Hyderabad City Mosque Opens A Wellness Centre With A Gym For Women Residing In The Nearby Slums
New
Age Islam News Bureau
22
January 2021
• Eighty Six Percent Of Women Do Not Wear Seat Belts In Saudi Arabia
• Twitter
Locks Account Of Chinese Embassy In US Over Tweet On Muslim Uyghur Women
• Arab
Parliament Calls For Supporting Women Amid Virus Crisis
• World
Memory C’ship Winning Pakistan Women Team Honoured
• The
Black Tunisian Women Fighting ‘Double Discrimination’
• Morocco’s
Najat Rochdi Among 20 UN Women Leaders Appointed In 2020
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/hyderabad-city-mosque-opens-wellness/d/124124
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Hyderabad City Mosque Opens A Wellness Centre With A Gym For Women Residing In The Nearby Slums
Jan
22, 2021
Hyderabad:
A mosque at Rajendranagar has set up a wellness centre with a gymnasium for
women residing in the nearby slums. This is the first time in the state that a
mosque has facilitated a gym for women with an expert trainer.
The
aim behind the gym and wellness centre is to reduce the incidence of
non-communicable diseases in women living in the slum areas.
A
professional woman trainer has been hired to train women in physical exercises,
in two sessions daily. It has also health counsellors and a physician.
The
gym at Masjid-e-Mustafa located in Wadi-e-Mahmood in Rajendranagar is funded by
SEED, a US-based NGO. Helping Hand Foundation (HHF), a city-based NGO, is
coordinating with the mosque committee in running the wellness centre.
The
gym follows a survey conducted in the slums of Old City which revealed that 52%
women are at risk of cardiometabolic syndrome.
During
the survey, women with high risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), mainly
with body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 and those with morbid conditions,
were identified for the purpose of being trained at the gym. “The key
components of the NCD programme at the mosque clinic-cum-gym are risk
assessment, counselling on diet and exercise and screening for renal, liver and
eye issues. Trained and professional counsellors are part of the clinic,” said
HHF managing trustee Mujtaba Hasan Askari.
The
survey also revealed that women with polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD)
constitute about 30% of the participants.
Women
between 25 and 55 years were screened as part of the survey. About 12% had
single or comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension and thyroid problems. All
women (20-49 years and above) had a BMI more than 25 (obesity).
Mujtaba
said 52% of women had high hip-waist ratio more than 0.8, which predisposes the
women to the risk of cardiometabolic syndrome, which is now classified as a
cluster of dysfunctions like insulin resistance, tolerance and de-arranged
lipids that lead to the risk of diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular
diseases.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/first-in-t-city-mosque-opens-gym-for-women/articleshow/80393502.cms
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Eighty
Six Percent Of Women Do Not Wear Seat Belts In Saudi Arabia
January
21, 2021
RIYADH
— A recent study revealed that nearly 86 percent of women in the Kingdom do not
wear seat belts as drivers or passengers of cars.
The
study was conducted over a period of two years with a sample of more than 5,000
adults — both males and females — who visited hospitals affiliated to the
Health Affairs under the Ministry of National Guard.
The
age of around 52.4 percent of those surveyed ranged between 18 and 25 years,
and half of those were men.
According
to the King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), the study
aimed to examine the prevalence of seat belt use and the awareness about it in
the Kingdom.
It
was also found in the study that 42.8 percent of those surveyed, including
drivers and passengers, are consistently using seatbelts, while the rest of
them do not fasten the seat belt.
The
study recommended the need to work for enhancing the level of adherence to
wearing seatbelts through awareness campaigns and the intervention of traffic
police, especially for women, in order to bring down cases of traffic deaths
and injuries.
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/602769
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Twitter
locks account of Chinese Embassy in US over tweet on Muslim Uyghur women
21st
January 2021
New
Delhi: Twitter has locked the official account of China’s Embassy in the US
over a controversial post that referred to Muslim Uyghur women as “baby-making
machines” prior to government intervention.
The
tweet was originally shared on January 7. The micro-blogging platform removed
the tweet, with a notification that it is no longer available.
Now,
the account has also been permanently locked, according to several media
reports.
“We
have taken action on this Tweet for violating our policy against
dehumanisation,” Twitter had said in an earlier statement.
China
has faced fierce criticism of its treatment of minority Uighur Muslims living
in the Xinjiang province.
In a
statement which came less than 24 hours before leaving office, former US
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that China “has committed genocide
against the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious
minority groups in Xinjiang”.
In a
tweet on January 7, the Chinese Embassy in the US had shared a China Daily
report on the population change in Xinjiang published by the Xinjiang
Development Research Center defending China’s oppression of Uyghur Muslims.
The
report said that the Muslim women in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR)
are “no longer baby-making machines” and that the decrease in population growth
throughout the province has led to a drop in terrorism.
The
tweet backing the Chinese government’s policies against the Muslim community in
spite of several reports revealing shocking data on involuntary abortions and
sterilisations performed over the years in the region, invited instant scathing
criticism from all corners of the globe.
“It is
utterly appalling & shameful for the @ChineseEmbinUS & Communist #China
to justify its genocidal policy in the #Uyghur region. I call on the
international community to join USCIRF in condemning #CCP in the strongest
terms,” USCIRF (US Commission on International Religious Freedom) Commissioner
Nury Turkel had tweeted.
Twitter
first said that the Chinese embassy’s “baby-making machines” tweet is not
against its rules, which ban “the dehumanisation of a group of people based on
their religion, race, or ethnicity” but reversed its decision by removing it,
saying it “violated the Twitter Rules.”
Much
has already been written about the Chinese government policies aiming at
reducing birth rates among Uyghurs including involuntary abortions and
sterilisations. It has been revealed that in 2018, 80 per cent of all the
Intrauterine Device (IUD) placements in China were performed on women in the
Uyghur Region, despite the region making up only about 1.8 per cent of China’s
total population.
A
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on Thursday that the government
has decided to impose sanctions against Pompeo and 27 other high-ranking
officials of the Trump administration, accusing them of “prejudice and hatred”
against Beijing.
The
announcement came a day after Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of
the US on Wednesday.
https://www.siasat.com/twitter-locks-account-of-chinese-embassy-in-us-over-uyghur-tweet-2072782/
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Arab
Parliament Calls For Supporting Women Amid Virus Crisis
22
January, 2021
The
Arab Parliament called Thursday on its member states to mobilize efforts for
supporting Arab women amid the new coronavirus outbreak.
In a
meeting held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, in the presence of the
president of the National Council for Women Dr. Maya Morsy, the Arab Parliament
commanded the great and sincere efforts of Arab women in facing the COVID-19
crisis.
“Arab
women stand in the front lines in facing this crisis, particularly that the
majority of medical personnel, especially nurses, are women,” a statement
issued by the Parliament said.
It
called upon relevant institutions to support Arab women, identify their own
needs, and work on removing all obstacles posed by the pandemic.
The
Parliament particularly praised the efforts of Egypt, through its Foreign
Ministry and the National Council for Women, to support females.
In
this regard, it mentioned the unprecedented adoption by consensus of a draft
resolution submitted by Cairo on "Protecting the rights of women from the
repercussions of COVID-19,” during the work of the 3rd Committee of the UN
General Assembly on Human Rights and Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Issues.
Also,
the Parliament said Arab States should implement the decisions of this
resolution, which provides a practical vision of how to strengthen national and
international commitment amid the economic and social repercussions of COVID-19
on the rights of Arab women.
Meanwhile,
Dr. Mastoura bint Obaid Al-Shammari, the Chairperson of the permanent committee
for social, educational, cultural affairs, women and youths of the Arab
Parliament, who is also Saudi Shura Council's member, hailed the role of the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in empowering women in various fields, with the support
and patronage of its prudent leadership.
In a
statement after the meeting of the Arab Parliament bureau, she stressed that
women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia occupy the highest positions at domestic,
Arab and international levels.
https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2757626/arab-parliament-calls-supporting-women-amid-virus-crisis
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World
Memory C’ship Winning Pakistan Women Team Honoured
January
22, 2021
LAHORE -
Pakistan’s women team that won 29th World Memory Championship in England
in 2020, called on Director General Sports Punjab Adnan Arshad Aulakh at
National Hockey Stadium on Thursday.
Pakistan’s
women team consisted of coach Sania Alam, Emma Alam, Syeda Kisa Zehra, Abeerah
Ather and Shuma. Director Sports Hafeez Bhatti was also present on this
occasion. It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan’s women team created
history when they clinched the coveted World Memory Championship for the first
time in the history of the country. Around 300 players from 16 countries
participated in the championship. Overall, Pakistan team won 13 medals during
the championship.
Emma
Alam and Syeda Kisa Zehra also broke four world records during the
championship. Emma Alam won gold medals in Names and Faces and Random Words
competitions. She also grabbed a silver medal in the History and Future Dates
contest. Emma is also the recipient of Gold Youth Avicenna Award 2021.
Adnan
Arshad Aulakh appreciated the great achievement of Pakistan’s women team and
said: “We are also planning to hold such events in Punjab in near future and
Sports Board Punjab will get necessary guidance from the national women team
keeping in view their expertise”.
https://nation.com.pk/22-Jan-2021/world-memory-c-ship-winning-pakistan-women-team-honoured
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The
Black Tunisian Women Fighting ‘Double Discrimination’
29
December 2020
On 23
January this year – the anniversary of the abolition of slavery in Tunisia –
seven women launched Voices of Tunisian Black Women, a Facebook group for Black
women to discuss issues of abuse and discrimination. It’s the first
organisation of its kind in the country.
Khawla
Ksiksi, Maha Abdelhamid and Huda Mzioudet were the first three who decided to
form the collective after they encountered negative reactions to a post on the
#EnaZeda (#MeToo) Facebook page about sexual harassment faced by Black Tunisian
women.
The
women gathered to reflect on the backlash they had experienced and discussed
the idea of creating an all-Black female safe space where women could express
themselves without being judged or criticised.
“We
shared this unease of talking in mixed movements where we couldn’t be free to
say what we want,” said Abdelhamid, a PhD researcher in sociology based in
France. “We agreed that local feminist circles could never represent us nor
understand what we go through,” adding that Black women are often accused by
fellow feminists of exaggerating and victimising themselves.
They
explain that discussion of racism was taboo under former president Ben Ali’s
23-year dictatorship, which ended after an uprising in 2011. Since the early
days of the anti-racism movement, Black women have been on the front line amid
growing awareness of their greater invisibility in comparison to Black men.
Ksiksi,
a 28-year-old anti-racist feminist activist who works at the Tunis branch of
the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, a transnational political education institution,
said Black women are victims of double discrimination – on account of their
colour and their gender.
She
added that they not only struggle with social, economic and professional
discrimination, but also sexual harassment. Black women are often the target of
particular forms of sexual harassment, because they are commonly perceived to
be ‘sex machines’ and even miracle healers of all sickness.
“We
are stigmatised, hyper-sexualised, and objectified,” she said. “Harassers take
the liberty of doing anything against your will because they know Black people
are marginalised.”
Voices
started out by collecting testimonies from Black women about their experiences
of racism, then coordinating group discussions around daily issues of concern
to Black women. It also has a very active, private Facebook group with at least
400 members. Fortnightly webinars cover topics ranging from beauty standards to
slavery, racism in the workplace and institutional racism.
“The
whole idea is to shift Black women from the fringes to the centre, to enable us
to claim our rights as a category of people who’ve been treated as if we never
existed,” said Ksiksi.
“It’s
no longer about debating whether racism exists or not. We need to talk about
the situation of Black women, the multiple discriminations they suffer and try
to find solutions,” argues 26-year-old Ghofrane Binous, an active member of the
collective and former vice-president of the anti-racist association, Mnemty.
Binous
insists that other group members should be encouraged to use the platform more
to make their voices heard – as many women are alienated and afraid to speak
up.
Binous
herself once lacked the confidence to speak in public. She remembers how, when
she was just five, children in her neighbourhood told her she was “dirty”
because her skin was Black. Later, she started using bleach on her face in the
hope her skin would turn lighter.
At
primary school, one of her teachers would regularly slap her and kick her out
of class without reason.
When
she worked as a flight attendant with national carrier Tunisair, she endured
racist slurs from one passenger. She said that management was unhappy with how
vocal she was in speaking out about the incident and made her job increasingly
difficult until she decided to quit. Her activism was a consequence of this
racist experience.
Abdelhamid
explained that Voices intends to restore a positive self-image and self-esteem
for Black women in a society where they are made to believe they are “ugly” and
need to use skin-whitening and hair-straightening products.
The
aim is “to gain worthy visibility and emancipate, countering the biased
portrayal that society has imposed on us through history”, she said.
Voices
of Tunisian Black Women plans to launch a website in Tunisian Arabic, modern
standard Arabic (Tunisia’s official language) and French. Lawyers are helping
the collective, offering free legal support to victims of racist attacks, and
filing suits against aggressors based on Tunisia’s anti-racial discrimination
law.
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/the-black-tunisian-women-fighting-double-discrimination/
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Morocco’s
Najat Rochdi Among 20 UN Women Leaders Appointed In 2020
By
Sanae Alouazen
Jan
6, 2021
Rabat
– With two decades of experience in a wide range of topics in international
diplomacy, Morocco’s Najat Rochdi appears to have secured a solid reputation in
the UN system.
In
2020, the UN Secretary-General appointed 20 women to senior management
positions. Nine of them were appointed to positions in political or
peacekeeping missions. Of these 20 women, nine are from Africa, seven from the
Americas and the Caribbean, three from Europe, and one from Asia.
Among
them is Morocco’s Najat Rochdi, appointed as UN Deputy Special Coordinator for
Lebanon (UNSCOL) and UN Lebanon Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.
Najat
Rochdi has more than 20 years of experience in development and humanitarian
assistance as well as international coordination in conflict and post-conflict
areas. Prior to this appointment, she served as senior advisor to the UN
special envoy for Syria and as Director of Peer to Peer at the United Nations
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Geneva.
Previously,
Rochdi served as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and
Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator of the United Nations Peacekeeping
Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). She was also the Resident
and Humanitarian Coordinator in Cameroon and Deputy Director of the
Representative Office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in
Geneva.
Before
launching her international career, Najat Rochdi held several Moroccan
government positions. She notably served as adviser to the prime minister,
deputy minister of Small and Medium Enterprises, and director-general of
International Cooperation and Development in the Ministry of Post and
Information Technology.
Najat
Rochdi holds a PhD in information systems from the National Institute of
Statistics and Applied Economics (INSEA) in Rabat and a Master’s degree in
mathematics and fundamental applications from the University of Paris Sud 11.
According
to a study published by New York University’s Center for International
Cooperation, the appointment of women to senior leadership positions markedly
increased between 1995 and 2020. While
women made up 19% of senior U.N. appointments in 1995, they made up 62% of
these high-level appointments in 2020.
Women
from Western Europe and North America made up 48% of the appointments in 1995,
and by 2020 they made up more than 38% of the senior positions. Women from
Africa made up 42% of the senior appointments in 2020, compared to the 23% of
high-rank roles they occupied in 1995.
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2021/01/331140/moroccos-najat-rochdi-among-20-un-women-leaders-appointed-in-2020/
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