International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 2023: History, prevalence, and significance
New Age Islam News Bureau
06 February 2023
• Women
education postponed, not banned, says Afghan diplomat
• Can
Karachi’s women-only pink buses drive change in Pakistan?
• An
Opportunity to Learn about Hijab, Clear Up Misconceptions about Islam
• PepsiCo
initiative on track to empower 1m Saudi women by 2030
• Now is
the time for women to lead the digital revolution
• Hijab is
Not a Limit for Women to Do Self-actualization, Says Psychologist
• The first
edition of the Women’s Cardiovascular Disease Conference concludes
• Ban on
Working Women Forces Saudi Arabia to Shut Embassy in Kabul
• '40% of
women in Pakistan experienced physical or emotional violence'
• Bengaluru
shuttler asked to wear a headscarf on the podium in Iran
• Texas
A&M University at Qatar hosts roundtable on ‘Women in Energy
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital
Mutilation 2023: History, prevalence, and significance
Feb 6, 2023
In 2012, the UN General Assembly designated February
6th as the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation,
with the aim to amplify and direct the efforts on the elimination of this
practice.
What is FGM?
Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all
procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for
non-medical reasons and is recognized internationally as a violation of the
human rights, the health and the integrity of girls and women.
FGM is practiced predominantly within certain Muslim
societies, but it also exists within some adjacent Christian and animist
groups.
It denies sexual pleasure, arousal, lubrication,
orgasm and satisfaction to millions of women as it is presumed to take away
excessive libido.
In India, it is practiced by some Islamic groups. The
procedure is generally performed when a girl is seven years old and involves
the total or partial removal of the clitoral hood. Consequences of FGM may
range from discomfort to sepsis.
The United Nations has declared female genital
mutilation a human rights violation, and yet, the act is not banned in India.
History
FGM constitutes an extreme form of discrimination
against women and girls. The practice also violates their rights to health,
security and physical integrity, their right to be free from torture and cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment, and their right to life when the procedure
results in death.
Rooted in gender inequality, female genital mutilation
limits opportunities for women and girls around the world to exercise their
rights and realize their potential.
The idea behind cutting off clitoris is padded with
centuries of patriarchy within Muslim community. The argument given is that if
a woman knows the pleasure she can receive through this part of her vagina, she
might go "astray" in the marriage, or bring "shame" to the
community.
For the uninitiated, the clitoris has more nerve
endings than anywhere else in the female human body. So, depending on how
sensitive a woman's clitoris is, they derive great sexual pleasure from it
through stimulation. Interestingly, no other male or female organ is designed
only for pleasure, according to human anatomy experts.
Internationally recognized as a human rights
violation, its origins are unclear, but it has been practiced by societies
across the ages.
Girls who undergo female genital mutilation face
short-term complications such as severe pain, shock, excessive bleeding,
infections, and difficulty in passing urine, as well as long-term consequences
for their sexual and reproductive health and mental health.
The most odious part is that FGM is carried out by
untrained midwives and self-proclaimed experts from amongst the elders in the
community.
Prevalence
Although primarily concentrated in 30 countries in
Africa and the Middle East, female genital mutilation is a universal problem
and is also practiced in some countries in Asia and Latin America. Female
genital mutilation continues to persist amongst immigrant populations living in
Western Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.
Globally, it is estimated that at least 200 million
girls and women alive today have undergone some form of FGM. Countries with the
highest prevalence among girls and women aged 15 to 49 are Somalia 98 per cent,
Guinea 97 per cent and Djibouti 93 per cent.
Girls 14 and younger represent 44 million of those who
have been cut, with the highest prevalence of FGM among this age in Gambia at
56 per cent, Mauritania 54 per cent and Indonesia where around half of girls
aged 11 and younger have undergone the practice.
Over the last 25 years, the prevalence of FGM has declined
globally.
Significance of February 6 in fight against FGM
International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital
Mutilation is a United Nations-sponsored annual awareness day that takes place
on February 6 as part of the UN's efforts to eradicate female genital
mutilation. It was first introduced in 2003.
In December 2012, United Nations General Assembly
(UNGA) came up with a resolution to eliminate FGM from the world and to
safeguard women’s sexual right to pleasure subsequently improving their general
well-being.
The International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM seeks
to encourage communities to abandon the practice and to promote the rights of
women and girls to live free from violence and discrimination. It aims to raise
awareness about the negative impact of FGM on girls and women and to mobilize
support for the elimination of the practice.
The International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM is not
a public holiday, but a day of international observation The day provides the
opportunity for Governments, Member States, civil society organizations,
development partners, activists, and other relevant stakeholders to raise
awareness, renew commitments and reiterate that female genital mutilation is an
unacceptable harmful practice and a violation of women and girls’ basic human
rights.
The observance of FGM continues to be practiced every
year on February 6 and will be greatly pursued by the UN and other social
activism parties in efforts to eliminate FGM by the year 2030.
India is rather taking a snail’s pace in the domain.
However, actress NushratBharucha (Pyar ka panchnama fame) who belongs to the
Muslim Dawoodi Bohra community and whose mother had undergone FGM has filed a
petition and speaks vociferously against the custom.
Under the garb of sacrosanct religious diktats, the
Dawoodi Bohra community is obstinate to continue the sublime horror of FGM. The
Bohra high priest vehemently favours this custom, rendering religious
justification for its continuation.
Source: Times Of India
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Women education postponed, not banned, says Afghan
diplomat
By Yousaf Ali
February 06, 2023
PESHAWAR: Afghan Consular General Hafiz Mohibullah has
said that the women’s education in Afghanistan both at elementary and higher
level would be resumed once ground for the purpose was surfaced.
“Women education has not been banned but postponed in
the war-torn Afghanistan and the postponement is aimed at reforming the educational
system and syllabus,” he said while speaking at a one-day seminar here.
The seminar on “The Concept of Higher Education for
Women in Islam” was organized by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), a
non-governmental research organization.
Noted religious scholar Mufti Ghulamur Rahman presided
over the proceedings of the seminar, which was also addressed by chairman of
IRS Dr Mohammad Iqbal Khalil, Prof Naheed Ali, Mian Mohammad Akram and Alamgir
Afridi.
Hafiz Mohibullah said education was the process for
getting knowledge and no Muslim can deny its importance.
However, the situation in Afghanistan cannot be
compared with other countries of the world, he said, adding that the people of
Afghanistan suffered decades long war first with the former Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics (USSR) and then at the hands of the United States.
He said nothing against the basic principles of Islam
can be allowed. The teachings of Islam are equally implementable on all, he
added.
The Afghan diplomat was of the opinion that during the
US-supported Ashraf Ghani administration, the curriculum of education was also
polluted and lessons pertaining to Islamic teachings were removed from the
syllabus.
The curriculum is also being reformed and once the
process was completed and the situation was made favourable, women education at
all levels would be resumed, he declared. However, co-education would not be
allowed, he clarified.
He said that the government of Islamic Emirate had its
own ministries for education and training and they were committed to promoting
education in their country.
He said that they could not be compared with the
Ashraf Ghani administration, who was ruling just one-third of Afghanistan. On
the other hand, the Taliban are ruling every village, town, city, district and
province of Afghanistan, he said. Therefore, it was not true that they have
worked for the promotion of education, he added.
Hafiz Mohibullah said that knowledge was life and it
was the opposite of ignorance.
The Afghans suffered ideological invasion at the hands
of the USSR after the Soviet Revolution in 1919, he remarked. The Soviet
institutions started establishing in Afghanistan during the reign of Ghazi
Amanullah Khan, he said.
After decades of the modification of the minds and
ideologies of the Afghans, the Soviet forces physically invaded Afghanistan in
1979.
The Afghans defeated the Soviet forces by the grace of
Allah, their migration and support of the neighbors within ten years of
resistance, he said.
Then came the US invaders, who toppled the government
of the Afghan Taliban in 2001 and occupied the country. The US invasion too was
effectively resisted and they were thrown out of the country after 20 years of
successful resistance, he said.
During their 20 years of occupation, the US and Nato
forces did not do any basic development in the field of medicine, trade or any
other fundamental thing for the uplift of Afghanistan, he said.
Dr Mohammad Iqbal Khalil argued that women education
was more necessary than the education of men as women have to take care of
their children, the family and thus the society in general.
He said that the higher and professional education of
women carried immense importance. Women need to become teachers, doctors and
other professionals and work for promotion of female education and cater the
health-related needs of women, he said.
However, Afghanistan was an independent state and they
could not intervene in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, he remarked.
Prof Naheed Ali was the most articulate among the
speakers on the subject. She shed light on the status of women, their rights,
importance of female education and contribution of women in social development.
She explained every point in line with the teachings of Islam in a very attractive
manner.
“Humans do not belong to the genre of monkeys but they
are the offspring of prophets,” she said. They are the best of the creatures
because of knowledge and without knowledge completion of the capabilities of
humans are not possible, she said.
It is the basic right of every individual to have
access to education from primary to higher level, she said. “Women should be
taught Islamic education first so that their exploitation could be prevented,”
she added.
“Certain women are gifted with special qualities like
certain men. Therefore, they should be allowed to benefit the society through
their capabilities,” she remarked. There are a number of fields in which the
contributions of women are necessary for other women, she said. In view of the current
economic situation, women are required to work to support their families, she
said.
She referred to the recent deadly blast in Peshawar
Police Lines in which more than a hundred persons were martyred rendering their
children orphans and wives’ widows.
“Now it would be easier for the educated and working
women of the bereaved families to take better care of the upbringing of their
children,” she argued.
Source: TheNews
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1037872-women-education-postponed-not-banned-says-afghan-diplomat
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Can Karachi’s women-only pink buses drive change in
Pakistan?
Zofeen T Ebrahim
6 Feb 2023
Buses wait at Frere Hall in Karachi following the
inauguration ceremony on 1 February. Photograph: Avalon
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At precisely 1.40pm, the bright pink bus packed with
women leaves the depot and snakes its way through Karachi’s traffic. Two female
conductors walk the aisle collecting the 50 rupee fare. This is the first
women-only bus service in Pakistan’s Sindh province.
Every 20 minutes during rush hour and every hour at
quieter times, six pink air-conditioned buses run along one of the city’s
busiest routes from Frere Hall to Clifton Bridge.
“If this is successful, we can bring in more buses
throughout the city, and eventually all of Sindh,” says Sharjeel Memon, the
province’s transport minister.
Memon wants to make public transport safer and easier
for women to use. “We have assessed that 50% of the commuters during rush hour
are women and there is not enough space in the bus for them to ride in a
dignified manner.”
Launched on 1 February, the new service is Pakistan’s
second attempt to introduce public transport that protects women from
harassment. The first, run as a public-private partnership in Lahore in 2012,
ended after two years when the government pulled funding.
For decades, buses in Pakistan have had women-only
sections. But, says Arshia Malik, 32, who takes the bus to work as a nanny in
the upmarket area of Clifton, the segregation didn’t stop men “touching your
behind or rubbing your shoulder” while getting off the bus. “I would love to
ride on the pink buses and ride without bracing myself for an untoward
experience.”
Raakhi Matan, 35, a domestic worker, says woman have
to be alert on public transport at all times. Touching and lewd remarks from
men are common. On one occasion, Matan says she took off her slipper to hit a
perpetrator, while everyone looked at her horrified. “I’ve stopped caring [what
people think] and do not feel mortified any more.”
Matan, who has a 15-minute commute, welcomes the new
service. “I will feel much safer on an all-women bus.”
Dr Hadia Majid, an associate professor at Lahore
University, has been researching transportation and its links to women’s
participation in the labour market. She sees the pink buses as a positive step
in encouraging more women into the workplace.
Poor public transport, she says, has been a
contributing factor in Pakistan’s dismally low proportion of women in the
labour force. In 2021, women made up 20.6% of the country’s workforce.
Harassment was not the only obstacle. Inadequate transport meant women often
had to take more expensive taxis or rely on lifts from relatives. “This limits
the times and the places that they can work because it ties them to male kin’s
timings and place of work.”
It also makes it harder for women to look further
afield to find work. “So, unless there is dire need, it’s easier and preferable
for women to just sit at home,” Majid says.
The pink buses are part of the city administration’s
wider public transport improvement plans. The Green Line bus rapid transit
(BRT), connecting Karachi’s northern suburbs with the city centre, was launched
in January last year, six years after construction began. More than 12 million
people have so far used the BRT, and other routes are planned.
Arooj Abbasi, who works in hospitality, is excited at
the prospect of women-only buses. “Our working hours start later in the day,
from 3pm and up to midnight. Many young women who want to join this line of
work are deterred by the timing as they know they will not get reliable
transport home at night. But if these pink buses can provide that safety, many
women will come out of their homes and work.”
Others point to the wider problems. University student
Hiba Hasan Fasihi, 19, is sceptical about whether a pink bus can “resolve the
way men look at women” but says she will use the service. “The pink buses can
be used during rush hour when there can be a lot of pushing and shoving.”
Source:TheGuardian
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An Opportunity to Learn about Hijab, Clear Up
Misconceptions about Islam
February 05, 2023
Did you know there’s even a day that recognizes women
who wear it and encourages other women to try it, as well?
The head covering is called a hijab, and Wednesday,
Feb. 1, was the 11th annual World Hijab Day. This is a day that recognizes
women who wear hijabs and encourages other women of different faiths to
experience it. The day also raises awareness about hijabs and fights against
Islamophobia.
The hijab worn by Muslim women and girls covers their
hair, ears, neck and chest. It can also be worn with a face covering called a
niqab. A hijab is usually worn with loose clothing such as long dresses called
abayas.
The Quran, the holy book for Muslims, teaches that
Muslim men and women should dress modestly and lower their gazes when around
each other. A hijab is worn by Muslim women and girls to maintain modesty and
privacy from any males who are not close relatives.
World Hijab Day all started with one woman named Nazma
Khan, who faced a great deal of discrimination as a young girl in New York City
because of her hijab. From being called names like “ninja” to “terrorist” after
9/11, she suffered from countless years of bullying over a piece of fabric on
her head.
After learning about women around the world who wear
hijabs and had to deal with racism, Khan decided she had to do something.
Hence, Feb. 1, 2013, became the first World Hijab Day.
Khan believes that people can only truly understand
another’s struggles and beliefs once they’ve walked in their shoes. In other
words, the day is rooted in the belief that the best way to combat
discrimination and Islamophobia is by encouraging other women from around the
world and from every faith to try on the hijab on Feb. 1.
Today, there are many bans and restrictions in
non-Muslim countries regarding the hijab. It’s difficult to understand why some
people would be so against a simple piece of fabric on someone else’s head. In
fact, we see head coverings worn by women of various faiths. Catholic nuns have
always covered their hair. In portraits of the Virgin Mary, she is always
wearing a head covering as well.
Head coverings are also part of various cultures. Not
all head coverings are similar to a hijab. A simple hat is a head covering,
isn’t it?
The hijab isn’t a new concept, but unfortunately women
and girls all over the world have had to face discrimination — and are
continuing to do so — because they choose to follow the teachings of their
religion.
You don’t have to wait until next year if you want to
try on a hijab and see what it’s like. I’ve felt a great sense of confidence
and pride wearing a hijab. I’m happy World Hijab Day was started because now we
have a chance to teach others about the hijab and clear up some misconceptions
about Islam.
Source:IQNA
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PepsiCo initiative on track to empower 1m Saudi women
by 2030
February 05, 2023
Since its official launch in 2019, PepsiCo has been
continuously looking to empower, inspire and guide generations of women in the
Kingdom through its “Tamakani” platform. Originating from the Arabic term that
translates to “enable,” Tamakani is the company’s women’s empowerment platform
with the goal to empower 1 million Saudi women by 2030.
As of 2022, women comprise 35 percent of the workforce
in the Kingdom, which is an impressive 18.5 percent increase over the last five
years.
“At the heart of Vision 2030’s values and our
intrinsic values, empowering women comes as a priority,” PepsiCo said.
“When introducing the initiative, we focused on
implementing three main platforms: Amplifying Voices, Facilitating Mentorship
and Fostering Entrepreneurship, to bridge the varying gaps we came across in
the job market.”
Aiming to equip women with the necessary tools,
knowledge, skills and networks to become impactful leaders, PepsiCo has been
partnering with associations dedicated to empowering women.
To mark the launch of Tamakani, the company
collaborated with Eggdancer Productions — the Kingdom’s first female-owned and
managed production company — to create “Rise — The Journey of Women in Saudi
Arabia.” It is a documentary that chronicles the changing social landscape of
Saudi Arabia through the lens of influential Saudi women. Directed by
DanyaAlhamrani, it allowed Saudi women to see themselves represented like never
before, and the younger generations to get inspired.
Through the Amplifying Voices pillar, PepsiCo’s aim
was to give a platform to the unheard stories of Saudi women. In partnership
with the Family Affairs Council, the Mozn Podcast was born. The
first-of-its-kind in the Kingdom, not only does the platform offer emerging and
leading Saudi females the space to shed light on their professional success
stories to inspire others, but it also allows their personal stories to come to
light.
Some of the most notable personalities to have graced
the platform include Dr.Hala Al-Tuwaijri, head of Saudi Human Rights
Commission; Dr. Thuraya Obaid, executive director of the UN Population Fund;
and Princess Haifa bintAbdulaziz Al-Muqrin, representative of Saudi Arabia to
UNESCO.
Tamakani also partnered with AmCham — a platform for
the American business community to connect, grow and prosper in the Kingdom —
under the PepsiCo-sponsored Women in Business Committee, to launch the Diwaniya
Quarterly event. It offers a safe space for both men and women executives in
the Kingdom to come together in an informal setting to discuss business and
social issues.
Under the Facilitating Mentorship pillar, PepsiCo
collaborated with the largest women’s university in the world, Princess
Nourahbint Abdulrahman University, to sponsor the “Qudwah” program.
The program aids Saudi females to take up the mantle
of leadership, by connecting them with accomplished leaders to advance their
professional goals and leadership potential.
Through this program, Tamakani has empowered 68
beneficiaries to embark on a rewarding career path and recently welcomed the
second cohort of future beneficiaries, with the aim to empower more than 70 of
them in 2023.
Under the same pillar, Tamakani collaborated with
Al-Nahda Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Saudi women
for almost six decades, to sponsor their innovative “Fursa” and “Himmah”
programs. This way, it is empowering more than 50 beneficiaries to be
financially independent and secure sustainable employment opportunities.
As for Tamakani’s Fostering Entrepreneurship pillar,
the platform partnered with the Atlantic Council to sponsor the WIN Fellowship
Program. The council promotes constructive leadership, and in collaboration
with it in April 2022, Tamakani supported 33 Saudi women entrepreneurs, to
build their leadership and executive capacity to scale their businesses to new
heights.
Overall, PepsiCo’s Tamakani initiative has empowered
more than 100,000 Saudi women since its inception.
Source: Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2245336/corporate-news
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Now is the time for women to lead the digital
revolution
Selma Turki
6 Feb 2023
The current dynamic economy is bringing forward new
economic opportunities. New sectors, new channels of communication and a vast
ecosystem of e-commerce and digital solutions are available. For almost every
business, the digital economy represents a challenge to change: and that means
adopting new technologies, retraining existing employees – and tapping into a
new digital workforce.
This is good news for the UAE’s digitally literate
population, especially women. In the UAE, females represent 56 percent of
graduates from science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects
– and 77 percent of all graduate studies.
Yet when it comes to women in senior roles globally,
studies have found that 60 percent of firms have no female board members, just
over half have no female C-suite executives, and fewer than 5 percent had a
female CEO. This is surprising, because according to many different reports and
studies, companies with higher numbers of women in leadership positions perform
better. Indeed, research shows that companies with women in 30 percent of
leadership roles witness a 15 percent increase in profitability.
Now, with new opportunities to innovate in digital
solutions, women with STEM qualifications and those with experience outside of
the industry, have an opportunity to re-orient their bearings: to re-think
their careers and what matters to them the most in life.
With the technology revolution brewing, newer job
opportunities have opened up – especially in the revolutionary areas of
artificial intelligence, robotics, automation, analytics, biometrics and more.
For women equipped with digital skills – or even those without – this is the
time to take advantage of career opportunities within the digital economy.
There has never been a better time to step out of your comfort zone, learn
something new and take a risk. I should know – as it’s a path I have embraced
myself.
My best career moves happened when I ventured into a
sector in which I had no expertise and sometimes very little knowledge. I knew
that IT was a male-dominated world – but I also knew that if I threw myself
into it there was no reason why I couldn’t build an incredible career. I know
from experience that for those women who want to enter the digital economy,
there are many rewarding moments where being a woman does make a difference,
especially in areas that require particular skills and competencies.
Helping companies to reinvent their digital landscape
As companies seek to reinvent or reorient themselves
towards the digital landscape, the competencies women bring are of fundamental
value; in finding new ways to serve customers, or creating new ways of getting
the best out of employees with digital remote working technologies.
For women who want to take advantage of the digital
revolution, build new skills, or enter a new line of work, these are some key
areas where there is significant potential for skills development and personal
growth:
Design thinking: This field allows organisations to
review and reinvent their current ways of working in light of the new business
models they are looking to build. They usually necessitate a combination of
skills such as graphical design, user interface design and development, user journey
maps and roadmaps, storyboarding and even a touch of psychology or social
studies.
Process optimisation and assessment: Whether front,
middle or back office, organisations are transforming how they operate in the
digital age. For women in specific domains such as supply chain, manufacturing,
research and development, HR, finance, legal or hospitality, there are vast
opportunities to leverage your skills to drive organisation-wide initiatives.
These kinds of jobs offer a unique opportunity for client intimacy and process
reconciliation with a sense of orchestration, while leveraging methods such as
Lean or Six Sigma, a key certification to have in one’s resume.
Development: The next logical step post-process
optimisation is usually automation, where intelligent automation and AI
solutions come into play. They both need to be approached with two separate
sets of skills; one is related to a business analyst role and the second set is
related to the actual technical solution implementation, which entails actual
technology mastery. Whichever you consider, business analyst skills include a
strong knowledge of the actual business process that is being looked at to
evaluate the potential for automation – which does not necessarily need deep
technological knowledge.
Additionally, there are many sources available to
women looking to upskill. Intelligent automation solutions like Robotic Process
Automation or AI are fascinating and rewarding – and you don’t have to look too
far to find training opportunities. The most commonly used AI-based solutions
today, for example, are image and voice recognition, chatbots and machine
learning-based algorithms. These technologies might appear complex at first
glance – but they’re not rocket science.
Recognise your value
Not only are these technologies incredibly exciting
but they’re in demand. The adoption of digital solutions are highly strategic
to most organisations – so much so that many digitilisationinitatives are
usually spearheaded from a separate entity that handles both digital and
innovation strategies: the driving engine for all areas and initiatives. This
amounts to a digital strategy that creates among others, a fully automated
customer experience that customers do enjoy, all whilst remaining profitable.
For women, the good news is that the dynamics of a
digitalisation strategy play to many of the natural strengths that women
possess – it is about taking a holistic approach to moving a company from where
it is today to where it needs to be tomorrow. It’s about creating a roadmap to
realise that journey – one that achieves unanimous buy-in and helps everybody
reach the final destination.
So, if you’re a woman looking to enhance your skills
and explore the digital transformation, look out for any digital and innovation
initiatives in your organisation. Find out what they are trying to do, and
question what’s in it for you. It is quite likely that you have many of the
skills and competencies that your current employer needs to make their digital
journey happen – it’s up to you to take the plunge.
Source: ArabianBusiness
https://www.arabianbusiness.com/opinion/now-is-the-time-for-women-to-lead-the-digital-revolution
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Hijab is Not a Limit for Women to Do
Self-actualization, Says Psychologist
Petir Garda Bhwana
6 February 2023
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Growth in the number of hijabers
(women who wear hijab) in Indonesia continues to increase. Compared to 2018,
the number of households in Indonesia that have family members who wear the
hijab increased by 20 percent, until now it has almost reached almost half. In
the midst of this fact, the enthusiasm of hijabers to move forward looks even
more solid, according to psychologist Indah SJ.
Indah explained that moving forward is a form of
self-actualization, which according to Maslow's theory is the culmination of
the needs of human life after other needs are met. In the modern era,
self-actualization has undergone a revolution from a necessity to a lifestyle.
"Everyone continues to be in the process of
becoming the 'best version of themselves', including hijabers. At present,
women's self-development is very open, hijab is not an obstacle for them to
continue to maximize their potential in achieving various forms of
goodness," she said in a press release, Sunday, February 4, 2023.
Indah said that in order to keep moving, hijabers need
a boost of confidence, one of which can be formed through interaction with the
environment. When a hijaber feels comfortable and confident in her appearance,
then the confidence to move, doing activities and interact with people, will be
formed by itself.
Coinciding with World Hijab Day 2023, Rexona Hijab
Natural launched the #RayakanGerakmu (Celebrate your movement) campaign which
aims to inspire and encourage all Indonesian hijabers to actively move for the
good of themselves and others. The launch of this campaign was carried out
through the "RayakanGerakmu Fest", a pound fit class event which was
simultaneously presented in three cities and succeeded in breaking the
Indonesian World Record Museum (MURI) record.
Involving more than 1,000 participants and a series of
inspiring hijabers, this activity initiated Rexona Hijab Natural's commitment
to transforming the active movement of hijabers into various forms of
empowering the MSME community with disabilities. With the theme
"Progression, Not Oppression"; World Hijab Day 2023 highlights the
importance of world citizen awareness to provide equal rights and opportunities
for women wearing hijab to continue to move progressively, namely moving
towards progress.
Source:Tempo
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The first edition of the Women’s Cardiovascular
Disease Conference concludes
05-02-2023
DUBAI, 5th February, 2023 (WAM) -- The First Edition
of the Women’s Cardiovascular Disease Conference “Cardiovascular Disease in
Women Conference” concluded successfully after achieving wide regional
participation.
About 550 specialists and participants attended the
two-days event, which was held at the Conrad Dubai Hotel from 3rd-4th February,
2023.
The conference conferred 11 discussion sessions,
during which they presented the latest and most important developments related
to heart treatments for women by experts and specialists in this field.
The event announced the launch of its awareness
campaign for this year, which is organised by Emirates Cardiac Society (ECS)
under the title “Her_heart_matters”.
The President of ECS and Consultant Cardiologist
Dr.Juwairia Alali declared, “Each year, heart diseases and stroke cause 1 in 3
deaths among women. But fortunately, as a community, we can change that by
spreading awareness about it because 80 percent of cardiac and stroke events
may be prevented with education and action. Therefore, ECS aims to spread
knowledge and awareness among the specialists in this sector and the public
alike.”
“The More women know about heart disease, the more
opportunities they have to fight it. We witnessed a great turnout for this
event, the first of its kind in the region, and the participants of many local
and regional bodies, which reflects the important role played by the Emirates
Cardiac Society in spreading awareness and knowledge among the specialised
entities as well as the public in the Arab World," he added.
The event also shed light on other factors that may
contribute to heart disease in women, as cardiovascular disease is one of the
most important causes of death around the world, Dr. Alali added.
The scientific committee of the conference included
Dr.Juwairia Alali, the President of the Emirates Cardiac Society, Vice
President Dr. Abdullah Shehab and the Chairman of the scientific committee of
the society, Dr. Wael Al-Mahmeed and the chairperson of the committee on
Congenital and Genetic Heart Disease Working Group of Emirates Cardiac Society
Dr.Ghadeera Al Mansouri, in addition to the special participation of a number
of doctors from Saudi Arabia.
The Emirates Cardiac Society, on the sidelines of the
conference, announced that a campaign will be running with several initiatives
across the malls in the UAE to measure blood pressure, body mass index (BMI),
blood sugar and cholesterol, to introduce and raise awareness about heart
diseases in women. Giving healthy tips and guidance about women’s fitness and
nutrition will be part of this campaign.
Source:WAM
https://www.wam.ae/en/details/1395303125114
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Ban on Working Women Forces Saudi Arabia to Shut
Embassy in Kabul
By Manoj Gupta
The ban on women in workplaces in Afghanistan has
forced Saudi Arabia to shut its embassy in Kabul and moved its people to
Islamabad.
“The reason is the prohibition of female workers in
Afghanistan. Some females were working there (at the embassy). One of the big
reasons is Mujahideen prohibited them to enter the embassy,” a diplomatic
source told CNN-News18.
In December last year, Saudi Arabia condemned a
decision by Taliban authorities to bar women from universities. Last month, the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation urged the Afghanistan government to lift
its ban on women writing university entrance examinations.
The source said Pakistan has also suspended consular
services in Kabul after the Peshawar attack in which at least 100 people were
killed. So, both countries have virtually frozen diplomatic activity in Kabul,
the source added.
Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqqi
attacked Pakistan saying it should take care of its own problems and stop
blaming Afghanistan for the Peshawar mosque attack.
After the Taliban seized power in August 2021, women
have also been pushed out of many government jobs, prevented from travelling
without a male relative and ordered to cover up outside of the home, ideally
with a burqa, not allowed into parks and banned in gyms. Taliban recently
banned women from working in non-governmental organisations. It has already
suspended university education for women and secondary schooling for girls.
The United Nations has said the Taliban must
immediately revoke their policies targeting women and girls in Afghanistan.
Taliban’s Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada is
under severe pressure from powerful figures in the government to reverse his
decision to ban university education for women, sources close to Afghanistan’s
ruling dispensation had told CNN-News18.
Interior (Home) Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and
Defence Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqub are set against the much-reviled
decision to ban women from universities and are negotiating with Akhundzada to
undo the proscription, sources had said.
Source:News18
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'40% women in Pakistan experienced physical or
emotional violence'
Feb 05 2023
In a stakeholders' consultation held by the National
Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), discussions focused on gender-based
violence revealed 40% women in Pakistan — as per studies — have experienced
physical or emotional violence in their lifetime.
Meanwhile, divorced, widowed, and separated women
suffered more violence than married women.
Chaired by NCHR Chairperson RabiyaJaveri Agha, the
consultation's discourse revolved around the continuous increase in reported
incidents of domestic violence and possible collaborations among key
stakeholders for advocacy, policy and legal interventions.
According to the last Demographic and Health Surveys
(DHS) for Pakistan, 39% of women aged 15 to 49 years — who had never been
married — reported being subjected to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV).
The statistics prove that domestic violence is not
confined to matrimonial relationships.
During the consultation, participants expressed
concern regarding the increased number of domestic violence cases and stressed
organised efforts to address the issue at all levels.
Domestic violence (a proportion of the total violence
against women) is defined as any act committed within the family by a family
member, or behaviour that results in physical harm or psychological injury to
an intimate partner or another member of the family.
It was also learnt during the consultation that 14,189
cases of gender-based violence (GBV) were registered in Pakistan in 2021 alone.
Participants were also briefed regarding the legal
framework such as the three laws legislated to prevent cases of GBV including
the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Act 2016; Domestic Violence
Prevention and Protection Act Sindh, 2013; and Domestic Violence Prevention and
Protection Act Balochistan, 2014.
Whereas, the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2020
remains pending.
The NCHR chairperson shared that the rules for
provincial laws are still pending. "In Sindh, it took six years for the
first conviction under the Domestic Violence Prevention and Protection Act
Sindh, 2013."
She added that basic challenges in controlling
domestic violence are its societal acceptance, difficulties in registering
first information reports, women’s lack of legal knowledge and fear of the
judicial system, as well as the survivor's lack of financial independence.
“Besides that, lack of domestic violence shelters and
a low number of female police officers also play a role in discoursing women
from taking a decision," Javeri said.
She further added that on the occasion of the recently
held Universal Periodic Review of Pakistan before the UN Human Rights Council,
on January 30, many countries such as Sweden, Australia, Brazil and Japan
recommended Pakistan pass the Domestic Violence Bill.
So far, the NCHR has developed a policy brief on
domestic violence and has launched a helpline (1413) for the protection of
women's marriage rights in Punjab.
"In addition to that, the NCHR has a complaint
redressal mechanism and continuously follows up on rules and implementation of
provincial domestic violence Acts in Sindh and Balochistan," Javeria
informed the participants while sharing about the Commission's plan to initiate
a campaign on DV based on domestic and Islamic jurisprudence.
Source:Geo TV
https://www.geo.tv/latest/469238-40-women-in-pakistan-experienced-physical-or-emotional-violence
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Bengaluru shuttler asked to wear headscarf on podium
in Iran
Feb 6, 2023
BENGALURU: Amid the protests sweeping across Iran
against a law that requires women to cover their heads, Bengaluru shuttler Tanya
Hemanth was asked to wear a headscarf before she stepped onto the podium to
collect the gold medal after her singles victory at the Iran Fajr International
Challenge in Tehran on Sunday.
The organisers reportedly asked Tanya, 19, to wear a
headscarf at the medal ceremony, one of the event's conventions. The practice
was prevalent last year as well when her rival, Tasnim Mir, also from India,
won the crown.
Bengaluru shuttler Tanya annexes Iran Fajr
International crown
Second-seed Tanya, who trains at the Prakash Padukone
Badminton Academy, had the measure of defending champion and compatriot Tasnim
Mir in 30 minutes.
The Bengaluru girl cruised in the first game,
weathered a little resistance from the top seed in the second before
registering a 21-7, 21-11 win.Badminton sources told TOI that the organisers
had made it clear that headscarves were mandatory for women medal winners
although the tournament prospectus made no mention of a podium dress code.
“The prospectus talked about the clothing rules in the
Badminton World Federation’s competition regulations, which is mostly common in
tournaments aroundthe world. While we knew that headscarves were a must when
women stepped out in Tehran, there was no mention about their use during the
tournament,” the sources said.
Women shuttlers faced no such restrictions during
their matches — leggings orheadscarves — but no male spectator was allowed to
watch them play. A sticker at the entrance, which said ‘no men allowed’, didn’t
discriminate between a woman player’s coach or her parent. Both were barred
from entering the stadium if they were male. Interestingly, the tournament had
mixed doubles on their menu, reportedly for the first time, in which 10 pairs
from aroundthe world took part.
“The women’s schedule was in the morning and the men’s
in the afternoon. Only female spectators were allowed to watch the women’s
matches. Also, match officials were all women in women’s matches. Male parents
who accompanied their daughters to this meet didn’t get to watch a single match.
It was only during mixed doubles that men andwomen players were seen together
on the court,” the sources said.
Incidentally, 13 Indian women shuttlers were in the
fray along with one pair in doubles.
Source: Times Of India
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Texas A&M University at Qatar hosts roundtable on
‘Women in Energy’
February 6, 2023
Texas A&M University at Qatar, a Qatar Foundation
partner university, recently hosted the roundtable, ‘Women in Energy’, at which
Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Energy
Resources, and Natalie Baker, Deputy Chief of Mission for the U.S. Embassy in
Qatar, participated. They discussed the
changes in the industry over the last few decades, the increase in women
engineers, and the challenges and solutions for women working in the energy
sector.
Texas A&M at Qatar Dean César Octavio Malavé,
several female current students and alumni, and members of the faculty and
staff participated in the event. Dr.Ghada Salama, instructional professor of
chemical engineering and Dr.Dhabia Al-Mohannadi ‘12, research assistant
professor, Chemical Engineering, were the faculty representatives. TabarakAbdulhussein ’18, AbeerAbuhelaiqa ’11,
Maryam Al-Bishri ‘11, Leela Elzayat, ByanneMalluhi, and Al-Anoud Al Emadi
represented the student body.
“It was an honor to be part of this roundtable
discussion,” said Al-Emadi, an undergraduate electrical and computer
engineering student at Texas A&M at Qatar. “This panel discussion highlighted
several topics that are very important to me as a woman pursuing an engineering
degree. Women are often underrepresented in these meetings in this industry,
but we are seeing a positive change. We
discussed how we can overcome some of the challenges that we as women engineers
can face in the energy sector. It was also interesting to hear the perspectives
from Ambassador Pyatt, and other successful female Aggie engineers.”
Ambassador Pyatt applauded the university for its work
towards developing female engineers and said, “Education is one of the most
powerful tools we have to empower women. It is a time of massive
transformations in the energy sector worldwide, and it is more important than
ever to ensure that we have people from diverse backgrounds in this ecosystem.
We have to continue to champion women’s voices in STEM.”
Dr. César Octavio Malavé, dean of Texas A&M at
Qatar, said: Texas A&M is here in Qatar to educate engineers — particularly
female engineers — and to empower women and girls to contribute to the success
of their country. Nearly 50 percent of our engineering students are female.
That’s double the national average of women in engineering in the United
States. In addition to attracting more girls to study engineering, we must also
support and empower women once they’ve graduated from Texas A&M and entered
the workplace. It is my sincere hope that we can provide positive role models
and mentors to all women in girls in Qatar.”
During the discussion, the participants highlighted
how there has been a significant improvement in the engineering sector in
women’s representation and participation, particularly as decision-makers. They
stressed the need for continuing professional education to ensure that there is
continuous development once they graduate from university. They also spoke about various challenges
including unconscious biases against female engineers, maternity leave and how
a possibility of flexible work will allow more women to succeed.
Some participants expressed optimism for the future as
the need for engineers grows as the world continues to rely on petroleum and
liquified natural gas to meet energy demands.
Source: Zawya
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