Dawn Maqsood - Converted To Islam - Stopped Wearing Her Hijab Due To Sickening Islamophobia
10
January 2021
• Dawn Maqsood - Converted To Islam - Stopped Wearing Her Hijab Due To Sickening Islamophobia
•
Caroline Kamya Is On A Mission To Mentor More Women In Filmmaking
•
Indian Rights Group Seeks Justice For Harassed Muslim Woman
•
In A First, All-Women Air India Crew Fly From San Francisco To Bengaluru
•
Twitter Removes Chinese Embassy's Post Claiming Uighur Women Not Forcefully
Sterilised
•
Maharashtra: 'Period Room' Set Up For Women In Thane Slum
•
Fintech Company Finastra-Israel Brings Druze Female Programmers To The Forefron
Compiled By New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
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Dawn Maqsood - Converted To Islam - Stopped Wearing Her Hijab Due To Sickening Islamophobia
Dawn
Maqsood (Image: UGC)
------
By
Stephen Stewart
9
JAN 2021
A
Scots mum who converted to Islam has told how she stopped wearing her Hijab headscarf
due to everyday Islamophobia.
Dawn
Maqsood - who was born into a Christian family but later converted to Islam
-said she was “mentally worn down” by people’s attitude to her and the fear
that her daughters would be affected.
She
said: “During my time at university, I got a part-time job in an Indian
restaurant run by two Glasgow born Pakistani brothers. This was the first time
I had ever spoken to anyone about Islam, it hadn’t even been on my radar.
“When
I had questioned them to the end of their sanity, I started buying books on the
subject and almost immediately I knew this was what I had been searching for. I
wore hijab for two years and in that time I was mentally worn down by the way
people treated me.
“I
was anxious for my daughters that something would happen when I was out with
them and it started to wear on my mental health. Hijab was not created to be a
burden upon us so I decided after a lot of soul searching to stop wearing it
although I hope to go back to it one day, God willing.
“I’ve
been a Muslim for 12 years now, and it’s still the best decision I’ve ever made
but it has opened my eyes to what it’s like to be part of a minority. As a
white Muslim I neither fit in completely with ‘born Muslims’ nor non-Muslims.
“People
have to realise Islam is a religion of peace, it’s not so different to many
other religions out there. Islam has no colour. Islam is not specifically for
one ethnicity, Islam is for everyone.”
Dawn
said she was raised in the church, attending Sunday school, bible class and
girls brigade but began to question her beliefs after her dad’s death. She
said: “In 2016 I began wearing hijab and it was nerve-wracking.
“The
general opinion of Muslims is not a positive one and I knew I was making myself
a potential target. I was nervous wearing it in the office but my team,
particularly my manager, supported me through it and it soon became normal.
“In
everyday life, it was the small things I noticed. People don’t hold the door
for you, they don’t help you in the supermarket when you’ve dropped something
on the floor, you don’t get the same friendly customer service as the
non-Muslim person in front of you in the queue.
“There
were also the assumptions that my husband had forced me to wear it and I must
somehow be oppressed which if you know me is laughable. On the other hand, when
I came across other Muslims they would ask “where are you from?”
“I
would tell them, Glasgow, then they would ask ‘but where are you really from?’
and I would have to explain I’m really from Glasgow, I am a Scottish Muslim.”
She
added: “The time immediately after my conversion I was so happy. It was Ramadan
and I completed my first month of fasting and celebrated my first Eid. In the
first year, I came up against many obstacles, friends who didn’t understand why
I wouldn’t go to the pub, or a club, people who thought I was in some sort of
extremist gang, and issues with going to friends or family members’ homes for
food as I was now following a halal diet.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scots-muslim-mum-stopped-wearing-23286296
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Caroline
Kamya Is On A Mission To Mentor More Women In Filmmaking
By
Gabriel Buule
Caroline
Kamya
-----
January
09 2021
At
a very young age, Caroline Kamya knew her parents wanted her to pursue further
education in a field, where she could make a successful career, and she chose
to go to the university to study Architecture and Urban Design at Bartlett
School of Architecture in London.
After
a three-year course, she realised her dreams were not aligned with
architecture. She had a degree but architecture was not her calling.
“My
joy and satisfaction came from telling stories through pictures. I envisioned
myself as one of the best film directors of my generation,” she says.
During
her years in a boarding school in the UK, she discovered a huge disparity and
stereotypical statements about the African culture. Her peers then often made
unpleasant comments and asked funny questions about life in Africa.
“I
was confronted with doubt and disbelief.
When I showed my classmates the photo of our house back in Uganda, they
did not believe in me. That is not your house. That is a hotel. People in
Africa live in mud huts,” she recalls her early days in the UK.
It
was this false image of Africa that inspired Kamya to work hard and change
preconceived notions that the West had towards Africa and its culture.
At
the age of 15, she took over from her father in taking videos of her family
holidays and other events. Growing up, she had moments where she would pretend
to be a journalist, conduct interview of her parents and siblings as if it was
a talk-show. “Perhaps, this is where my
love for camera originated from,” she says.
Bearing
in mind that she needed qualifications and experience in order to pursue a
career in the film industry, she signed up for a master’s degree in Television
Documentary at Goldsmiths College at the University of London.
During
her college days, Kamya says it was not easy to access African content on TV,
and this made her miss home and the diverse culture that she had been
accustomed to as a child.
This
cemented her love for film-making and strengthened her resolve. A few years
after completing her course in film making, she struggled to find jobs due to
racial adversity within the film industry. It is at this point that she decided
to start her own company with the hope of making a breakthrough in the film
industry.
It
was not long before she was offered a position at the BBC to do a magazine
programme via an ethnic minority scheme that was aimed at increasing blacks
behind the camera.
“I
was mentored by the best in the film industry and this programme opened many
doors for me. The only drawback with the BBC slot was stagnation in career
progression. This frustrated me over time,” she says.
In
2004, during a conversation with her sister, who was doing her fieldwork in
Uganda for her PhD in Social Anthropology, she hinted on an opportunity for
Kamya back home.
At
a time when the film industry was beginning to flourish, Kamya decided to take
the risk, flew back home to tap into business opportunities that the film
industry offered.
With
a leap of faith and a sister to rely on for support, she decided to relocate to
Uganda to grow her film career. With a camera in one hand and a computer in the
other, she started making films and scouting for great talents within the
market.
“I
found my niche when I returned home. My
mission was to showcase my rich cultural heritage. The years I spent in the UK,
I was misunderstood and and I was often treated to unfair stereotypes. I wanted
to change the status quo,” she says.
Imani
was her first film project. Her story was to show people the truth about
Uganda, not just the image of poor people living in mud huts that aid relief
programmes often project. Kamya’s film featured diverse people, rich cultures,
lifestyle, talented and skilled people in various disciplines, economic
backgrounds and success stories. This is the story behind Imani.
Ten
years after the release of Imani, Kamya still receives compliments about the
exceptional work she did. This is one of the factors that drives her to do
more. She is working towards the production of films that she believes will be
even better than Imani.
Imani
is a Swahili word that means faith. Faith is a virtue that is required to
overcome most challenges in life. The award-winning film tells a story of the
lives of three characters from diverse backgrounds. Imani offers a refreshing
look at Uganda post Idi Amin regime and post the days of anguish of the Lord’s
Resistance Army.
A
new chapter begins in “Olweny’s life, a 12-year-old former child soldier. As he
starts his journey to his rural home after a few weeks of post-war
rehabilitation, he is ready to return to his family that has not seen him for
four years.
Imani
is a visual feast of stunning worlds revealing the city of Kampala and the
formerly war-torn Gulu city. It provides a unique perspective and features
actress Rehema Nanfuka, actors Philp Buyi and Yusuf Kaija, among others.
Kamya
is currently working on a project called Nativ, with the support of African
Diaspora to support talented film makers in Africa. She says this will provide
a platform for people who have skills and equipment to create great content
without having to move far away from home.
With
this platform, people across Africa can showcase their skills and talents for
people around the world to see, without needlessly having to relocate and
struggle to find work in areas where filming is more prevalent.
“When
I think about the struggles I journeyed through and how much my life changed
when I was given the opportunities, it motivates me to champion this cause.
Nativ
is set to become one of the largest databases of African professionals, which
non-government organisations and other international organisations can utilise
to support talents.
“The
film industry is growing but some talents remain underutilised. For example,
Rehema Nanfuka, who played the maid in Imani is now one of the top filmmakers
in Africa; a truly inspiring display of how access can help to open doors to
people,” she says. While the film industry is dynamic with a lot of local
content, there is a growing market that needs opportunities and the support of
people within the industry to nurture and develop creatives.
“I
am often asked what can be done to increase women in film industry. I believe
mentorship is the game changer. During
my tenure at the BBC, I was mentored by Jane Mote, who was the brain behind the
creation of BBC London – the joining of TV, radio, and online content in 2002.
She believed in me and offered the career mentorship I needed to earn my place
at the table in a highly male-dominated industry,” she says.
She
urges experienced women to support and mentor others to develop the industry
and serve as a bridge to harness the right partnerships.
Her
mission is to expand the team through her work and charity. “Many creatives in
Africa feel trapped and unable to optimise their potential because doing so
means abandoning their marriages and going against the cultural norms.
Developing spaces for growth for these talented youths is vital. There is so
much to gain from this growth and this is what I am advocating for,” Kamya
says.
Marian
Wright Edelman, an American activist for children’s rights, once noted
that: “You can’t be what you can’t see”.
This quote sums up why it is important to support and celebrate the African
woman.
Kamya
says film-making is an expensive venture, but her greatest hurdle was producing
a film at a time when resources and talents where still minimal in Uganda.
Her
feature film, IMANI that also opened at the Berlinale International Film
Festival 2010 in German was nominated for “Best First Feature.
Her
other film projects include Chips and Liver Girls” shot in Uganda and “Fire
Fly” shot in China and commissioned by The Danish Film Institute and the
Rotterdam International Film Festival. She also has a T.V documentary series,
two fiction features and one feature documentary in the development stages.
She
also won an award and funding from DOCUBOX at the Durban Film Market 2014
towards the feature documentary she worked on with her sister dubbed In Search
of African Duende: The Uganda Flamenco Project.
Kamya
has won more than 10 awards internationally and worked on television in London
before setting up a production house in Kampala.
Kamya
is on a mission to expand the team of talents through her work and charity.
“Many creatives in Africa feel trapped and unable to optimise their potential
because doing so means abandoning their marriages and going against the
cultural norms. Developing spaces for growth for these talented youths is
vital. There is so much to be gained from this growth and this is what I am
advocating for,” Kamya says. She
believes mentorship is is a the game changer in bringing more women in film.
Born
in Uganda in 1974, Caroline Kamya spent her formative years in Kenya. She was
born to Peter Kamya, an architect and and Margaret Muganwa Kamya, a medical
doctor. Kamya has won many awards internationally and has set up a production house in Kampala
https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/magazines/full-woman/caroline-kamya-mission-to-mentor-more-women-in-filmmaking-3252378
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Indian
rights group seeks justice for harassed Muslim woman
Staff
Correspondent
Jan
10,2021
Indian
non-profit Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha sent a letter to the National Human
Rights Commission of India on Saturday seeking justice for a Muslim woman of
Other Backward Caste who was harassed by an official of the Indian Border
Security Force on October 15.
The
22-year-old victim was harassed and beaten by Sanjay Kumar, company commander
attached to Tarali Border Outpost and two constables.
On
October 17, the victim had filed an FIR against the BSF official at the
Swarupnagar police station and an enquiry was done via phone call on October
26. No action followed since then.
The
victim was returning from her relative’s house by the IBBR road when the
perpetrators stopped her at Sadhaner mor where they verbally and physically
abused her.
She
immediately sought treatment from a local quack doctor and lodged a complaint
on October 17 with Swarupnagar police station.
Based
on the complaint, Swarupnagar police station started a case but instead of
giving the FIR copy to the complainant, the officials of Swarupnagar police
station just provided one scrap of paper with no legal sections mentioned on
it, Masum said in a letter to the Human Rights Commission.
https://www.newagebd.net/article/126802/indian-rights-group-seeks-justice-for-harassed-muslim-woman
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In
a first, all-women Air India crew fly from San Francisco to Bengaluru
By
Sangeeta Ojha
10
Jan 2021,
An
all-women cockpit crew of Air India has taken off the inaugural flight between
Bengaluru and San Francisco. "Way to go girls! Professional, qualified
& confident, the all-women cockpit crew takes off from San Francisco to
Bengaluru on @airindiain s flight to fly over the North Pole. Our Nari Shakti
achieves a historic first," Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri
tweeted.
"Imagine
this: All Women Cockpit Crew. Longest flight into India. Crossing the North
Pole. It’s here & happening! Records were broken. History in the making by
AI176 from San Francisco to Bengaluru. AI 176 is cruising at 30000 feet,"
Air India tweeted.
The
inaugural flight AI176 departed from San Francisco in the USA at 8.30 pm (local
time) on Saturday and it will land at the Kempegowda International Airport at
3.45 am (local time) on Monday.
Earlier,
on Saturday, the minister had said in a tweet that Air India's woman power
flies high around the world and it was a historic inaugural flight between the
two cities. "Air India's woman power flies high around the world. All
women cockpit crew consisting of Captain Zoya Agarwal, Capt Papagari Thanmai,
Capt Akanksha Sonawane, and Capt Shivani Manhas will operate the historic
inaugural flight between Bengaluru and San Francisco," he said.
The
aerial distance between San Francisco and Bengaluru is one of the longest in
the world.
https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/in-a-first-all-women-air-india-crew-fly-from-san-fransisco-to-bengaluru-11610256789552.html
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Twitter
removes Chinese embassy's post claiming Uighur women not forcefully sterilised
WION
Web Team
Jan
10, 202
China's
US embassy recently tweeted an article claiming that Uighur women are no longer
"baby-making machines". However, the post has now been removed by the
social media giant.
The
Chinese embassy in the US had the post linked to an article that openly denied
all accusations of forced sterilisation in Xinjiang. Twitter claimed the post
"violated the Twitter rules".
Later,
the same article was reposted with a different caption. "Study shows the
population change in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
involves the overall improvement in population quality. An increasing number of
youths chose to spend more time and energy on personal development," the post
by the Chinese embassy in the US reads.
The
story in question has been originally published by the Chinese mouthpiece
Xinhua and claims to have taken material from a study titled 'An Analysis
Report on Population Change in Xinjiang' by Li Xiaoxia, a researcher for the
Xinjiang Development Research Center.
As
per this study, the "natural growth rate of population in Xinjiang
decreased from 11.4 per 1,000 people in 2017 to 6.13 per 1,000 people in
2018". This has been due to the implementation of family planning policy
and a changed mindset about marriage and reproduction, as per the Chinese
mouthpiece.
It
denies allegations made by Adrian Zenz who had reportedly claimed the massive
change in the population of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
is due to forced sterilisation. The study, however, claims the change is due to
improvement in the population control and is a voluntary action by the locals,
rather than a forced measure the Chinese government.
This
study has come at a time when the Asian country has been severe facing
allegations against the inhumane treatment towards the Uygur population —
including forced labour, suppression of religious activity, human and digital
surveillance, and forced sterilisation to control the population of the area.
Following various allegations and studies, many companies have cut ties with
the industries producing in the region and several international organisations
and governments have also spoken out and have offered support to the locals of
the region.
https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-removes-chinese-embassys-post-claiming-uighur-women-not-forcefully-sterilised-355755
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Maharashtra:
'Period Room' Set Up For Women In Thane Slum
By
Press Trust Of India
10th
January, 2021
In
a bid to ease the woes during menstruation of women residing in congested slums
and to provide them hygienic sanitary facilities, a 'period room' has been set
up at a public toilet in Maharashtra's Thane city.
Claimed
to be the first-of-its-kind initiative at a public toilet, the facility in
equipped with a urinal, jet spray, toilet roll holder, soap, running water and
a dustbin, a civic official told PTI on Sunday.
The
much needed facility, set up by the Thane Municipal Corporation in
collaboration with an NGO, was opened for women at a slum in Shanti Nagar
locality of Wagle Estate area last Monday, he said.
Painted
on the outer wall of the toilet block are colourful pictures with messages
advocating good hygiene, including during menstruation.
"This
Rs 45,000 low-cost facility will be replicated in all 120 community toilets in
the city," the official said.
He
said women living in small houses, which do not have a separate bathing
section, many a times find it difficult to change during periods.
This
facility will be a boon for such women and go a long way in promoting good
hygiene, the official said.
There
are no public toilets for women in most of the localities and this facility
will help provide them some relief, he said.
The
initiative indicates that slums are undergoing a revamp, with facilities like
schools, health clinics and good toilets being set up there, the official said.
https://www.republicworld.com/india-news/city-news/maharashtra-period-room-set-up-for-women-in-thane-slum.html
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Fintech
company Finastra-Israel brings Druze female programmers to the forefron
Yafit
Ovadia
10.01.21
As
the tech workforce grows, it is expanding to incorporate and properly reflect
different parts of Israeli society. As part of those efforts, British fintech
company Finastra, which is the third-largest of its kind in the world and works
with several global banks, has aimed to make diversity a part of its platform.
Finastra’s Israel branch, based in Kfar Saba, works with some of the leading
global players and helps process payments online, totaling some $20 trillion
every day. Those include major U.S. banks Goldman Sachs, Citibank and Bank of
America, U.K. groups Barkley’s, Lloyd’s, and HSBC, as well as other major South
African, Brazilian, and Australian banks.
Finastra
aims to make diversification more than simply a slogan and has implemented this
idea by incorporating people from across a diverse spectrum, including Jewish
ultra-Orthodox women who work in its development teams, LGBTQ+ employees who
joined under the umbrella campaign of LGBT Tech, and most recently, seven
religious Druze female programmers from the small community of Daliyat
el-Karmel in northern Israel.
A
Druze female programmer works at the Lotus tech hub in northern Israel. Photo:
Jinan HalabiA Druze female programmer works at the Lotus tech hub in northern
Israel. Photo: Jinan Halabi
CTech
spoke to the General Manager of Payments at Finastra-Israel Sagive Greenspan,
as well as with the woman behind the entire female Druze programming nonprofit
platform, Lotus, that encourages religious women of the Druze and Islamic
faiths to do the formerly unthinkable and become programmers in the tech
sector. Maysa Halabi Alshekh started Lotus, and it provides religious Druze
women with a safe joint workspace to work remotely from their small town, and
use their exquisite software programming skills to manage large payments. Lotus
trains the women in a special programming boot camp to become full-stack
developers and enter the high tech workforce while still adhering to their
religious practices and beliefs.
“What’s
beautiful is that we’ve created a beautiful community of women who’ve dreamed
big,” Alshech told CTech in an interview, when discussing the program and how
she hopes this will shatter stereotypes and encourage workplace diversity.
“Finastra
has over 65,000 customers all from financial institutions and is the
third-largest fintech company in the world,” Greenspan told CTech. In
Finastra’s Israel division there are about 350 employees, and in the company’s
entire payment division there are around 700 employees. It is the largest
provider of payment systems in the world and allows banks to transfer over $20
trillion a day. “We work with some of the biggest banks out there,” he added,
“including those in the U.S., Europe, South America, South Africa, and
Australia,” he said.
“The
work with Lotus is part of our overall values when it comes to inclusion as a
whole, which is a part of how we like to see our corporate responsibility.
We’re doing well by doing good, and are constantly looking for ways to do
good,” he said. “Diversification comes in many colors, such as supporting LGBT
Tech, (which aims to promote LGBTQ+ individuals into the tech sector), that we
employ 30 Jewish ultra-Orthodox women in our development division or the fact
that at Finastra-Israel 45% of employees in the payments division are women,”
he said and listed several important female figures and managers at the company
in both the Israel division and abroad.
“Our
VP of R&D is female, Hemdat Cohen-Shraga; VP of payments in the U.S.
Malinda Robey, head of payment customer care Keren Blum, and half of our
management is women,” he said. “They are chosen not because they're female, but
because they are the best employees out there. We just got the best people out
there, who also happened to be women.”
Daliyat
el-Karmel and met with some of the female programmers three years ago, “we were
excited about the opportunity, and by the fact that we are really changing
their future,” he said excitedly. “If you have the opportunity to change
someone’s future, then that’s probably the biggest accomplishment you can
make.”
“They
are helping develop our product,” he noted, adding, “what I like about them is
that we had very good chemistry from the beginning. We liked them as people and
as employees. To some extent we both come from similar values - they are hard
workers, loyal, they care, and are dedicated to the job at hand.”
Shortly
afterward, seven of them joined the Finastra-Israel team, working remotely from
their location in northern Israel. “I assigned one of my leads to manage them
directly, Senior Product Manager Lilach Harel, and she is working with them,
managing them, and guiding them day in and day out.”
General
Manager of Payments at Finastra Israel Sagive Greenspan. Photo: Alan
ChapeltzkyGeneral Manager of Payments at Finastra Israel Sagive Greenspan.
Photo: Alan Chapeltzky
“It
was all the women. We started with three Druze female programmers, but slowly
as these women realized they were working with some of the biggest banks in the
world - and were successful - they wanted more. They inspired their friends to
join. Finastra started employing three of those programmers, and extended it to
seven, with another four who plan on joining soon.”
“I
think that during this time, when a lot of populations are suffering from the
pandemic it’s very important that tech companies put a special focus on
diversity and of combining different cultures in the workplace. Doing well by
doing good takes on an extra emphasis. It amplifies the need to help others.”
On
a separate note, he added “We are calling this the new version of Zionism, to
include all kinds of Israeli groups from all over the country into the
mainstream - even if they aren't mainstream, because within a few years we’ll
change the way things look, and they’ll become the mainstream.”
Alshekh
single-handedly founded the all-female hub. She spoke of how she became part of
the religious Druze community and studied education prior to forming the hub,
which is not for profit, and works with Finastra, Amdocs, and Radcom. It has
received support from the Israeli Ministry of Finance as well as the welfare
division of the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, and Social Services.
Although she loves technology, she isn’t a programmer herself but was the
driving force to inspire social change and the founder of the organization.
The
hub recruits young women between the ages of 18-32 from the Druze Arab village,
tests them, and those who pass attend a specially designed boot camp, whose
syllabus is updated routinely. The women then remotely work out of the shared
office space for other companies in software programming. The field of high
tech in Israel is only comprised of 25% women, of that number 0.1% are Arab
women or those from the Druze or Muslim religions.
“It
was hard. Our group is only made up of women, and for those in our group this
is their love - they love computers, they’re crazy about technology, they love
to take apart and assemble computers.”
Part
of the problem, she thinks stems from the fact that women are mainly pushed
toward educational fields, such as teaching or caregiving, and while that is
important it can hold women back from straying from the fray and entering other
sectors, such as tech, STEM, and finance.
For
religious women in particular, going against the herd is not kindly accepted by
any society, and this is especially prevalent in Orthodox Jewish communities,
adherent Muslims, and in the Druze community.
“We
really need to open up this field up to women,” she said. “Often, the Arab
community thinks entering the high tech field in Israel is unattainable. For
religious Druze women, and for many religious Jews too, I presume, often you
have to choose between being a mother and having a career, but we want women to
know that you can do both.”
The
women at the Lotus hub love programming, she added. “We’re doing what we want
to do, and I think it’s not only for our own benefits and for those of our
families, but it goes beyond that. We’re doing this for the sake of the next
generation. We want to show girls out there that they can choose this path,
that it’s possible.” While the Druze community is very close-knit and working
out of a skyscraper in Tel Aviv in an office with men may not be so in line
with their religious principles, Lotus has designed an office space that caters
to that exact niche.
Its
offices incorporate a shared workspace, equipped with new computers, a
conference room, and even a play area, where women can bring their children to
work.
A
female Druze programmer works in the Lotus hub's shared office space.
Photo: Maysa Halabi AlsheikhA female Druze programmer works in the Lotus hub's
shared office space. Photo: Maysa Halabi Alsheikh
Was
it particularly hard being a woman of faith - something that perhaps your
community looked down upon - as having women enter this fast-paced workforce?
“Well,
we did receive a blessing from the Druze religious leaders. On one hand, we
wanted to preserve our religious traditions and identity, while on the other we
wanted to expand our future and reach fields that might clash with those
beliefs, such as tech. We wanted to combine the two and make it possible for
women of our faith to adhere to tradition, and still integrate into the
sector.”
She
explained that the Druze population in Israel is made up of some 140,000
people, and comprises 1.4% of the Israeli population. However, because of
strict religious adherences and observing tradition, women typically can’t pursue
separate areas to study outside of traditional gender-specific subjects such as
education. In accordance with the Druze faith, women aren’t encouraged to work
outside of the village. These women that Lotus has recruited score particularly
high in areas such as mathematics and English, yet can’t study in university.
“There aren't many opportunities to choose from or break into,” she said.
“Yes.
I thought of how we have so many talented women here, yet that talent is being
wasted,” she said and added. “I’d always read articles on Calcalist saying how
there weren’t enough female programmers out there, and I asked myself why we
couldn’t fill that gap? Why couldn’t we work in those fields? The Israel
Innovation Authority has plenty of opportunities to help women enter the
workforce, and I’ve met some amazing women that way who have encouraged me.”
Rami
Schwartz from the Portland Trust was one of those people who helped form Lotus,
his organization strives to help weak populations and close social gaps. The foundation
helped build and construct the office workspace in northern Israel.
“In
the beginning it was hard. We had to go around our town and knock on people’s
doors. We even asked them to be volunteers. In the beginning, we had nothing,
just a dream. Once we started our boot camp, things really started to pick up,”
she said.
“We
knew we needed to make women a place that they could work in and feel safe.
Some 40% of them are even mothers, yet the common denominator among them is
that they love technology and aren’t afraid of changes.”
“No,
Lotus is a hub that accompanies these women after boot camp. Within those eight
months, we have a sort of learning marathon of the hottest topics in
programming and computer science. We also incorporate academia. We want to make
sure that the women in our group can offer a strong tech advantage for tech
companies. Our hub doesn’t only train and help women join companies, it also
helps them after they get accepted. We are a sort of social buttress for these
women, a safe space if you will. While we are a nonprofit, we do receive
donations and funding from the Israeli government.”
The
Lotus hub's open work space provides religious Druze women with a safe
place to work remotely for high tech companies. Photo: Gali SegevThe Lotus
hub's open work space provides religious Druze women with a safe place to work
remotely for high tech companies. Photo: Gali Segev
It
can be incredibly difficult as a woman to adhere to religious faith while
working in a male-dominated field. It’s also hard to “stray from the fray”
especially for religious women of many faiths where modesty and humility are
important values, yet aren’t necessarily accepted or embraced by the corporate
world. What is your message to religious women out there who want to break into
these types of sectors?
“First
of all, I think it goes without saying that these are things that religious
women, of any faith, struggle with. I remind myself daily that as women we
choose to be religious. Our faith is important to us. It definitely becomes
much easier when you have a like-minded community around you supporting you.
We’re doing it together, we’re talking about these things with other women.
But, I can say that sometimes feeling strange or unaccepted by male peers is
legitimate. However, the Israeli community is embracing us in this aspect
despite the social and cultural gaps.”
“It’s
usually very difficult for young Arab girls to learn how to say no, and now we
know what we must do or say in the workplace. It’s difficult for us because
we’re very modest and it’s hard for us to express ourselves. Now, with Lotus,
we have more security, and more self-confidence to be able to express ourselves
in the workplace.”
She
added that Lotus has incorporated some traditional Muslim women as well,
although religious Muslim women have yet to join. “We want women to enter the
high tech workforce together, it makes them feel more secure. We’re also giving
our children better education, we’re showing them that women can enter the
workforce.”
“Women
should be successful in these fields, and I want to let them know that they’re
not alone. We’re stronger as a community when we’re together. We’re also making
a better future for the next generation. And you’ll inspire other girls to be
like you when they grow up.”
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3886824,00.html
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