Iran Arrests Six Women's Rights Activists, Matin, Forough, Jalveh, Negin, Shah Sia, and Azadeh, Sentenced to Prison
New Age Islam News Bureau
15 July 2024
·
Iran Arrests Six Women's Rights Activists,
Matin, Forough, Jalveh, Negin, Shah Sia, and Azadeh, Sentenced to Prison
·
Afghan Women Establishing Networks Against
Taliban to Fight for Rights - Report
·
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Activist SanamJavaid
Gets Released Only to Be Handcuffed Again
·
Kerala Gynaecologist, DrRoshniChangalath,
To Join Doctors Without
Borders Mission In Afghanistan
·
Women Who Build Africa In Collaboration With
Uncover and Madica Launch Documentary Showcasing African Women Leaders
·
Women inIndia Are Still Held Back By Cultural
Patriarchy: Afghan Activist RanginaHamidi
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
Iran
Arrests Six Women's Rights Activists, Matin, Forough, Jalveh, Negin, Shah Sia,
and Azadeh,Sentenced to Prison
JULY 15,
2024
Iranian
authorities have arrested six women's rights activists in northern Gilan
province and sent them to prison to serve their sentences.
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Iranian
authorities have arrested six women's rights activists in northern Gilan
province and sent them to prison to serve their sentences.
On July
13, MatinYazdani, ForoughSaminia, JalvehJavaheri, NeginRezaie, Shiva Shah Sia,
and AzadehChavoshian were arrested and sent to Lakan prison in Rasht.
These
arrests are part of a larger case involving 11 women's rights advocates in
Gilan.
The
other five activists named in the case are Sara Jahani, YasaminHashdari, Zahra
Dadras, ZohrehDadras, and Hooman Taheri.
All
eleven were initially detained by security forces on August 16 and 17, 2023.
The
group faced trial in February this year at Branch 3 of the Revolutionary Court
of Rasht, presided over by Judge Mehdi Rasekhi.
Initial
verdicts were issued in early March, and on May 28, Branch 11 of the Gilan
Provincial Court of Appeal confirmed the sentences.
The
harshest sentence was given to ZohrehDadras, who received nine years, six
months, and two days in prison for "forming a group to disrupt national
security" and "assembly and collusion against national
security."
Her
sister, Zahra Dadras, was sentenced to six years, one month, and 17 days on
similar charges.
Rest of
the activists, including those arrested on July 13, received varying sentences.
JelvehJavaheri and Hooman Taheri each received one year for “propaganda against
the regime” while the remaining seven were each given six years, one month, and
17 days.
Source:
iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/131788-iran-arrests-six-womens-rights-activists-sentenced-to-prison/
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Afghan
women establishing networks against Taliban to fight for rights - report
JULY 15,
2024
Taliban
soldiers celebrate on the second anniversary of the fall of Kabul on a street
near the US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 15, 2023.
(photo
credit: REUTERS/ALI KHARA)
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Women in
Afghanistan living under Taliban rule are reportedly building networks to fight
for their rights in the country, Deutsche Welle reported on Friday.
The
report also cites that the women were encouraged to take such an initiative due
to "a lack of support from the West."
The
women's rights advocacy group Purple Saturdays Movement organizes peaceful
protests weekly. The founder, Maryam Maroof Arvin, told DW "We can only
rely on ourselves." Arvin was outraged by the UN decision to negotiate
with the Taliban with no women representation, the report said. According to
the UN, only 3% of the population doesn't live in poverty.
Women's
rights "an internal matter" - Taliban
At the
meeting, Taliban spokesman ZabihullahMujahid said that the women's rights issue
was an "internal matter," the report describes.
Girls
are not allowed to continue their education after sixth grade in the country.
They are barred from studying at university and women's secondary schools
closed down.
Now, the
Taliban is seeking international recognition of their government and the
lifting of sanctions against them.
Source: jpost.com
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-810341
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Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf Activist SanamJavaid Gets Released Only To Be Handcuffed Again
July 14,
2024
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activist SanamJavaid walked free after
months-long incarceration on Sunday, only to be handcuffed once again by the
Islamabad police.
The
social media political activist's release from prison has been facing multiple
delays recently as the law enforcers arrest her every time she is allowed to
leave.
On
Sunday, Javaid was freed after an Islamabad court acquitted her in a case
registered by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), a day after being
rearrested by the probe agency following her release from Gujranwala prison.
The
Lahore High Court (LHC) had last week cleared the PTI activist of charges in a
separate case linked to the May 9 riots, while allowing her plea against
physical remand granted by an anti-terrorism court.
However,
the FIA team booked and arrested her in a new case pertaining to the May 9
events, upon her release from prison on Saturday.
The FIA
Cyber Crime Cell had lodged a case against her for allegedly posting inciting
remarks on May 9, urging people to attack the Jinnah House, The News reported.
Following
her arrest, the FIA team transported Javaid to Islamabad, where she was
presented in a district and sessions court for acquisition of remand today
(Sunday)
The
magistrate on duty, Malik Imran acquitted her on her request, but she was taken
into custody by the Islamabad police. Her arrest was confirmed by her lawyer in
an X post.
However,
it has not yet known in which case Javaid has been rearrested.
The PTI
firebrand campaigner has been embroiled in various cases, all linked to the
vandalism and unrest triggered by PTI founder Imran Khan's arrest on May 9,
2023. There were 12 cases registered against her, including the Zaman Park
vandalism, the PML-N house fire and a Racecourse Police Station incident.
She has
been acquitted in a total of four cases counting the latest FIA case, and has
acquired bail in the remaining eight cases.
It may
be noted that Javaid also contested the February 8 general elections from a
provincial constituency in Punjab on PTI's ticket.
Source: thenews.com.pk
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1209706-pti-activist-sanam-javaid-gets-released-only-to-be-handcuffed-again
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Kerala
Gynaecologist, DrRoshniChangalath, To Join Doctors Without Borders Mission
InAfghanistan
The
prospect of going to Afghanistan, which as per reports is facing a humanitarian
crisis, doesn't frighten her.
Written
by AnuradhaMascarenhas
July 15,
2024
MSF runs
a range of projects in Afghanistan responding to the immense medical needs
caused by decades of conflict and political upheaval, particularly among women
and children and is supporting the regional Boost hospital in Lashkargah, the
capital of Afghanistan's Helmand province.
Beginning
August, 37-year-old Dr RoshniChangalath, a consultant obstetrician and
gynaecologist from Palakkad, Kerala, plans to ‘take a break’ from her corporate
career to spend three months in Afghanistan on an MSF mission on maternal and
child health.
The
prospect of going to Afghanistan, which as per reports is facing a humanitarian
crisis, doesn’t frighten her.
‘Afghan
women are resilient against all overwhelming odds and this greatly inspires
me,’ says Dr Changalath as she prepares to join the team of Doctors Without
Borders/ Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) that aims at providing free life-saving
medical care in all areas including maternity, pediatrics, surgery and
emergency room service.
Even
though the country-wide war ended three years ago, as per reports, clashes and
unrest persist in parts of Afghanistan due to the ISIS–Taliban conflict. UNICEF
had last year said Afghanistan was home to one of the world’s worst
humanitarian crises. Another recent report from Human Rights Watch said that
women have faced significant barriers to freedom of movement and speech.
MSF runs
a range of projects in Afghanistan responding to the immense medical needs
caused by decades of conflict and political upheaval, particularly among women
and children and is supporting the regional Boost hospital in Lashkargah, the
capital of Afghanistan’s Helmand province.
The MSF
also runs a maternity hospital in rural Khost province, a drug-resistant TB
programme in Kandahar, and a trauma centre in Kunduz. The teams also treat
malnourished children, who have been displaced, in Herat province.
Major
attacks on MSF hospitals have occurred in recent years. Just four years ago an
armed group attacked the maternity wing at Dasht-e-Barchi Hospital in Kabul,
killing 16 mothers and an MSF midwife among others. In the wake of the attack,
MSF made the difficult decision to withdraw from the hospital in Kabul, leaving
women in the area without the critically-needed emergency obstetric care. In
August 2021, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (also known as Taliban) entered
the city of Kabul as the government collapsed.
While in
a year, MSF sends out around 50-60 female staff to various international
missions across the globe, Simi Basheer, Director of HR and Facilities for MSF,
South Asia, says most of them are in high-risk contexts as per the needs of the
field. ” We do have quite a few female coordinators handling senior portfolios
in the field as well. The organisation is considering conscious measures about
increasing the ratio of females in the field,” Basheer said.
So what
drives this doctor is the opportunity to help the marginalised and vulnerable
section of the population that struggles for access to medical care. As a
gynaecologist, Dr Changalath has worked extensively on sexual and reproductive
health (SRH) for vulnerable communities including sex workers.
She also
participates actively in public health camps as believes that access to SRH is
a major issue in remote or rural areas. In 2022, she worked with MSF’s Cervical
Cancer project in Malawi (Africa).
“During
these missions, one has the privilege of partnering with the local community
and it will be a deeply engaging experience for me to help in the effort to
reduce death and sickness in mothers and their newborns,” Dr Changalath says.
Married
to a medical professional Dr GopukrishnanPillai , who specialises in Palliative
and Geriatric care and has a Masters in Public Health, Dr Changalath says she
is fortunate her husband has deeper understanding of issues and encouraged her
to participate in the missions.
“We have
our share of personal struggles and eventually plan to have a family. But for
both of us it is important to work in the humanitarian sector and be able to
contribute both nationally and globally,” she adds.
Unlike
most MSF missions which are operating in conflict/disaster prone areas, the Malawi
mission was focused on development work in a limited healthcare setting and
that gave me a grounding and exposure that I would otherwise have not
experienced. It had its own set of challenges but being able to help and make
even a small difference was what kept me going,” Dr Changalath says.
Source: indianexpress.com
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/kerala-gynecologist-doctors-without-borders-mission-afghanistan-9453374/
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Women
Who Build Africa In Collaboration With Uncover and Madica Launch Documentary
Showcasing African Women Leaders
15/07/24
Women in
the business community Women Who Build Africa (WWBA) and skincare brand
Uncover, in partnership with Madica VC, have released a documentary video that
showcases stories and perspectives of women entrepreneurs and investors
building in African markets.
The
video features perspectives from women leaders across organisations, from
Melanin Kapital, to Partech Africa, BuuPass, Delta40, Mosmos, Kola Market,
Uncover, Greenspoon, Gobeba, EarthEnable, Earthbond, Founders Factory Africa,
Madica, VunaPay, Bloom Money and many more.
Details
One of
the first to offer a wide-ranging view of women business leaders on the
continent, the video has been released ahead of the upcoming Women Who Build Africa
Assembly, which will take place September 5th-6th in Nairobi.
The
Assembly will bring together women entrepreneurs and operators, as well as
investors and ecosystem players, to discuss how to actively bring more women
into the business ecosystem in African markets and enable them to thrive.
What
They’re Saying
“There’s
nothing more powerful than hearing the stories of women that are walking the
talk and actively working to build – and support – businesses solving real
problems in African markets. I’m excited to share just a few of these stories,
and showcase the women behind them, both for the rest of the world to hear and
for any women considering taking the leap to walk in their footsteps. We hope
to tell even more stories like these in the future,” said Co-founder at WWBA
and Head of Marketing at Stitch, Thea Sokolowski.
“We are
so excited to partner with WWBA on this powerful film showcasing such
incredible women builders on the continent,” said Sneha Mehta, Co-founder and
CEO at Uncover.
“At
Uncover, our aim is to empower women to ‘uncover’ whoever they want to be,
confidently. That is so much more than products. It is a movement to inspire
women to show up unapologetically. By showcasing more authentic stories, our
hope is to show courage, confidence, vulnerability, journeys and the power that
really is revolutionary.”
The full
video is available on YouTube here and will be screened ahead of the WWBA
Assembly. The video was produced by Strange Creature in South Africa.
About
WWBA
Women
Who Build Africa (WWBA) was launched in May 2022 by Thea Sokolowski (Stitch)
and GweraKiwana (Onafriq). Today the community has more than 2000 members
across Africa, as well as in the Diaspora. WWBA partnered with Kenyan skincare
brand Uncover and Madica VC to produce this video, both of whom share its
mission to support the growth of women leaders across the continent.
Source: techlabari.com
https://techlabari.com/women-who-build-africa-in-collaboration-with-uncover-and-madica-launch-documentary-showcasing-african-women-leaders/
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Women in
India are still held back by cultural patriarchy: Afghan activist RanginaHamidi
14 July
2024
Born in
Afghanistan and moving to Pakistan and subsequently, the United States in the
80s, the dynamic RanginaHamidi served as Afghanistan’s minister of education
until August 2021 and was the first cabinet-level, female minister of education
to hold the position in 30 years. Earning a bachelor's degree with a double
major in religious studies and gender studies at the University of Virginia and
later, completing a Master of Arts in Global Affairs and Management at Arizona
State University, Rangina returned to Afghanistan in 2003 and devoted herself
to improving the lives of Afghans through development projects, advocacy, and
education.
Well-versed
in pedagogy, child development, and psychology, Rangina has also co-authored
Embroidering within Boundaries: Afghan Women Creating a Future, which takes the
reader on a pictorial journey into her own life and tells the stories of the
courageous Afghan women she serves. The multi-faceted Afghan-American writer,
educator, social entrepreneur, and politician was in Bengaluru recently to talk
about the pressing issues faced by women today and what can be done to address
them.
What
influenced you to take on the world of education and politics and become a
crusader for women’s rights?
I do not
see myself as a crusader for women’s rights but believe that it is my duty as a
woman to talk
about
and work towards improving the lives of women. Many of us globally,
unfortunately, still suffer from the pressures of societal patriarchal norms
and are victims of factors such as lack of financial independence, not being
allowed to raise our opinion on the matters of the world etc. Education is one
tool that no one can take from a woman once she gets it and using political
influence is probably the most logical way to bring change in the current
times. However, it is also the most difficult and least sustainable way because
politics is constantly changing across the globe.
educated,
trained, and equipped to serve all sectors of life. The political will to give
women the chanceto lead these spaces is still lacking.
Do you
think women’s rights should be protected on a constitutional basis?
Yes, but
what about countries and contexts where law simply remains a piece of paper?
This is where I have a problem just focusing on making constitutions and laws
addressing women’s rights. The Constitution is critical but constitutions alone
cannot solve women’s rights problems. We need
Where
does India stand in this regard?
India
surprises me. On the one hand, I am inspired by Indian women’s history
(particularly since the uprising against colonialism) and their active
involvement in achieving freedom for the people and the country. I am also
impressed by the knowledge that Indian women have with many of them serving in
leading positions globally. India has some of the best writers, scientists,
educators, politicians, actors, doctors, etc., but what surprises me is to
learn that women in general across India are still held back by cultural
patriarchy; access to opportunities for many women is still an issue; domestic
violence and violence from dowry are still very prevalent. As an outsider to
India, I am shocked by this dichotomy.
What
steps can be taken to better the scenario?
One big
vision I have for bettering the scenario globally for women is bridging the gap
between “women who make it” and “women who still face problems”. I feel like
there is a lot of talk in the world but not enough action. The kind of action I
want to see with women is the kind of action that Gandhi took for his people
and his country and that of Martin Luther King. That type of leadership and
sacrifice is missing I think when it comes to women and addressing their
problems globally.
Source: deccanherald.com
https://www.deccanherald.com/specials/women-in-india-are-still-held-back-by-cultural-patriarchy-afghan-activist-rangina-hamidi-3104817
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iran-arrests-women-matin-prison/d/132710