New Generation of Arab Women Paving Road to Global Music Stage
New
Age Islam News Bureau
14
December 2022
• Women In Saudi Arabia Fall In Love With Soccer
• How
Netflix Is Empowering the Next Generation of Female Arab Storytellers
• UAE:
Middle East Women Board Of Directors 2022 Leads Discussions On Reducing Gender
Gap, Increasing Representation
• We
want UP-Style Anti-‘Love Jihad’ Police Squad — Karnataka Right-Wing Women’s
Group
• UAE:
Four Male Ceos Awarded For Supporting Female Colleagues
• Iran
Likely to Be Ousted from UN Women’s Body, Diplomats Say
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/generation-arab-global-music-stage/d/128631
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New
Generation of Arab Women Paving Road to Global Music Stage
Palestinian
Chilean singer Elyanna
----
Nada
Alturki
December
13, 2022
RIYADH:
From Algerian singer Cheb Mami’s feature on Sting’s “Desert Rose” in 1999 to
Marshmello’s 2022 collaboration with Lebanese songstress Nancy Ajram, Arab
nuances have been slowly weaving their way into the fabric of Western music.
However,
Arab women remain on the sidelines of the industry, with only a handful of
prominent acts making waves.
In
Saudi Arabia, Spotify’s annual Wrapped campaign revealed that no female
musicians from the Kingdom made it onto the country’s top 10 streaming artists’
list, and only three Khaleeji tracks, two of them by Syrian artist Assala
Nasri, were most streamed.
But
with the regional music scene predicted to become the fastest growing in the
world, Arab women are aiming to buck the trend through authenticity.
At
the recent XP Music Futures conference, industry experts and artists shared
their thoughts on projecting women on a global stage.
Palestinian
Chilean singer Elyanna has quickly made a name for herself globally, and has
captivated audiences with her mane of dark blonde curls and piercing green
eyes.
Supported
and discovered by Lebanese Canadian musician Massari and The Weeknd’s manager
Wassim “Sal” Slaiby, she now has more than 400,000 monthly listeners on
Spotify.
Her
sensual vocals and contemporary lyrics appeal to the masses as she bridges
cultures in a way that is authentic yet mainstream and she is quickly becoming
the voice of a multicultural generation.
As
opposed to many other upcoming artists, Elyanna remains distinctly an Arabic
lyricist, incorporating her Palestinian roots into creating a unique genre of
her own.
She
told Arab News: “When I work on my music, I don’t think of it like, ‘oh, let’s
do something crazy.’ I think of it as me. I’m 20 years old, and I just do what
feels right to me.
“So
of course, the generation is going to get that, because they’re going to
connect with how a 20-year-old girl feels.”
While
she noted that she was too young to give advice on navigating the challenges
that come with being a woman in the industry, she highlighted the word try
within all her aspirations.
Elyanna
said: “When you care, and you’re passionate, that’s all you need. I believe
that Arab music is going to have an impact one day. It’s not going to be easy,
obviously, nothing comes really easy. I do think our culture is so beautiful,
there’s so much that the world did not see about our culture.
“Imagine
we show them our dancers, the way they dance; so authentic, so beautiful. And
look at the instruments we have, the melodies we have, the beats. You see a lot
of Americans; they take them and make them hip hop beats. This says so much.
This is such a start,” she added.
Mathew
Knowles, the visionary manager behind the careers of Destiny’s Child, Beyonce,
and Solange, the latter two to whom he is the father, spoke about how to be a
successful female act in the global market. He said that while 75 percent of
his clients over the years had been women, image was key in the music industry.
“The
beauty about songs is they don’t look at if you’re male or female. Songs are songs.
It starts with great songs.
“I
wanted to also understand that with the culture, will the youth be able to look
contemporary in their dress and can women be contemporary in their dress?
Because if you’re going to compete against the world, that’s what you’re
competing against, right?”
He
added that language was also something to take into consideration; would an
artist be singing solely in Arabic, English, or both?
Knowles
said: “How are you going to approach the language barrier if you’re going to
grow?”
Hailing
from the region’s biggest rap scene, Egyptian musician Felukah has been
flipping the concept of Arabic hip hop.
Inspired
by global prose and poetry from the likes of poet Nayyirah Waheed and Japanese
writer Haruki Murakami, her intriguing lyrics find a way to adapt to the nature
of rap and hip hop music by mixing Arabic and English lyrics.
Felukah
told Arab News: “What I’m really trying to do is represent myself in the most
authentic way possible. And when people find that relatable, they like the
music.”
She
recently released Coca Cola’s 2022 FIFA World Cup anthem, an all-girl
collaboration with Saudi musician Tamtam and Mexican singer Danna Paola,
remaking Queen’s 1986 hit “A Kind of Magic,” and gave a captivating performance
at XP Music Futures in November.
On
her experience being a woman in the industry, Felukah said: “I get hate from
men, and I get hate from women. A lot of the time I hear, ‘I don’t like women
rapping, I like male voices.’
“That’s
not a critique. You need to expand your range. You need to listen; there’s so
many women rappers, there’s so many women singers, and the fact that a person
is not familiar enough with women’s voices and hasn’t found at least one that
they like is wild. So, I don’t accept that,” she added.
She
noted that authentic Arabic music will not rise to the top in one song, but
contemporary artists today, including herself, were working toward
representation in a brighter future.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2215696/saudi-arabia
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Women
in Saudi Arabia Fall In Love with Soccer
Saudi
Footballer Saja Kamal – Credit: Saja Kamal
-----
December
13, 2022
By
Dr. Ghadeer Talal Melibari
Something
is stirring among women of all ages in Saudi Arabia and it has been palpable
this past month on the streets, in cafes, and on university campuses.
Everywhere
you go, there is only one topic on many of their lips - the football World Cup.
In
a very short space of time, something monumental has changed in their minds.
It’s
not just that women want to watch men playing the beautiful game, but they also
want to get on the field themselves.
Some
even want to become referees, having been inspired by female officials taking
charge in Qatar.
While
this change may have surprised some, for many in Saudi, it has seemed quite
natural that more and more people have fallen in love with the sport.
There
are many aspects of our lives we do out of duty, to earn a living, or with
expectations on us.
Before
the World Cup started in Qatar, Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin
Salman met the national team players and took all the pressure off their
shoulders.
Facing
a tough group, he said that nobody expected a win or even a draw - but asked
that everyone simply enjoyed the tournament.
The
words motivated and inspired so many women to pause what they were doing at
13:00 on 22 November and watch Saudi take on Argentina and one of the world’s
greats, Lionel Messi.
With
little expectation, the team pulled off the shock of the tournament by winning
the match.
Just
like the men’s game has been allowed to grow at its own pace, so has the
women’s, and the Crown Prince’s words proved predictive with more people than
ever simply enjoying the action.
Of
course, it helps that the tournament is being held in our neighboring country
of Qatar, but in many ways, football is becoming a symbol of the changing face
of Saudi.
At
our matches in Doha, estimates suggest that about 5% of our traveling fans to
watch the games were women - a number similar to those in the fan bases of our
rivals, including Mexico and Poland.
This
shows the change happening not just at football games but in Saudi society in general.
At
past World Cups, such an amount would not have been possible as it was just
three years ago reforms meant women were allowed to leave Saudi without
receiving the consent of their male guardian for the first time.
This
explosion of interest from women could also be the culmination of a number of
other things that have happened in the Kingdom.
Two
years ago, a Saudi Women’s Super League was set up, allowing our best female
talents to nurture their skills on the pitch.
Then
earlier this year, our women’s national side played their first-ever game -
beating the Seychelles 2-0.
Football
is fast-paced on the field and also off it in how it can help instigate change.
A
new subculture has emerged, with thousands of women gathering in cafes across
the country to cheer Saudi on at the World Cup.
The
team didn’t qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament, but it was still
a huge success.
It
achieved what the Crown Prince had hoped by putting smiles on everyone’s faces.
Women
were full of passion for the side and it brought them together like few other
things could do, to be a part of this great adventure.
The
authorities have been quick to recognize the impact the games have had and how
women’s football can be driven forward on the back of it.
The
country has submitted a bid to stage the Asian Football Confederation Women's
Asian Cup for the first time in 2026.
Women's
national team manager Monika Staab called it an opportunity to inspire a
generation and turbo-charge the continued growth of women’s football.
The
whole face of football in the Kingdom seems to have changed in the past few
weeks.
Women
have come together to watch men on their biggest stage, hoping that it will
soon be them given the chance to play in major tournaments as well.
Dr.
Ghadeer Talal Melibari, holder of PhD in English from University of
Hertfordshire, UK, is currently working as Assistant Professor of English
teaching at Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah.
Source:
Saudi Gazette
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/627963
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How
Netflix is empowering the next generation of female Arab storytellers
Razmig
Bedirian
Dec
14, 2022
Netflix
is bolstering its Because She Created platform, working to empower the next
generation of female storytellers in the Arab world.
The
initiative was conceptualised in 2020 through a virtual panel discussion and
has been active at regional film festivals since Covid-19-related restrictions
began being lifted in the past year.
Because
She Created hosted a fireside chat with Finding Ola actress Hend Sabry at the
Cairo International Film Festival in November. And, more recently, it created a
dedicated space at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia, to highlight the works of four of the most accomplished cinematic
talents in the region — Tunisian directors Sabry and Kaouther Ben Hania, whose
film The Man Who Sold His Skin was nominated for the Best International Feature
Film Oscar last year, Jordanian director Tima Shomali (AlRawabi School for
Girls) and Saudi filmmaker Hana Alomair, creator of Whispers, Netflix’s first
thriller from the kingdom.
They
each had a corner dedicated to highlighting milestones from their careers,
their passion for filmmaking, the ups and downs they’ve faced and to offering
advice to young women starting out in the industry. All four also made an
appearance at the festival.
While
the presence of Because She Created at the event has been pivotal for engaging
with budding regional filmmakers, the project had already been having a
particularly good year, in terms of its funding initiatives and writing
programmes.
Netflix
partnered with the Arab Fund for Culture and Arts in April to launch a $250,000
grant for female producers and directors in the region. In September, it
launched the Because She Created writing programme, in partnership with
Egyptian content creation company Sard, hosting 22 aspiring women from Al Said
in Egypt.
In
July, it launched a catalogue of 21 films by female filmmakers from across the
Arab world. The works include Let’s Talk by Egyptian director Marianne Khoury,
Stateless by Moroccan filmmaker Narjiss Nejjar and A Tale of Love and Desire by
Tunisian director Leyla Bouzid.
However,
this is only the beginning, said Nuha El Tayeb, Netflix's director of
acquisitions for Mena and Turkey, with more in the pipeline to help bolster
female up-and-coming talents from the Arab world.
“We
want women to know there’s a platform here to help give them that opportunity,”
she told The National on the sidelines of the Red Sea International Film
Festival, which concluded its second year on Saturday.
While
the prime focus of Because She Created is devoted to scriptwriters and
directors, El Tayeb says the initiative is open to all creators and whoever can
generate riveting works.
“It’s
anything surrounding the content,” she said. “It’s open to anyone coming with
stories, whether in front of the screen or behind it. What’s important for us
is to be a support system for them. We kicked off two years ago and see where
we are now.”
Shomali
said she was proud to be part of the initiative, especially because a lot of
her works are concerned with bringing sidelined stories from women in the
region to the screen.
“What
I’ve always tried to do with my work is be an advocate for women, to write
stories from a new perspective that we haven’t seen,” she said. “Being a part
of an initiative like this means a lot to me.”
The
director said she hopes the industry can reach a point of inclusivity where
such initiatives aren't necessary any more, but for now it is paramount to
support Arab women whose perspective has long been marginalised in cinema.
“We
have to reach a place where having creative women in this industry is a normal
thing,” she said. “For me, I feel it's also my responsibility as a filmmaker
and producer. I worked my way up from the beginning and it wasn’t an easy ride,
at all. Some people gave me a chance and gave me an opportunity. I would like
to now do my part, as I am now in a position to do so.”
Considering
how much Because She Created has done to support women in the industry, Shomali
said she is sure the initiative will continue to grow and “only get bigger and
bigger.”
“I
do have a lot of faith in this initiative. Hopefully in the future, it will
offer more roles for women on set, not only creators and writers and directors,
but even gaffers, sound professionals and editors.”
El
Tayeb said the impact Because She Created has been inspiring. She was, however,
tight-lipped about what's in store for the initiative, but promised Netflix
consumers would be hearing more about it soon.
“This
is just the start,” she said. “There is much more coming.”
Source:
The National News
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UAE:
Middle East Women Board of Directors 2022 leads discussions on reducing gender
gap, increasing representation
by
Lamya Tawfik
13
Dec 2022
Leaders
and decision makers from various sectors and organisations came together at the
Khaleej Times' Middle East Women Board of Directors 2022 on Tuesday.
The
programme included keynote addresses, career-focused case studies, panel
discussions and interactive workshops.
During
the one-day event, discussions were held on women’s empowerment, reducing the
gender gap and building strong leadership skills amongst women. Participants
also talked about increasing female representation on boards of directors and
the role of executive headhunters in increasing the number of women in
boardrooms.
Empowering
women in leadership and the use of humour as a secret weapon in business and
life were also on the agenda. The day ended with the ‘Getting on Board’
excellence award ceremony, which recognises the roles of men who actively
champion and empower female board members – and who, by doing so, set an
example and encourage more CEOs to support female leadership.
In
her keynote presentation titled ‘Empowering women by increasing their
representation on boards of directors’, Shamsa Saleh, CEO, Dubai Women
Establishment and Secretary-General of the UAE Gender Balance Council, said:
“In the gender balance council, we believe in engaging women leadership – not
only in the board, but in all aspects of life.
The
government also introduced a historical decree on women’s representation in the
parliament – and the UAE is the first in the world when it comes to female
engagement in parliament, which is 50 per cent.”
She
added that she was optimistic, even though there are gaps when it comes to
global gender equality. “According to case studies done by international
organisations, we need more than 200 years to fulfil the gender gap globally –
yet we are very positive.”
Poonam
Chawla, co-founder of the Middle East Women Board of Directors, and head of
Events and Conferences at Khaleej Times, said: “Women are wielding creativity
and entrepreneurial thinking in so many ways. Today, we want to recognise women
working together with strength, tenacity and courage to overcome obstacles and
achieve joyful accomplishments.”
She
told the audience that it might take some effort to change people’s mindsets,
but that “listening to and including the viewpoints of your diverse board in a
real way can bring a new perspective and new ideas to help your organisation
succeed.”
Ebru
Tuygun, chairwoman of the Advisory Board, Middle East Women Board of Directors,
Accenture Regional CMO, said: “We believe that increasing awareness on having
more women on company boards can lead to [the] improvement of the various KPIs
of organisations, and also improving the community and culture we live in.”
The
forum is sponsored by MOTF, BEE Concierge & Travel & Events Services,
and Marriott International Luxury Brands.
Source:
Khaleej Times
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We
want UP-Style Anti-‘Love Jihad’ Police Squad — Karnataka Right-Wing Women’s
Group
Sharan
Poovanna
14
December, 2022
Bengaluru:
The women’s front of a fringe Right-wing group has demanded that the Basavaraj
Bommai-led Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government set up an Uttar Pradesh-like
dedicated police squad to contain the “growing instances” of “love jihad” in
poll-bound Karnataka.
Hindu
Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) women’s wing Durga Sena wants the issue to be
discussed in the winter session of the Karnataka assembly that begins 19
December in Belagavi. Karnataka is likely to vote April-May next year.
“We
want them to create a special police squad, protect Hindu girls from people who
introduce young girls to Muslim boys, befriend them and convert them,” said Sena’s
Bhavya Gowda.
“Love
Jihad” is the phrase used by the Right-wing to describe interfaith
relationships with the alleged aim to convert Hindu women.
Though
the southern state has its own ‘anti-conversion law’ (The Karnataka Right to
Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2022), Right-wing groups remain
adamant to get a separate bill to deal with cases of “love jihad”. There have
been also demands that the need for Halal certification be done away with in
the southern state.
Other
BJP-ruled states like Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar
Pradesh, have either introduced similar laws aimed at “protecting” young Hindu
women or are discussing it.
The
Durga Sena alleged there have been “thousands of cases” of “love jihad” even as
there is little evidence to back its claims.
“Both
the HJS and Durga Sena have given memorandums asking for a UP-like squad to
check love jihad. I will discuss with the chief minister about claims that over
2,500 such cases have been reported… if need be, will bring it up in the
(winter) session as well,” BJP national general secretary C.T. Ravi said.
Under
the Karnataka anti-conversion law, there are heavy penalties and jail terms for
anyone converting by “force, allurement or fraud”. The law says no one should
be converted by another “by use or practice of misrepresentation, force, undue
influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by any of these
means or by promise of marriage, nor shall any person abet or conspire such
conversion”.
Source:
The Print
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UAE: Four male CEOs awarded for supporting female colleagues
by
Lamya Tawfik
14
Dec 2022
Four
male CEOs were awarded during Khaleej Times’ Middle East Women Board of
Directors 2022 for their role in actively championing and empowering women
leaders, while supporting women to get board roles.
The
award was presented by Shamsa Saleh, CEO of Dubai Women Establishment and
Secretary-General of the UAE Gender Balance Council.
The
first recipient was Nader Haffar, Chairman & CEO of KPMG Middle East. For
the past 25 years, Haffar has been on the forefront of management consultancy.
As chairman and CEO of KPMG in the Lower Gulf (UAE and Oman) since 2018, Nader
became the driving force of change within the firm.
In
March 2022, KPMG Lower Gulf signed the UAE’s Gender Balance Council's “the
Pledge” to achieve 30 per cent women representation in management by 2025. The
firm has since focused on woman’s participation in decision-making roles from
middle management to the highest levels of leadership.
Per
Johansson, general manager, Middle East and North Africa, Mars, was also
honoured. Johansson, with over 25 years of experience, drives the team’s
efforts to achieve regional growth, synergy utilization and comprehensive
stakeholder management. Prior to joining the team in Dubai, Johansson worked
with Bosch’s security systems division in Sweden and Singapore.
Alexis
Lecanuet, senior managing director, Middle East Market, Accenture, was the
third recipient. He is responsible for defining and executing Accenture’s
strategy in the region, and managing the local operations.
During
his 24 years with Accenture, he has commanded large complex transformation
projects across Europe and Mena mostly for the consumer and retail industries.
He is a recognised regional leader, a seasoned speaker, and ranked one amongst
the Forbes regional “Global meets local” top 50 leaders.
The
fourth recipient was Duncan McCulloch, general manager - Middle East and
Africa, Mars. He is responsible for leading the entire business across the GCC
markets, Sub Sahara Africa, North Africa, and Levant and he has worked for Mars
for over 20 years across the Mars Chocolate, Gum, Mint, Fruity Confections and
Pet Care business categories holding many senior positions, spanning across many
geographies including UK, Europe, Asia, and Middle East.
He
holds additional responsibilities as an Inclusion & Diversity Council
Member for Mars Inc. globally as well as being the Project Sponsor for Mars
Purpose Driven Business Innovation projects.
The
forum, sponsored by MOTF, BEE Concierge & Travel & Events Services and
Marriott International Luxury Brands, included keynote addresses,
career-focused case studies, panel discussions and interactive workshops.
Topics
of the discussions are related to women’s empowerment, reducing the gender gap
and building strong leadership skills amongst women. Participants talked about
increasing women’s representation on boards of directors and the role of
executive headhunters in increasing the number of women in boardrooms.
Source:
Khaleej Times
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/uae-four-male-ceos-awarded-for-supporting-female-colleagues
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Iran
likely to be ousted from UN women’s body, diplomats say
14
December ,2022
Iran
appears set to be ousted from a UN women’s body on Wednesday for policies
contrary to the rights of women and girls, but several countries are expected
to abstain from the vote requested by the United States, diplomats said.
The
54-member UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will vote on a US-drafted
resolution to “remove with immediate effect the Islamic Republic of Iran from
the Commission on the Status of Women for the remainder of its 2022-2026 term.”
The
45-member Commission on the Status of Women meets annually every March and aims
to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women. A US official told
Reuters they had “consistently seen growing support” to remove Iran.
Iran,
17 other states and the Palestinians argued in a letter to ECOSOC on Monday
that a vote “will undoubtedly create an unwelcome precedent that will
ultimately prevent other Member States with different cultures, customs and
traditions ... from contributing to the activities of such Commissions.”
The
letter urged members to vote against the US move to avoid a “new trend for
expelling sovereign and rightfully-elected States from any given body of the
international system, if ever perceived as inconvenient and a circumstantial
majority could be secured for imposing such maneuvers.”
Only
five of the signatories to the letter are currently ECOSOC members and able to
vote on Wednesday.
The
Islamic Republic on Monday hanged a man in public who state media said had been
convicted of killing two members of the security forces, the second execution
in less than a week of people involved in protests against Iran’s ruling
theocracy.
Nationwide
unrest erupted three months ago after the death while in detention of 22-year-old
Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by morality police
enforcing the Islamic Republic’s mandatory dress code laws.
The
demonstrations have turned into a popular revolt by furious Iranians from all
layers of society, posing one of the most significant legitimacy challenges to
the Shia clerical elite since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Iran
has blamed its foreign enemies and their agents for the unrest.
The
Geneva-based UN Rights Council voted last month to appoint an independent
investigation into Iran’s deadly repression of protests, passing the motion to
cheers of activists. Tehran accused Western states of using the council to
target Iran in an “appalling and disgraceful” move.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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