Imprisoned Without Trial, Two Iranian Women, Varisheh Moradi and Pakhshan Azizi, Start Hunger Strike
New Age Islam News Bureau
17 May 2024
·
Imprisoned
Without Trial, Two Iranian Women, VarishehMoradi and Pakhshan Azizi, Start Hunger Strike
·
Lily Greenberg
Call, First Jewish Biden Appointee Resigns Over US Support For Gaza War
·
Journey of
Trans Women From Gaza to Tel Aviv:
French Documentarian Yolande Zauberman
·
Hessa Al
Marzoa Becomes First Female Saudi GM To Open A Property In The Kingdom
·
Saudi Women
Are Learning Financial Literacy And It’s Helping The Country Grow
·
UNDP: 73%
Of Afghan Women Face Travel Restrictions Without Male Escort
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iranian-varisheh-pakhshan-hunger/d/132337
-------
Imprisoned Without Trial, Two Iranian
Women, Varisheh Moradi and Pakhshan Azizi,
Start Hunger Strike
Two Iranian
Women, Varisheh Moradi and Pakhshan Azizi
-------
MAY 17, 2024
Two women have begun a hunger strike in
Tehran's Evin Prison to protest their prolonged detention without trial and
harsh treatment by authorities.
One of the women, Varisheh Moradi,
initially detained in Sanandaj on August 1, 2023, was transferred to Evin
Prison. She was held incommunicado in Ward 209, a section controlled by the
Iranian Ministry of Intelligence.
After a four-month interrogation period,
she was moved to the general Women's Ward in December 2023.
However, on May 14, Moradi was abruptly
transferred back to Ward 209 and banned from contacting her family by Judge
AbolqasemSalavati, according to the HRANA human rights website.
The other prisoner, Pakhshan Azizi, a
resident of Mahabad, was arrested in Tehran on August 4, 2023. Like Moradi,
Azizi was held in Ward 209 for four months before being transferred to the
Women's Ward.
Both women face charges related to
political activities.
Moradi is charged with "armed
rebellion," while Azizi is accused of "membership in anti-regime
groups."
However, neither has had a proper court
hearing due to unspecified reasons.
A source close to the families told
HRANA that the hunger strike is a last resort in response to the deteriorating
conditions of their detention.
The source expressed concern for Moradi
and Azizi's health and well-being, highlighting the lack of transparency
surrounding their cases and the ongoing delays in their legal proceedings.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/129345-imprisoned-without-trial-two-iranian-women-start-hunger-strike/
------
Lily Greenberg Call, First Jewish Biden
Appointee Resigns Over US Support For Gaza War
Lily
Greenberg Call
------
16 May 2024
A United States Interior Department
staffer, a Jewish-American political appointee, has publicly resigned from her
post, in protest against the Joe Biden administration's funding and fuelling of
the Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
Lily Greenberg Call, the special
assistant to the chief of staff at the interior ministry, submitted a four-page
resignation letter to Secretary of Interior Debra Haaland on Wednesday
afternoon.
In her letter, Call said she could not
“in good conscience continue to represent” the administration amidst “President
Biden’s disastrous, continued support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza,” accusing
Biden of using Jewish people to justify US policy in the conflict.
“He is making Jews the face of the
American war machine. And that is so deeply wrong,” she said, adding that
Israel's offensive against Palestinians does not ensure the safety of Jewish
people in either the Israeli-occupied territories or the United States.
Today, I became the first
Jewish-American political appointee to resign from the Biden-Harris
administration over its policies in Gaza. Here is my resignation letter:
pic.twitter.com/oqzit7leVD
— Lily Greenberg Call (@LGreenbergCall)
May 15, 2024
Call argued that the United States had
enabled and legitimized “Israeli war crimes" and "apartheid and
occupation,” adding, “It’s time for us to stand up against what is happening to
Palestinians in our name.”
“The president has the power to call for
a lasting cease-fire, to stop sending weapons to Israel, and to condition aid.
The United States has used nearly no leverage throughout the last eight months
to hold Israel accountable. Quite the opposite, we have enabled and legitimized
Israel's actions with vetoes of United Nations resolutions designed to hold
Israel accountable. President Biden has the blood of innocent people on his
hands," she continued.
She expressed concerns about the war and
US support, stating that there are individuals within the US administration who
believe it could have disastrous consequences for the Americans and the
president's reelection chances.
The first to resign in the Biden administration
in protest against blind US support of Israel was Josh Paul, former director of
congressional and public affairs for the State Department’s Bureau of
Political-Military Affairs, and after that a string of resignations began.
Call's resignation is noteworthy due to
her active participation in both President Biden and Vice President Camille
Harris' campaigns, along with her emphasis on her Jewish heritage upon stepping
down.
Back in January, a top adviser at the US
Education Department resigned over Gaza war, becoming the second official to do
so amid divisions in the administration over US support for Israel’s
bombardment in Gaza.
Tariq Habash, who was the department’s
only Palestinian-American political appointee, announced that he could no longer
serve an administration that had “put millions of innocent lives in danger.”
Earlier this week, Major Harrison Mann,
a US military intelligence official, also announced his resignation due to the
“nearly unqualified support” that Washington has provided for Israel’s war in
Gaza and the harm inflicted on Palestinians there.
Israel has killed more than 35,170
Palestinians, mostly women and children, in Gaza since October, when it waged a
brutal war against the Gaza Strip.
The US, as Israel's main ally, has been
backing the regime, providing it with munitions and even political support in
defiance of calls for an end to the military aggression.
Call’s resignation coincided with the
76th anniversary of the “Nakba” or Catastrophe. The Nakba refers to the displacement
of more than 750,000 Palestinians from their homes in 1948 during the illegal
establishment of the present-day Israel. Palestinians are still enduring the
repercussions of this catastrophe to this day.
Source: presstv.ir
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/05/16/725674/first-jewish-biden-appointee-resign-war-Gaza-Nakba-day
--------
Journey of Trans Women From Gazato Tel
Aviv: French Documentarian
YolandeZauberman
MAY 16, 2024
It was on a backstreet in Tel Aviv while
filming her last film, M — which would go on to win a César Award for best
documentary — that the French documentarian YolandeZauberman found the subject
for her latest, La Belle de Gaza (The Beauty of Gaza).
Zauberman was filming three young Arab
trans women, one who told her filmmaking partner in Arabic that she walked from
Gaza to Tel Aviv. “I thought it was such a nearly impossible path,” recalls
Zauberman. “First, to be a man, becoming a woman, coming from Gaza to Tel Aviv,
and being a Muslim in Tel Aviv. I really wanted to find this woman and to see
how she was seeing the world.” After losing contact with the woman, Zauberman
began searching for her. That journey would become the impetus for — and title
of — her latest doc, La Belle de Gaza.
The finished film, which is receiving a
special screening at the Cannes Film Festival, ultimately becomes a searing
portrait of Arab trans women in Tel Aviv, from sex workers to beauty pageant
winners, that is reminiscent of fly-on-the-wall LGBTQ docs like Paris Is
Burning and Pier Kids.
Shot over the course of a year beginning
in 2022, the film’s subjects include women like Nathalie, who is nursed
post-gender-affirming surgery by a childhood friend, and Nadine, who grew up in
a Bedouin community and talks openly about the dangers she feels as a trans
woman in sex work. The film chronicles the isolation that can befall these
women, especially within their own families.
“[Family] is important in every part of
the world but in the Middle East especially,” says Zauberman. “So when you
become a trans woman, especially if you’re Arabic, it really [amounts to] a
separation most of the time from your family.”
La Belle de Gaza — which fearlessly
tackles LGBTQ+ rights, Muslim and Jewish relations, and the Arab citizenry of
Israel — was finished before Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7 and the ensuing
conflict in Gaza. “I thought we should keep the movie and not release it, so
that’s what we did,” says Zauberman of holding back the release of the film,
which doesn’t express any political opinions but is inherently politically
charged due to its subject during a time of larger tragedy in the region.
At the urging of her filmmaking team,
fellow directors and friends like Alice Diop (whose Saint Omer won a jury prize
in Venice in 2022), Zauberman screened the film in Paris to gauge reactions.
The positive response inspired her to release the film. It will be heading to
theaters in France after Cannes via Pyramide International, which is also
handling sales at the Marché. The film’s subjects will be in attendance on the
Croisette.
But the possibility of a release in
Israel is still unclear. Says Zauberman: “I asked the people that I filmed to
decide if they want the film to be shown in the country where they live because
I don’t want to put them in a situation that they don’t want. So, they decide.”
That decision, says the director, will
be made after Cannes.
Source: hollywoodreporter.com
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/cannes-festival-documentary-gaza-trans-women-yolande-zauberman-1235893010/
--------
Hessa Al Marzoa becomes first female
Saudi GM to open a property in the Kingdom
May 17, 2024
In a ground-breaking move for Saudi
Arabia’s hospitality industry, Hessa Al Marzoa becomes the first Saudi female
General Manager to launch a hotel property in the Kingdom.
Her journey culminated with the
inauguration of Novotel Riyadh Sahafa Hotel, Accor’s flagship brand, featuring
232 rooms and suites.
“It was the moment I had always dreamed
of. Leading the opening of Novotel Riyadh Sahafa was not just a personal
triumph, but also a testament to the experience and capability of Saudis in the
hotel industry,” Al Marzoa said.
Empowering a generation in hospitality
Aligned with Vision 2030, Al Marzoa
positioned Novotel Riyadh Sahafa as a beacon of inclusivity and diversity, with
women comprising 30 percent of the team and Saudisation exceeding 50 percent.
“Riyadh propels 50 percent of Saudi
Arabia’s non-oil economy and aspires to be among the world’s top ten economies,
with numerous mega-projects and initiatives underway. This growth trajectory is
expected to influence Riyadh’s hotel industry significantly. I aim to
contribute to this economic development through initiatives like talent development,”
the GM said.
“As the general manager for Novotel
Riyadh Sahafa, I strive to inspire and spearhead initiatives fostering women’s
leadership and community development.”
She prioritises empowering Saudi women
to assume leadership roles through mentorship programs. Her overarching goal
involves leaving a lasting legacy of competitive Saudi talent while
transforming the hospitality sector to empower Saudi women to lead with
confidence and excellence.
Advice for Saudi hoteliers
Hessa Al Marzoa believes in the innate
potential of Saudis and their pivotal role in shaping the future of the
hospitality industry.
She emphasises: “Hospitality is in Saudi
DNA. All Saudis need is determination, a commitment to continuous growth
through education and mentorship, and the courage to take on leadership roles.
The landscape is evolving, and their contributions can drive significant
change.”
Novotel Riyadh Sahafa Hotel
Novotel Riyadh Sahafa, positioned in
Saudi Arabia’s Al Sahafa district, has now officially opened its doors to
guests. It marks Novotel’s ninth property in the Kingdom and Accor’s first
property led by a female Saudi general manager.
Almazroa shared: “This is a significant
milestone for Novotel as we strengthen our presence in the dynamic and
transforming Saudi market. It is a great honour to lead a team of such talented
and committed professionals. We are not only contributing to Saudi Arabia’s
hospitality scene, but also setting a benchmark for inclusive excellence. By
empowering Saudi women and nurturing potential talents, we are actively
supporting the Saudization initiative. I look forward to fostering and
developing our future leaders.”
With 232 modern rooms and suites
providing vistas of Olaya Street, the property integrates contemporary design
with traditional Saudi elements.
There is also a fitness centre, spa,
outdoor swimming pool, and nine versatile meeting spaces ideal for corporate
events and private celebrations. Novotel Riyadh Sahafa also offers diverse
dining options to its guests.
“Novotel Riyadh Sahafa will further
elevate the standing of the brand in the market.” said Paul Stevens, Chief
Operating Officer, Middle East, Africa and Türkiye, for the Premium, Midscale
and Economy Division at Accor. “This launch is a testament to our commitment to
excellence and innovation in hospitality. Our efforts go beyond mere expansion
of our portfolio; we are actively enriching the local economy and cultural
landscape. We take pride in the fact that this flagship hotel is helmed by a
female Saudi general manager, exemplifying our commitment to diversity and
inclusion in leadership roles as we also aspire to nurture Saudi talents
through Tamayyaz by Accor.”
Source: hoteliermiddleeast.com
https://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/saudi-arabia/hessa-al-marzoa-becomes-first-female-saudi-gm-to-open-a-property-in-the-kingdom
--------
Saudi women are learning financial
literacy and it’s helping the country grow
May 15, 2024
By HanaaAlmoaibed
Days after Saudi Arabia released the
midway annual report on Vision 2030, its ambitious thirteen-year reform agenda,
the World Economic Forum held a special meeting in Riyadh on global
collaboration, growth, and energy for development on April 28–29. The pride
that Saudis feel as hosts of a globally prestigious event, at a moment when
they can showcase their achievements since the 2016 launch of the agenda, is
palpable throughout the kingdom.
One overarching aim of the vision is to
diversify the economy and, in doing so, to create new opportunities for work
and investment at all levels—for both large-scale projects and small ventures.
Changing the status of women has been a critical marker of change and success
over the past eight years. In that time, the participation rate of women in the
labor market, now around 35 percent, has exceeded the initial goal. Women
working in new sectors are supported by various active labor-market policies
and new laws to facilitate their work.
The Vision 2030 midway annual report
features photos of women working alongside men across sectors, highlighting
their importance in driving the economy forward. More than one million
commercial registrations are owned by women—representing 45 percent of
registered companies—and women held 43.7 percent of leadership roles.
Government officials and analysts have openly celebrated this momentum, which
continues to progress positively.
While these advancements are welcome and
worthy of celebration, it will be necessary to ensure that women have the
financial know-how to grow in their careers and manage their new ventures
effectively to achieve a sustainable level of empowerment, especially in an
environment where traditional gender roles of male breadwinner and female
caretaker have persisted for so long. Financial literacy is necessary for women
who have managed to launch their own companies and who balance formal
employment with other demands. Still, it remains true that women who remain on
the fringes of the formal economy can face barriers to inclusion.
Financial inclusion ensures that those
who demand funds recognize how to access them and ensure that the supply of
funds is accessible, leading to a level of liquidity that can enhance growth
and reduce poverty or an overreliance on state support. Since the launch of
Vision 2030, economic developments have pushed women to be more independent and
in control of their finances. Reforms to social welfare created more pathways
out of poverty by replacing blanket subsidies with targeted support and new
policies related to social insurance, social assistance, and the labor market.
However, these changes will initially
benefit those who are younger and more digitally connected. The expansion of
e-government and the crackdown on corruption have linked all kinds of payments
to bank accounts, including salaries and alimony payments. Furthermore, small
companies are required to issue e-invoices, and economic growth is driving out
smaller commercial outlets that cater to those who might not be linked online
to the formal economy through bank accounts. A 2018 King Khaled Foundation
study reported that up to 6.9 million adults, 28 percent of the kingdom’s adult
population, were “unbanked,” and 56 percent were women. Because property
ownership is guaranteed to women by sharia law, bank accounts are available and
accessible to women. A 2019 report in Alsharq al-Awsat highlighted that 20
percent of all bank deposits went into women’s accounts, an amount greater than
$53 billion. Thus, women with lower levels of education and socioeconomic
status are the ones who tend to be left behind due to cultural norms and low
financial literacy—meaning that women resort to saving through informal
channels and have limited awareness of the benefits of learning how to manage
their money.
At the macro level, the kingdom’s
economic reform policies are focused on facing economic shocks and ensuring
sustainability and growth. This is also important on a micro level, as
individuals must manage emergencies and income shocks through enhanced
financial literacy. This will enable citizens to accumulate wealth and contribute
to economic growth through increased savings and more measured spending.
Improvements in financial literacy tend to be motivated by various factors,
including overall economic growth and global competitiveness. Saudi Arabia’s
National Savings and Financial Literacy Strategy outlines key objectives to
improve financial literacy, including a target to address the low household
savings rate of 1.6 percent. Globally, 10 percent is considered the minimum
level for ensuring long-term financial independence.
While economic growth might be the
overarching national motivation, international organizations are building
programs that seek to empower individuals as well. The International Monetary
Fund and World Bank have worked with individual countries to enhance financial
literacy at the population level through targeted national programs, and the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has developed
guidelines to support participating countries in improving financial literacy.
In tandem, economic reforms in the
kingdom have sparked increased engagement with different financial tools.
Because women and minorities tend to have lower financial literacy globally,
often compounded by other factors such as limited educational backgrounds and
socioeconomic status, these segments of society are usually the targets of
financial-literacy programs. The most successful programs, such as the Khazna
program launched by the Riyadh-based women’s charity, Al-Nahdha, are designed
with such attitudes and challenges in mind.
Launched in 2017, Khazna aims to address
the gap in financial literacy by targeting low-income women who are the
financial decision-makers in their households. The curriculum stresses ways to
save, reduce consumption, budget, and, above all, reduce debt. Khazna has
expanded and evolved through feedback loops after each cohort goes through
training. It is successful because it considers the communal family structures,
the enduring stigma attached to women-led households, and the cultural obligations
of generosity and giving. Other programs target women with varying levels of
socioeconomic status and are led by banks and different government
institutions.
Financial literacy is essential for
social inclusion. Khazna is expanding to offer entrepreneurial training,
beginning with key information about businesses and ending in a business plan
that fills a gap in the market, with a community angle that ensures allyship
and support.
As the number of women joining the
formal economy within Saudi Arabia continues to grow, it will be important to
build programs that circumvent the global traps of severe pay gaps,
male-dominated decision-making, and implicit biases that favor men. This can
happen if programs begin early as part of a joint effort within the national
curriculum, and through community initiatives that bring together industry
experts and educators as part of a lifelong approach to literacy.
While Khazna is one such example,
funding for more programs that achieve the targets of the National Savings and
Financial Literacy Strategy is key. This must expand beyond basic budgeting to
include enhanced literacy on financial security and more complex issues such as
home ownership and financial products that offer varying long- and short-term
savings and investment opportunities. The programs must also consider women’s
diverse backgrounds and the psychological barriers associated with managing
money. True empowerment will come from increased agency and decision-making;
for working Saudi women, this must be enhanced through elevated financial
independence. Any successful program must be tailored to the needs of different
categories of women so everyone can share a slice of the development pie.
Source: atlanticcouncil.org
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/saudi-arabia-financial-literacy-women-vision-2030/
--------
UNDP: 73% of Afghan women face travel
restrictions without male escort
May 17, 2024
The United Nations Development Programme
has published a report on the resilience of women entrepreneurs in Afghanistan,
stating that 73% of Afghan women face travel restrictions without a mahram or
male escort.
The detailed report by the United
Nations Development Programme, titled “Listening to Afghanistan’s Women
Entrepreneurs; Their Resilience and Struggle,” was released on Thursday.
This report is based on interviews with
3,100 women and group discussions.
The organization noted that 73 women
interviewed said that without a male family member, they could not even go to
local markets in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
According to the organization, requiring
women to travel with a male family member places an additional burden on women
and doubles travel costs for women entrepreneurs.
The report states that women
entrepreneurs in Afghanistan face numerous obstacles, including discrimination,
operational restrictions, and a severely weak financial system.
The UNDP wrote that the restrictions on
women’s mobility exacerbate the challenges women entrepreneurs face.
According to the report, in
Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, where 15.8 million people need humanitarian aid
and women’s employment has halved to 6%, entrepreneurship has emerged as a
lifeline.
The UN has reported that according to
their discussions, 80 women-led companies rely on their businesses as their
sole source of income and have created job opportunities for other women.
Over the past nearly three years, the
Taliban have imposed extensive restrictions on women in various areas,
including education, work, and travel.
Source: khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/undp-73-of-afghan-women-face-travel-restrictions-without-male-escort/
--------
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iranian-varisheh-pakhshan-hunger/d/132337