN is ensuring gender equality with a
simple idea- the signals now have women too! pic.twitter.com/8X0vJR8hvQ
Aditya Thackeray also applauded the efforts of the BMC
Commissioner Kishori Pednekar, Ward-GN of Municipal Corporation of Greater
Mumbai and local corporator Vishakha Raut for implementing the idea.
And Ofcourse to add, the constant efforts of Leader of
the House in BMC and local corporator Vishakha Raut ji to this
The initiative is taken under the Brihanmumbai
Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) ‘Culture Spine’ project, which is a pet project
of Shiv Sena's Aaditya Thackeray.
While the initiative is a first in India, in Europe,
several countries display female pedestrian figures in their traffic signages.
Australia's Melbourne city has been using female pedestrians in their traffic
lights to promote gender equality since 2017.
https://www.livemint.com/news/india/in-a-first-mumbai-traffic-signals-feature-women-pedestrians-11596351948006.html
-------
URL: