Iranian Women Cut Their Locks to Make Ends Meet
New Age Islam News Bureau
4 March 2025
· Iranian Women Cut Their Locks to Make Ends Meet
· Tech Sector Urged To Hand African Women The Reins Of Power
· Secularism In France Used To Discriminate Against Muslim Women, Activist Warns
· Afghan Women Face ‘State-Sponsored Gender Apartheid,’ UN Rights Chief Says
· Zia Charitable Graft Case: SC Upholds Acquittal Of Khaleda
· UN Rights Commissioner: Women and Girls in Afghanistan Face Gender Apartheid
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iranian-women-african-women-secularism/d/134780
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Iranian Women Cut Their Locks to Make Ends Meet
MARCH 3, 2025
A 16-year-old Iranian girl has listed her hair for sale online in hopes of purchasing the latest iPhone model
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A 16-year-old Iranian girl has listed her hair for sale online in hopes of purchasing the latest iPhone model.
Marjan, who requested that her last name be withheld, posted an advertisement on Divar, a popular Iranian classifieds website, offering to sell her 60-centimeter-long hair.
“I want to sell my hair so I can buy an iPhone 16,” Marjan said. “I have some money saved, but if I can get 50 million tomans [$550] for my hair, I’ll have enough.”
The teenager hasn’t cut her hair in six years, giving it significant length that may appeal to buyers in the hair market.
Her older sister helped create the listing, which included a photograph showing Marjan’s hair from behind.
“From what I’ve read, hair longer than 50 centimeters that is natural and has never been dyed is in higher demand,” she explained. “My hair meets those requirements and has good thickness too.”
Despite her young age, Marjan views the potential sale as a form of financial independence. “I don’t work yet, but I’ve taken good care of my hair, and if I buy something with the money from it, it feels like I’ve purchased it with my own earnings.”
The listing comes amid rising prices for premium smartphones in Iran, where economic challenges have made such luxury items increasingly difficult for young people to afford.
Marjan wants her new phone to be an investment: “With an iPhone 16, I can shoot higher-quality videos for my Instagram page. I want to create professional content and become a blogger.”
She’s not the only young woman considering selling her hair these days.
A quick glance at the classified ads on the Iranian website Divar reveals a thriving market for natural hair.
IranWire contacted a buyer who had listed an ad seeking hair longer than 50 cm, offering up to 80 million tomans ($890).
However, they immediately clarified: “That price is just to attract attention. We determine the value based on length, texture, thickness, health, and weight.”
They ask sellers to send photos of their hair to receive an accurate quote. “We even buy dyed hair, but it has to be over 60 cm, and we pay less for it.”
If a seller agrees to the deal, they are asked to visit the buyer for a professional haircut.
“After the cut, we transfer the money immediately - so they get both a free haircut and cash.” They explain that most of the purchased hair is used for making hair extensions.
But not all buyers are in the extension business. Wig manufacturers, hairstylists practicing coloring techniques, and even hair exporters help keep this market running.
Marjan has sent photos to several buyers on Divar, but the offers she received were far lower than advertised.
Sara, another seller, sold her hair six months ago. At the time, she was struggling financially and scanning classified ads for any opportunity.
“My hair was really long. I had only trimmed the ends for ten years. My husband, Mohammad, loved my hair. But we were desperate, and I couldn’t afford to think about that.”
Mohammad, a construction worker, had fallen from a rooftop seven months earlier, leaving his arm full of metal plates.
Unable to work, he was homebound, while Sara searched for any way to make money.
She eventually contacted a hair buyer and sold her hair.
“The woman who placed the ad told me to braid my hair into three sections and bring it. When I got there, she cut off my braids with scissors and sent the money immediately. I went straight to buy meat and chicken. My fridge was empty.”
Hair buyers usually recommend specific cutting techniques, and in many cases, they offer the service for free. Some work with hairstylists who divide the hair into sections before cutting. The categorized hair is then sent to manufacturers, where it is treated and sewn into extensions. These bundles are sold in various lengths and colors at premium prices.
While most of the hair trade is domestic, Iranian natural hair - both raw and in extension form - is sought after in countries like Iraq and Turkey due to its affordability compared to global markets.
Each year, hundreds of Iranian women are driven to sell their hair out of financial necessity.
Raha, a 20-year-old university student, is one of them.
To cover some of her education costs, she’s decided to cut the hair she has cared for since childhood.
Source:iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/features/139483-irans-growing-hair-trade-women-cut-their-locks-to-make-ends-meet/
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Tech Sector Urged To Hand African Women The Reins Of Power
March 4th, 2025
By Camilla Mina
Women in Africa have always played a crucial role in the domestic economy. Few historical images are more evocative than the pioneering Togolese female entrepreneurs, draped in colourful dresses, driving their Mercedes Benz cars through the street of Lomé.
These legendary women – known as the Nana Benz – mostly made their fortune between 1940 and 1980, originally selling fabric in market squares and later scaling up to import Dutch wax textile across West Africa. Some of these businesswomen generated millions of CFA Francs per month, becoming some of the nation’s first female business success stories.
And yet despite the success of the Nana Benz, women today continue to face barriers to business success, even in new and emerging sectors. Data reveal a significant gap in female representation within the tech sector.
According to a report by the International Telecommunication Union, women make up only 20-30% of the information and communications technology (ICT) workforce in Africa, and their presence in leadership roles is even lower. Yet the disruptive nature of the technology means there are opportunities like never before for women before to break through, establish lucrative enterprises and succeed on their own terms.
Discrimination persists
Despite the African tech sector’s image as a more progressive outpost of the business community, numerous barriers remain to achieving the full participation of women.
Gender discrimination comes in many forms for today’s working women. It includes challenges to financing, owning and growing a business, as well as legal and policy obstacles when developing a business.
Most African women still earn less than men and are more likely to be trapped in low-paid, low-skilled jobs, often in the informal economy, according to the International Labour Organization.
“We haven’t solved the problems of misogyny in the workplace, teachers actively dissuading girls going into the sciences. We’re definitely better than 10 to 15 years ago, but there’s a very long way to go in fixing the perceptions of women in the tech space,” says Ethel Cofie, CEO and founder of EDEL Technology Consulting and founder of Women in Tech Africa.
Angela MirembeSemwogerere is a member of Uganda’s national taskforce on emerging technologies, general manager of ICT service company Spidd Africa and founder of Coding in Heels, an initiative focused on empowering women and young girls in technology by offering mentorship and coding training.
She says women in the tech space still habitually face condescension and discrimination. “People undermine me. First of all, I’m 5 foot 2 [1.57 metre tall] and I may not necessarily look very seasoned in terms of age; you’re in meetings with men who are 6 foot 5 and they want to show that they’ve been down this road forever.
“You walk into a room and people are just thinking that maybe you’re the tea girl. They’re asking you, ‘oh, do you know where the tea is?’ And you’re like, ‘No, I’m one of the speakers.’”
Governments must act
The role of women remains constrained by traditions, as reflected by the experiences of women who aspire to senior leadership roles. In 2019 McKinsey & Company found that 25% of board members in African companies were women. It is clear there is much work to be done for women to be accepted as leadership candidates.
FaraAshiruJituboh, co-founder of Okra, a fintech firm, says that it is essential for large organisations and governments to place women into leadership roles to encourage a ‘trickle down’ effect throughout the business ecosystem. “As a female founder, a lot of times you might not have the same level of access to funding, to mentors, to investors. I think one way to fix that generally across the board is to have more women in leadership positions and on boards and at investment funds, in government positions. I think that that will continue to trickle down,” says Jituboh.
The World Economic Forum says that female entrepreneurs are still under-earning compared with their male counterparts. For Cofie, it’s crucial that African governments begin formulating policies – for boardroom representation and other areas – that can help women to succeed.
“The opportunity of Africa is huge and we need to be able to do the work to push that potential of Africa. Otherwise, we will end up for years saying the same things, having the same discussions and never actually getting anything done.
“Governments need to have a clear plan. This conversation around ‘Oh, we’re going to do this’, it’s very fluffy. All the presidents have said ‘we’re going to make my country the Silicon Valley of Africa’; there isn’t a clear plan, there isn’t a clear KPI [key performance indicator], it’s just fluffy talk,” she says.
Education critical
Perhaps the main deficit that governments must solve is educational. A survey from the MasterCard Foundation found that girls and boys had the same level of interest in STEM at the early stages of their education; and that girls and women are particularly interested in STEM when they understand its potential applications, especially when they see how STEM can help others. Yet the same research found that the higher in education they go, the less girls and women feel like they “belong”. Furthermore, they felt pressure to select a career path that can be combined with marriage and family responsibilities.
Semwogerere says her work with Coding in Heels has exposed the ongoing gender gap in technological education. After advertising coding classes and receiving applications only from boys, she realised that the issue was deeper than just a lack of interest in coding.
“I started being called into different conferences because people wanted a change in the narrative. How do you convince girls that this is an important topic to know, especially with the advent of AI, without you being intimidated?” she asks.
Cofie, who also works as chair of a committee that is redesigning curricula for Ghanaian technical universities, says there has to be ‘real thinking’ in government on how technology education can serve women who aspire to learn.
“How do we ensure that we have the curriculums in the country to make that happen? I suppose it’s a ying-yang thing; we’ve got to build the educational capacity. Now we’ve got to build the work capacity on the private sector side.”
Researchers posit that to reduce the gender gap in STEM education there should be more early and targeted interventions to ignite interest in girls, STEM scholarships should be introduced; online education and short courses should be launched to increase accessibility to young women; and there should be increased teacher training on gender issues.
iCog is a research and development company that focuses on AI, founded by Ethiopian computer scientist Betelhem Dessie. It collaborates with international partners to push forward artificial intelligence (AI) solutions while fostering local talent. It trains children aged six to thirteen on topics ranging from robotics and AI to programming, aiming to build the next generation of African innovators.
“It’s our responsibility as women in tech to make sure that other women are also encouraged. It always takes one person to believe in you,” says Dessie.
Tech sector must step up
While governments need to introduce policies deliberately targeted at women to repeal discrimination, force leadership changes and deliver maternity support, there is also a huge need for the technology sector itself to offer solutions.
Okra-co founder Jituboh says the fintech sector in particular must step up, not only by providing the space for women like her to flourish, but by using its substantial financial muscle to empower female entrepreneurs in other economic sectors.
“One of the biggest things with open finance banking, generally, is that it puts the power of control into the user’s hand.
“If more females can have access to more capital, for instance, they’ll be able to build more things. Having control of your financial health generally is the first step.”
Women entrepreneurs face multiple challenges accessing finance, with an estimated $42bn financing gap for African women across business value chains, including $15.6bn in agriculture alone, according to the African Development Bank.
But investing in women’s businesses by facilitating their access to funding can transform societies. Research has found that women typically reinvest up to 90% of their income in the education, health and nutrition of their family and community – compared to up to 40% by men.
Be fearless
Until such a time as governments and the tech sector step up to close the funding and educational gaps, African women entrepreneurs will be forced to fall back on the reserves of grit, perseverance and self-confidence that have served them well since the era of the Nana-Benz.
Women entrepreneurs tell African Business that above all else, it is crucial that women aim high without being limited by self-doubt.
“Perseverance is probably the biggest thing,” says Okra’s Jituboh. “You might be told ‘no’ ten times before you’ve raised $1,000,000, but what you don’t see is all the ‘no’s that come before that. Take every ‘no’ in preparation for your next ‘yes’.
“Never stop learning and never stop trying to put yourself in the same rooms [as the decision-makers], and never be afraid to actually try to reach for more. Don’t be afraid to ask for that raise, that equity, that higher salary, that position. Realise that you also have a seat at the table, and you should own that,” says Jituboh.
Semwogerere concurs. “You just have to have a lot of confidence. Keep it at the back of your mind that – yes, it’s still dominated by males – but you should have the confidence.”
Source:african.business
https://african.business/2025/03/trade-investment/tech-sector-urged-to-hand-african-women-the-reins-of-power
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Secularism in France used to discriminate against Muslim women, activist warns
March 3, 2025
Marwan Muhammad, former president of the Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF), has accused French authorities of using secularism as a tool to suppress Muslim women and erase Islamic identity from public spaces, Turkish Anadolu Agency reported.
Muhammad, known for his activism against Islamophobia, stated that far-right politicians avoid openly calling for the expulsion of Muslims but instead push for “reaffirming secularism,” a term he claims has become a coded message for targeting the Muslim community.
He warned that increasing restrictions on Muslims in France are undermining human rights and democratic values, with Muslim women being the most affected. “Everyone now recognizes that Muslim women face systemic marginalization, with the hijab being used as a pretext to exclude them from education, employment, sports, and cultural activities,” he said.
Policies banning hijabs in schools and workplaces have significantly impacted Muslim women’s social and professional lives, further limiting their freedom of expression and participation in society. Muhammad argued that Muslim women are often accused of having a hidden political agenda simply for wearing the hijab in public.
He also criticized France’s counter-extremism policies, which he said are sometimes used as justification to target Muslims, citing the closure of several mosques as an example. Muhammad described these actions as a response to far-right demands.
The controversy over religious symbols in France has intensified, with the Senate recently approving a law banning the hijab in all sports competitions. France has previously banned the hijab in public schools (2004), the niqab and burqa in public spaces (2010), and last year prohibited the abaya in schools, deeming it a religious symbol.
Source:shiawaves.com
https://shiawaves.com/english/news/119921-secularism-in-france-used-to-discriminate-against-muslim-women-activist-warns/
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Afghan women face ‘state-sponsored gender apartheid,’ UN rights chief says
By Ahmad Azizi
March 4, 2025
The United Nations’ top human rights official has condemned the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan, calling it a form of “state-sponsored gender apartheid” that is unparalleled in the world today.
Speaking at the 58th session of the Human Rights Council, Volker Türk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said that Afghan women and girls are “virtual prisoners within their homes,” denied even the most basic freedoms necessary for daily life, including movement, education and employment.
“I am deeply concerned for the long-term future of a country that is self-harming on a national scale,” Türk said in remarks quoted by the U.N. Human Rights Council.
Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban have reportedly issued more than 100 decrees restricting women’s rights. Girls are barred from attending school beyond sixth grade, universities remain off-limits to women, and many are prohibited from working or moving freely in public spaces.
Human rights organizations, including the U.N. special rapporteur for Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, have repeatedly urged the international community to formally recognize the Taliban’s actions as gender apartheid.
In response to the widespread violations of women’s rights, Karim Khan, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, has filed an application for the arrest of the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada.
Source:amu.tv
https://amu.tv/160842/
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Zia Charitable graft case: SC upholds acquittal of Khaleda
Mar 4, 2025
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday upheld the High Court verdict acquitting BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and two others in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.
A three-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by Justice MdAshfaqul Islam, dismissed the leave-to-appeal petitions filed by the state and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) challenging the High Court judgement.
With this order, Khaleda stands acquitted in both the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust cases, in which she had previously been convicted and sentenced, Advocate MaksudUllah, a lawyer for Khaleda Zia, told The Daily Star.
He added that Khaleda is on bail in other cases against her.
Pro-BNP lawyers, including Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Barrister MdBodruddozaBadal, Advocate Aminul Islam, and Barrister Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal, represented Khaleda Zia, while Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque and Advocate Ashif Hassan appeared for the state and ACC, respectively, during the hearing.
On November 27 last year, the High Court acquitted Khaleda in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case, in which she was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment by a lower court.
The ACC filed the case with the Tejgaon Police Station on August 8, 2011, accusing Khaleda and three others of abusing power to raise funds for the trust from undisclosed sources.
A Dhaka court, on October 29, 2018, convicted Khaleda and sentenced her to seven years imprisonment in the case.
The other three convicted accused were Khaleda's then political secretary Harris Chowdhury (now deceased), Harris Chowdhury's then private secretary Ziaul Islam Munna, and private secretary to former mayor of the Dhaka City Corporation Monirul Islam Khan.
The state and the ACC filed three separate leave-to-appeal petitions in January and February, seeking a stay on the High Court verdict. In the petitions, they prayed to the apex court to stay the HC verdict, saying they would move separate appeals before this court against the HC judgement.
Source:thedailystar.net
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/zia-charitable-graft-case-sc-upholds-acquittal-khaleda-3838446
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UN Rights Commissioner: Women and Girls in Afghanistan Face Gender Apartheid
By Fidel Rahmati
March 3, 2025
Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has stated that Afghan women and girls are deprived of basic freedoms essential for normal life. Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, March 3, he emphasized the severe restrictions they face under Taliban rule.
Turk described the situation as a form of gender apartheid, pointing out that it is unparalleled in today’s world. He explained that Afghan women and girls are living in conditions akin to gender apartheid, where their rights and freedoms are brutally curtailed by the Taliban regime.
Furthermore, Turk referred to Afghan women and girls as “virtual prisoners” within their own homes. This stark description highlights the extent of the restrictions imposed on them, limiting their freedom of movement, education, and participation in public life.
He also stressed that the international community cannot allow the global consensus on human rights norms to collapse. According to Turk, ignoring the oppression faced by Afghan women and girls undermines universal human rights principles that the world has long championed.
In a similar vein, Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, raised concerns during the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council. He warned about the worsening human rights crisis in the country, particularly the widespread repression of citizens under current regime.
He urged the international community to officially recognize gender apartheid and take stronger action to address the ongoing violations in the country.
The international community must take urgent steps to support Afghan women and girls, whose rights are continuously under siege. There is growing concern that without global intervention, the situation will deteriorate further, pushing the country into a deeper crisis.
Addressing this issue is not only crucial for Afghanistan but for upholding the integrity of global human rights standards. The UN must continue to lead efforts to expose and combat the systemic discrimination and oppression faced by women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
It is imperative for the world to unite in holding the Taliban accountable for their actions. The recognition of gender apartheid and a collective response are necessary to address the severe human rights violations occurring in Afghanistan.
Source:khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/un-rights-commissioner-women-and-girls-in-afghanistan-face-gender-apartheid/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iranian-women-african-women-secularism/d/134780