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Islam, Women and Feminism ( 4 Nov 2022, NewAgeIslam.Com)

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‘Khula absolute, not subject to husband’s will’ — Kerala HC on Muslim woman’s right to divorce

New Age Islam News Bureau

04 November 2022 

• Husband can reject  Khula demand: Muslim Personal Law Board

• Taliban Arrests Women Human Rights Activists and Journalists in Afghan Capital

• Syrian girl takes up role of teacher in absence of school in refugee camp

• Mumbai: Suspended women's wing convener resigns from AIMPLB working committee

• The Kerala Story teaser narrates tragic tale of 32,000 women abducted, converted to Islam and sold as sex slaves to ISIS

• UAE men and women claim four more medals at Jiu-Jitsu World Championship

• Saudi princess says young people want to design their own future

• Al-Baroudi wins two swimming gold medals in Saudi Games

• US to seek Iran’s ouster from UN’s top rights body Commission on the Status of Women

• Pakistan: Women in Karachi afraid of city’s transport options due to safety concerns

• GB women call new bus service boon to ‘commute’ worries

• Women play vital role in development of country: Ahsan Iqbal

• U.S. provides seed funding to women entrepreneurs for growing business

• Women and Justice Summit by Türkiye’s KADEM focuses on cultural codes

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/khula-husband-kerala-hc-muslim-woman/d/128338

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‘Khula absolute, not subject to husband’s will’ — Kerala HC on Muslim woman’s right to divorce

REWATI KARAN

3 November, 2022

Kerala High Court | Commons

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New Delhi: A Muslim woman has the absolute right to terminate her marriage at will and does not need her husband’s consent for it, held the Kerala High Court last week, while dismissing a review petition filed by a man challenging the divorce granted to his wife, under the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act,1939.

The verdict comes even as the discourse on introducing a Uniform Civil Code — to bring in uniformity in the personal laws regulating succession, inheritance, adoption, marriage, divorce, maintenance and alimony, for all religious groups in the country — is gathering strength.

“We declared that the right to terminate the marriage at the instance of a Muslim wife is an absolute right, conferred on her by the holy Quran and is not subject to the acceptance or the will of her husband,” said the division bench of Justice A. MuhamedMustaque and C.D. Dias, of the Kerala High Court.

In an order last week, the court noted that Muslim women have the extra-judicial option of calling off the marriage “unilaterally” and went on to observe that the husband’s petition against the divorce was not “innocuous” and appeared to have been filed at the behest of “Muslim clergies and hegemonic masculinity”.

“This is a typical review portraying that Muslim women are subordinate to the will of their male counterparts. This review does not look innocuous at the instance of the appellant, but rather appears to have been fashioned and supported by clergies and the hegemonic masculinity of the Muslim community who are unable to digest the declaration of the right of Muslim women to resort to the extra-judicial divorce of khula, unilaterally,” observed the court.

The review petition was directed against a divorce granted to a Muslim woman by the Kerala High Court in 2020.

Dismissing the review petition, the Kerala high court bench cited the three conditions to hold khula, or the termination of marriage by a woman, valid — a declaration of repudiation or termination of marriage by the wife, an offer to return dower or any other material gain received by her during marital tie and that an effective attempt for reconciliation was preceded before the declaration of khula.

‘Court in our country not guardian of an adult and able woman’

According to the judgment, advocate Hussain C.S. — who was present in court at the time of the proceedings and whom the court had allowed to submit arguments in favour of the petitioner — said that if the husband refuses to pronounce talaq on the request of the wife, a qadi (or qazi, magistrate or judge of a Sharia court) has the power to pronounce talaq, and in the absence of a qadi, the modern courts can exercise the power of a qadi, who can act as a conciliator, mediator and also as guardian.

To this, the court noted that qadi cannot be equated with a court in the modern state, but it is to be analysed for what purpose the woman has to move the court when the Islamic law acknowledged that the Muslim wife has the right to demand termination of marriage.

“The argument that if the husband refuses, she has to move court stares at us. For what purpose she has to move the court, begs the question,” observed the court.

The bench added: “The court in our country is not a guardian of an adult and able woman. If there is nothing for a court to adjudicate, the court cannot assume the role of a guardian and pronounce termination of marriage at the instance of a woman.”

However, in the absence of any mechanism in the country to recognise the termination of marriage at the instance of the wife when the husband refuses to give consent, the court said, it can simply hold that khula can be invoked without the conjunction of the husband.

‘Court won’t surrender to the opinions of the Islamic clergy’

The petitioner’s counsel argued that though a Muslim woman has a right to demand divorce of her own will, she does not have the absolute right to pronounce khula, like the right of her counterpart (husband) to pronounce talaq.

According to the judgment, the petitioner’s counsel further claimed that nowhere in the world is a Muslim wife “allowed to unilaterally terminate the marriage” and that the court is also “not competent to decide on religious beliefs and pratices and should follow the opinion of Islamic scholars”.

The division bench of Mustaque and Dias held, however, that it cannot rely upon Islamic clergy who have no legal training or knowledge in legal sciences to decide on a point of law.

“The courts are manned by trained legal minds. The court shall not surrender to the opinions of the Islamic clergy, who have no legal training on the point of law,” stated the judgment.

It added that the high court had relied on Chapter II, verse 229, of the Quran, where the right of a Muslim wife has been explicitly referred to, and said that this “legal conundrum” is not an isolated one, but has evolved over the years.

It observed that this was the result of “the scholars of Islamic studies, who have no training in legal sciences who started to elucidate on the point of law in Islam, on a mixture of belief and practice (sic).”

Khula — Muslim woman’s right to end marriage at will

To hold that the Islamic laws recognise Muslim women’s right to end marriage at will without the husband’s consent, the division bench of Justices Mustaque and Dias cited verses from the Quran and made an attempt to distinguish between Hadith (narration of the conduct of Prophet Muhammad in any situation) and Sunnah (the law deduced from it).

Referring to the Hadith, the petitioner claimed that the Prophet has prescribed a procedure for divorce according to which the husband has to pronounce talaq on the demand of the wife.

The petitioner’s counsel further argued that khula is legally effective only when the husband accepts the wife’s offer of payment of dower and divorces her and that all Muslim scholars are unanimous in their opinion that khula is a divorce by mutual consent with the acceptance of the husband being an essential element for a valid khula.

“We are called upon to decide as to the true procedure to be followed for divorce at the instance of the wife (khula),” the court said. For this, the court said it is important to make a distinction between Hadith and Sunnah.

The court said general law cannot be made from a procedure adopted in a particular situation, but has to be understood from the purport of the authority given and not with reference to the situation or circumstances under which it was exercised. “That procedure adopted in a particular situation cannot itself be made a general law relating to khula while analysing the right of the wife to obtain divorce,” it said.

“The Quranic verse relating to khula found in Chapter 2, verse 229, in unequivocal terms, declares that a Muslim wife has the right to terminate her marriage,” the bench held.

It added: “The will of the wife so expressed cannot be related to the will of the husband who has not expressed his choice to terminate the marriage.”

Source:ThePrint

https://theprint.in/judiciary/khula-absolute-not-subject-to-husbands-will-kerala-hc-on-muslim-womans-right-to-divorce/1194567/

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Husband can reject  Khula demand: Muslim Personal Law Board

Ziya Us Salam

NOVEMBER 03, 2022

The husband reserves the right to accept or reject a woman’s demand for Khula, says board in the wake of Kerala HC verdict

In a move likely to have far reaching ramifications, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Thursday pronounced that a Muslim woman does not enjoy a unilateral right to end her marriage through Khula. According to the Board, the husband reserves the right to accept or reject her demand for Khula.

In a statement, the Board stated “ Khula is dependent on both husband and wife agreeing to end marriage after a woman initiates the proposal”. “If the man does not agree to Khula, the woman has the right to go in for faskh or judicial divorce,“ Khalid SaifullahRehmani, general secretary, AIMPLB, stated.

The Board’s response comes in the wake of Kerala High Court verdict earlier this week wherein the court reiterated its stand of a Muslim woman’s right to end marriage through Khula, a man enjoying no right to withhold his consent. Justice A. MuhamedMustaque and Justice C.S. Dias stated, “In the absence of any mechanism in the country to recognize the termination of marriage at the instance of the wife when the husband refuses to give consent, the court can simply hold that Khula can be invoked without the conjunction of the husband. This is a typical review portraying that Muslim women are subordinate to the will of their male counterparts. This review doesn’t look innocuous at the instance of the appellant but rather appears to have been fashioned and supported by clergies and the hegemonic masculinity of the Muslim community who are unable to digest the declaration of the right of Muslim women to resort to the extrajudicial divorce of Khula, unilaterally.”

The Board accused the court of exceeding its brief. “The court was supposed to take a call on the basis of the Shariah Application Act, 1937. Unfortunately, the court seemed to exceed its brief on interpretation of the law. The court has no authority to add to or amend the law.“

According to Mr. Rehmani, a Muslim marriage can be ended through three ways, notably Talaq, pronounced by man, Khula initiated by a woman and Faskh, judicial divorce.

Incidentally, in the ongoing Talaq-e-Hassan case, the Supreme Court had made an oral observation, drawing a parallel between Khula and Talaq-e-Hassan stating that just as a woman enjoys unilateral right to Khula, a man too has a unilateral right to give Talaq-e-Hassan.

The Board, however, insists that man has the final word in case of Khula which is an instant form of divorce right available to a Muslim woman.

Source:TheHindu

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/aimplb-opposes-unilateral-khula/article66087788.ece

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Taliban Arrests Women Human Rights Activists and Journalists in Afghan Capital

By SaqalainEqbal

November 3, 2022

The Taliban detained women journalists and human rights activists, as well as four men, from a press conference in west Kabul, the Afghan capital, disrupting the event and taking them to an undisclosed place.

According to sources, the Taliban arrested women journalists and activists in Kabul, including ZarifaYaqoubi, one of the demonstrators who attended a press conference announcing the formation of the Afghan Women’s Movement for Equality, on Thursday, November 3.

The gun-wielding Taliban forces including women police officers invaded a women’s press conference held in Dasht-e-Barchi, a Hazara neighborhood in west Kabul, arbitrarily arresting women activists, journalists, and their male colleagues, sources told Khaama Press.

A source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, added that the Taliban initially encircled the premises before intrusively disrupting the press conference held by women, forcibly arresting them and taking their mobile phones.

One of the women detained by the Taliban was ZarifaYaqoubi, a member of the Movement of Change for Afghanistan’s executive council, the country’s first political party to be headed by a woman, FawziaKoofi, the former member of the Lower House of the bicameral Afghan parliament.

The Taliban’s arbitrary detention of journalists and human rights advocates in Afghanistan has outraged Afghan civil society and the media, which has demanded both their immediate release and an end to the group’s persecution of them.

FawziaKoofi, the founder of the Movement of Change for Afghanistan political party, and one of the members of the Afghan Peace Negotiation Delegation, in response to the Taliban’s latest arrest, stated that the “Taliban must be held accountable for the arbitrary arrest of women human rights activist in Afghanistan.”

“This must end; women have the right to exercise their civic and social participation. More pressure will result in more resistance. Don’t push people to make hard choices,” Koofi added.

The South Asia Campaigner for Amnesty International, Samira Hamidi, also reacted to the Taliban’s arrests by tweeting, “Another act of HR violation & abuse. Lack of accountability has enabled Taliban to continue with these violations confidently.”

An official statement from the Movement of Change for Afghanistan party also demanded Yaqoubi’s immediate release. “We expect Ms. Yaqoubi and her colleagues to be released as soon as possible. We demand an end to arbitrary arrests of protesting women by the Taliban,” the statement reads.

Recognizing journalists as the “bedrock” of an independent press, a statement from the US Department of State on The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, November 2, called for justice for courageous journalists across the world.

The statement demanded further action by the international community against violent assaults, legal claims of intimidation, transnational repression, and regulatory pressures on journalists that muzzle media and information dissemination.

According to Reporters Without Borders, only 328 of the 547 media outlets that were active in Afghanistan prior to the Taliban’s takeover are still operating, with 219 print, visual, and aural outlets being shut down under the Taliban rule.

This comes since the Taliban’s assumption of power in mid-August last year, with what the analysts call a “brain drain” in Afghanistan, many skilled journalists and media professionals were forced to leave the country, in fear of persecution.

The Taliban’s arbitrary detentions and draconian measures and edicts imposed on Afghan women have significantly contributed to the already-diminishing number of women’s presence in the media.

Source: Khaama Press

https://www.khaama.com/taliban-arrests-women-human-rights-activists-and-journalists-in-afghan-capital-38484/

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Syrian girl takes up role of teacher in absence of school in refugee camp

Omer Koparan and EthemEmreOzcan

03.11.2022

AFRIN, Syria

A 10-year-old girl teaches her peers how to read and write, math, and Quranic recitation inside a tent-cum-classroom in northern Syria.

Meryem Ahmed along with her mother had to take refuge in the Rahmet Camp in the central city of Afrin after losing her father in a 2017 attack by Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime in Idlib.

At the Rahmet camp, there is no teacher or school where children can continue their education. So Meryem turned one of the tents into a classroom where she teaches 20 children whatever she learned at the school in Idlib.

Meryem, who wants to be a teacher when she grows up, told Anadolu Agency that her father was killed in an airstrike when he was on his way to pick her from school.

“My school completely disappeared before my eyes. I can never forget that day,” she said, talking about an airstrike on her school. “Here, I turned this tent into a school and I support my friends.”

She said her education was interrupted after her school was bombed and she does not want her friends to lag behind in education because of their circumstances.

According to Meryem, her peers have never gone to school before. In her makeshift classroom, Meryem says she tries to give her friends “the joy of school.”

“I told myself: ‘I will teach my friends everything I know',” she added.

One of Meryem’s students, 11-year-old MuhammedAslan said that regime forces also targeted his school in Idlib.

"We moved to Afrin with my family. There is no school in this camp and I fall behind in school,” he said. “Later, I learned that there is a teacher here.”

Muhammed was expecting an older teacher, he said. “I was surprised when I saw that the teacher was almost my age. Teacher Meryem is supporting us.”

“We don’t have any desk in the classroom or any equipment. But I want to be a doctor when I grow up,” he said.

Source: Anadolu Agency 

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/life/syrian-girl-takes-up-role-of-teacher-in-absence-of-school-in-refugee-camp/2728747

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Mumbai: Suspended women's wing convener resigns from AIMPLB working committee

Ashutosh M Shukla

November 04, 2022

Dr. Asma Zehra | YouTube screengrab

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Mumbai: DrAsmaZehra, convenor of the suspended women’s wing of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), quit its working committee on Oct 23, saying she was treated “unjustly”, “not given a fair trial”, and that “activities of women are being curtailed in the name of unity”.

FPJ had reported about the suspension of the women's wing in its October 23, 2022 edition. Hyderabad-based Dr. Zehra had stated that differences over the approach to be taken for the Hijab issue had led to the suspension of the wing even before the matter had reached court. While the wing wanted to send a delegation to the aggrieved sisters in Udipi, the Board was of the view that it was being raked up for political mileage and electoral benefits in UP elections.

In her letter to the board's president Maulana Syed RabeyHasaniNadvi, Dr. Zehra mentions that she was invited to a meeting in Delhi by the general secretary of the Board, Maulana Khalid SaifullahRahmani in which she was told that she is responsible for the "damage caused to AIMPLB, its image and reputation". She was then forced to give an apology.

"When they called me, I thought they were sincere regarding the issue. But some were only concerned why we have an objection to suspension because it was they who formed it. They had an issue with why I informed them about the suspension of the wing on social media. We made that account during Covid. While making the social media account, they had come for the inauguration. Now they had a problem with it. The grassroots women who were not members but associated were asking about the issue. I had to tell them. When they say boundaries are crossed, all we ask is to tell us what these boundaries are," said Dr. Zehra while talking to FPJ.

FPJ tried contacting MaulanaRahmani, but the person who answered the phone said he was travelling and would not be able to speak.

Source: FreePressJournal

https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-suspended-womens-wing-convener-resigns-from-aimplb

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The Kerala Story teaser narrates tragic tale of 32,000 women abducted, converted to Islam and sold as sex slaves to ISIS

Nov 4, 2022

Adah Sharma

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The teaser of Adah Sharma's upcoming film, The Kerala Story, is out and it narrates the story of 32,000 women, who went missing in Kerala, were converted to Islam and was sold as ISIS slaves. The teaser portrays Adah as a converted Muslim woman Fatima Ba.

In the clip, Fatima Ba (played by Adah Sharma) narrates her ordeal of how she wanted to become a nurse to help humanity but was abducted from her home and turned into an ISIS terrorist.

The film, helmed by SudiptoSen, shows the heartbreaking story of a terrorist organisation that manipulates women to turn them into terrorists.

The teaser opens with Adah's character saying, "My name was ShaliniUnnikrishnan and I wanted to become a nurse and serve humanity. Now I am Fatima Ba, an Islamic State terrorist in jail in Afghanistan. I am not alone. There are 32,000 girls like me who have been converted and buried in the deserts of Syria and Yemen. A deadly game is being played to convert normal girls into dreaded terrorists in Kerala and that too in the open. Is there nobody to stop them? This is my story and the story of those 32,000 girls. This is The Kerala Story."

The teaser is quite impactful with a very real and unbiased narrative of events that shook Kerala.

In July 2018, a case was registered against two persons for allegedly helping Muhammad Riyaz convert a woman and attempting to sell her off as a sex slave in Syria. The woman claimed that she was forced to take a training programme at a Madrasa in Bengaluru.

During the same year, Kerala police busted a major case in which a girl was forcibly converted to Islam. The police said that she was tricked into marriage after being converted to Islam and her husband tried to sell her as a sex slave to ISIS.

Source:TimesNowNews

https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment-news/the-kerala-story-teaser-narrates-tragic-tale-of-32000-women-abducted-converted-to-islam-and-sold-as-sex-slaves-to-isis-watch-watch-bollywood-news-entertainment-news-article-95297664

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UAE men and women claim four more medals at Jiu-Jitsu World Championship

November 04, 2022

ABU DHABI: The UAE jiu-jitsu national team enjoyed another standout performance on the sixth day of the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship, clinching four more medals, including one gold, one silver and two bronze.

In the adult competitions held at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena at Zayed Sports City, the team, sponsored by Mubadala Investment Company, improved their tally to 29 medals in total.

Khaled Al-Shehhi grab gold in the all-Emirati final in the 62kg weight class while Omar Al-Fadhli secured silver. They were joined on the podium by Hessa Al-Shamsi (48kg) and Saeed Al-Kubaisi (85kg) with bronze medals.

Praising the UAE national jiu-jitsu team’s performance, Youssef Al Batran, board member of the UAEJJF, said: “We are proud of this generation of champions who shows the highest levels of commitment, self-confidence and lack of fear of opponents, as they take on the mighty rivals from different parts of the world. The willpower and determination of our athletes are unparalleled. They have the uncompromising desire to improve the nation’s medal tally and retain the title.”

Marwan Ali Al-Kaabi noted that the championship provided the ideal environment for both the players and the spectators.

“As the UAEJJF’s partners, we have pledged to promote the sport that is becoming more and more popular among the Emirati community and all over the world. We will not hesitate to provide any form of support for the advancement of jiu-jitsu in the country and consolidating Abu Dhabi’s position as the global capital of the sport,” he said.

Al-Shehhi’s gold victory enhanced the national team’s prospects of retaining the World Championship title won last year.

“It is an amazing tournament. I am glad I could win all five fights today. I feel so proud to represent the UAE in the World Championship and win the medal. I met my friend Omar Al-Fadhli in the final. I want to congratulate him for the top-notch performance today,” said Al-Shehhi after winning the gold.

Al-Fadhli, who is competing in his first world championship after earning the blackbelt, said: “I am incredibly proud of my brother Khaled for his outstanding performance today; he truly deserves the medal. The UAE is the ultimate winner. I am so grateful to everyone who has stood with us during this journey. I want to dedicate this medal to the visionary leadership of the UAE. Their limitless support is the best inspiration for us to move forward.”

Christopher Mueller, coach of the German jiu-jitsu team, predicted that his team will finish among the top three nations as the competition nears its conclusion. “My team is performing incredibly well; as of right now, we are ranked third in the world championship’s overall medal count. We all work as a team, strive to better ourselves, have fun together, and the teamwork is producing the intended outcomes.” he said.

“As a jiu-jitsu practitioner, I couldn’t be happier with how the sport of jiu-jitsu is growing.

If you compare the sport with where it was a few years ago and where it is now, you can see the change,” he added.

Similar sentiments were also voiced by the coach for Greece, DimitriosMarinakis, who praised the organizers for delivering such a “fantastic event.”

“The Greece team is clearly on fire; they were great on the mats and won numerous gold medals. Abu Dhabi is, honestly, a terrific host city, I’m delighted we came here. We are expecting that the team will do well in the following competitions and win more medals” he said.

Source: Arab News

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2193556/sport

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Saudi princess says young people want to design their own future

Mariam Nihal

Nov 04, 2022

Saudi Princess Nourah Al Faisal has said young people in the kingdom are eager to take control of their future in new and inventive ways.

“They want to create a new world and they want to do it yesterday; they do not want to wait,” Princess Nourah told The National at Tanween, an annual event that focuses on creativity and design through workshops and activities.

The jewellery designer and entrepreneur also emphasised the importance of teamwork for the country's future.

“The old ways of working in silos and competing with each other, this is a dead way of thinking. It causes failure and there is no time for that or to slow down. We must create a new world.”

Collaboration is this year's theme for Tanween, which is organised by the King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, better known as Ithra, which means “enrichment” in Arabic.

“Collaboration is the single most important thing we can do excel,” Princess Nourah said.

As the founding designer and owner of the Paris-based Nuun Jewels, she spoke at Tanween about her experiences and said a dynamic new landscape in Saudi Arabia had made it easier for women to lead their lives and run businesses.

Looking back on her career, she said becoming a designer “wasn't a first choice or an option”. It was a step she took when she was well into her thirties.

Younger women have better chances in today's Saudi Arabia, Princess Nourah said, giving the example of her niece.

“My 12-year-old niece asked me how she can become an interior designer. This is not how it was when I was growing up, and it fills me with hope,” she said.

“My goal is for people to walk out as individuals and to look at their work and home life, aspirations, dreams and understand what their goals are.”

Princess Nourah said young Saudis were also playing a big role in Vision 2030, a programme of economic and social changes intended to reduce the kingdom's reliance on it vast oil wealth.

“The country's youth are so hungry [to achieve],” she said. “It's amazing.”

Source: TheNationalNews

https://www.thenationalnews.com/gulf-news/saudi-arabia/2022/11/04/saudi-princess-says-young-people-want-to-design-their-own-future/

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Al-Baroudi wins two swimming gold medals in Saudi Games

November 04, 2022

RIYADH — Kawthar Al-Baroudi has won two gold medals in the women’s swimming competitions, which were held on Wednesday at the Aquatics Hall of the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex as part of the Saudi Games 2022, being held in the capital city.

In the women’s 50-meter freestyle competition, Al-Baroudi bagged the first position and the gold medal in 29:29 seconds, followed by Hana Jaber in second place with a time of 30.01 seconds, and Mashael Al-Ayed won the bronze medal with a time of 30.70 seconds. Al-Baroudi won her second gold in the women’s 50m breaststroke competition, recording a time of 38:20 seconds. Maryam Mustafa came in second with a time of 39:37 seconds, and Mashael Al-Ayed placed third with a time of 41:00.

A total of 32 male and female players representing 13 clubs are participating in the badminton competitions that started at the Leaders Preparation Institute at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex on Wednesday. The women’s volleyball group stage competitions continued at Al-Hilal Club Hall, where Phoenix defeated Al-Ittihad 3-0, while Al-Hilal defeated Esperance 3-0. In the men’s competitions, Al-Ibtisam defeated Al-Nasr 3-0, and Al-Ahli defeated Al-Ittihad 3-0. score.

In the handball competitions held in the King Saud University Hall, Al-Khaleej defeated Al-Qarrah 31-28, while Mudar tied with Al-Zulfi 27-27. In the tennis quarter-finals, held at the headquarters of the Saudi Tennis Federation, Suleiman Al-Qasim, Saud Al-Haqbani, Ammar Al-Haqbani, and Rakan Al-Qaoud emerged winners in the men’s singles competitions while Yara Al-Haqbani and Sarah Al-Obaidan advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s competitions.

Riyadh Emir Prince Faisal bin Bandar opened the first edition of the Saudi Games at King Fahd International Stadium on Oct. 28. Minister of Sports and Chairman of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal also attended the inaugural ceremony of the biggest Saudi national sporting event, which will conclude on Nov. 7.

The Saudi Games competitions are being held in 22 sports facilities in Riyadh, with the participation of more than 6000 male and female athletes, competing in 45 sports events, including five events dedicated to the Paralympic Games, under which 180 sports competitions fall. Around 2000 technical and administrative supervisors are involved in organizing the event.

The participating athletes will be motivated to provide their highest performance by allocating the highest prizes in the history of the Gulf region, with a total of more than SR200 million. The gold medal winner in any game will get SR1 million, while the silver medalist will receive SR300,000, and the bronze winner will get SR100,000. The first edition of the Saudi Games 2022 aims to increase the popularity of various games in the Kingdom and to achieve an ideal sports environment for competition among athletes in various sports.

It also seeks to raise the level of Saudi Arabia’s capabilities to organize major sporting events in order to achieve the targets of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

Source: Saudi Gazette

https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/626635/SAUDI-ARABIA/Al-Baroudi-wins-two-swimming-gold-medals-in-Saudi-Games

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US to seek Iran’s ouster from UN’s top rights body Commission on the Status of Women

November 03, 2022

UNITED NATIONS:  The United States has announced it will seek to oust Iran from the UN’s premiere global body fighting for gender equality because of its violation of the rights of women and girls and its ongoing crackdown on demonstrators who took to the streets in September after the death of a 22-year-old woman taken into custody by the morality police.

Vice-President Kamala Harris made the announcement of the US intention to work with other countries to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women, saying no nation that abuses women’s rights “should play a role in any international or United Nations body charged with protecting these very same rights.’’

She said Iran is “unfit’’ to serve on the commission and its presence “discredits the integrity’’ of its work.

At an informal meeting of the UN Security Council later Wednesday on the protests in Iran, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield added that Iran’s membership “is an ugly stain on the commission’s credibility’’ and “in our view it cannot stand.’’

Established in 1946, the Commission on the Status of Women plays a leading role in promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives around the world and shaping global standards to empower women and achieve gender equality. It’s 45 members, from all regions of the world, are elected for four-year terms by the UN Economic and Social Council. Iran was elected from the Asian region and its term ends in 2026.

Thomas-Greenfield said that “while Iran’s systematic oppression of women is not new, thanks to the bravery of the Iranian people, the regime’s abuses have been brought to the fore.’’

The nationwide protests first erupted over the September 16 death of 22-year-old MahsaAmini in the custody of the country’s morality police. She was detained for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code for women, accused of wearing her headscarf improperly.

Although the protests first focused on Iran’s mandatory headscarf, or hijab, they have since transformed into a campaign for women’s rights and one of the greatest challenges to the ruling clerics since the chaotic years following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Before the Security Council meeting, Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saied Iravani read a statement accusing the United States “a disinformation campaign in a blatant hypocrisy,’’ and of interfering in the country’s internal affairs in violation of the UN Charter.

He claimed that Iran “has always been and continues to be committed to the promotion and protection of human rights.’’ He added that “Every government is responsible to protect its people against insecurity and violent and terrorist acts, and upholding law and order, and Iran is no exception.’’ He refused to answer any questions.

At the informal council meeting, Prof. JavaidRehman, the UN special investigator on human rights in Iran, called the situation since Sept. 16 an unfortunate reflection of the impunity and absence of accountability for rights violations in the country.

“Women and girls in Iran have for decades been brutalised,’’ he said.

Rehman called for “the prompt establishment of an independent investigative mechanism to investigate all human rights violations leading up to and since the death of MahsaAmini.’’

Thomas-Greenfield said the United States strongly supports his call “for an independent, international investigation to hold Iranian officials accountable for the violence we’re seeing.’’

Source:GulfNews

https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/us-to-seek-irans-ouster-from-uns-top-rights-body-commission-on-the-status-of-women-1.91701098

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Pakistan: Women in Karachi afraid of city’s transport options due to safety concerns

3 November, 2022

Karachi [Pakistan], November 3 (ANI): Women in Karachi are afraid of utilizing the city’s transport options due to a spike in incidents of molestation in cabs, and rickshaws.

Describing the grim situation of Karachi regarding transport, a woman, Hira said, “I get free from work around 9.30 pm and all the buses and minibuses available in the afternoon are long gone by that time,” as she lamented her plight, reported The Express Tribune.

Another woman, Khalida Begum, who is a housemaid and works in Nazimabad and Karimabad in Pakistan stated that the situation of roads in Karachi with no security worries them.

“I have to wait for a rickshaw which has a majority of female passengers as male passengers make me worry for my safety,” she said.

However, refuting the claims, the President of the Karachi Transport Ittehad, IrshadBukhari, said that women prefer buses and minibuses because they have reserved seats for women. Somehow, the statements of women victims describe a different picture.

According to The Express Tribune, advisor to Chief Minister Sindh, Waqar Mehdi, when asked if the government planned on addressing the plight of women by introducing female-friendly public transport, said, “the government was trying to solve public transport problems for everyone in Karachi.”

Pakistan’s Global Gender Gap Index has worsened over time. In 2017, Pakistan ranked 143, slipping to 148 in 2018.

According to the last year’s ‘Global Gender Gap Report 2021’, Pakistan ranked 153 out of 156 countries on the gender parity index, that is, among the last four.

The country’s situation has become more conservative and only worsened over time. (ANI)

Source:ThePrint

https://theprint.in/world/pakistan-women-in-karachi-afraid-of-citys-transport-options-due-to-safety-concerns/1195356/

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GB women call new bus service boon to ‘commute’ worries

November 4, 2022

GILGIT: Commute was one of the biggest challenges faced by Fazila, a student of Karakoram International University in Gilgit, who had to reach for her class in the morning.

However, since the government started a dedicated bus service to facilitate female travellers, her concerns for a safe and secure mode of transportation have been allayed significantly.

“With the start of this service, we can travel in a safe environment from home to university,” she told Dawn.

She was one of many women travellers who are using the ‘pink bus service’ introduced by the Gilgit-Baltistan government in October.

Working women and female students have hailed the service, saying that it has solved their transportation issues.

Although Fazila is rejoicing in the service, she feels the current number of buses is inadequate and should be increased.

The women-only bus service was the first of its kind in Pakistan, said a press release issued by GB Chief Secretary Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani.

“The buses for female students, teachers and professionals are running on various roads in six districts,” the statement said, adding that after Gilgit, Skardu and Hunza districts, the service has started in Ghizer and Nagar districts as well.

Source: Dawn

https://www.dawn.com/news/1718770/gb-women-call-new-bus-service-boon-to-commute-worries

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Women play vital role in development of country: Ahsan Iqbal

November 3, 2022

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal said that women play a vital role in the development of any country and the development process remains slow where women are not given equal opportunities.

The Minister made these remarks while addressing at 19th Inter-Provincial Ministerial Group (IPMG) meeting organized by the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) in collaboration with UN Women, and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) of the US Department of State, said a press release issued here.

Speaking at the occasion, the minister said that Islam has given equal rights to women but unfortunately, these rights were misinterpreted.

Ahsan Iqbal said the Planning Commission has established a Gender Unit in the ministry in which all development projects would be planned according to principles of gender responsiveness so that the projects should not be approved without ensuring the interests of the women.

According to the minister, in vision 2025 several projects were added to empower women. Similarly, in recent floods, several initiatives were taken during their rehabilitation.

The planning minister assured the NCSW to entertain their recommendations in order to implement them.

The objective of the 19th IPMG meeting was to understand the data architecture at the national and provincial levels and finalize the data collection mechanisms for the National Gender Data Portal (NGDP).

While welcoming the participants, Chairperson, NCSW NilofarBakhtiar said, “The Global Gender Gap Report states Pakistan has closed the gender gap by 56.4 % but still ranks us at second lowest from the bottom. It is important to know our ground reality to form law, legislation, and quotas to bring change.”

The NGDP was developed in 2021 to collect high-quality data and evidence on gender statistics from across Pakistan.

The Country Representative, UN Women Pakistan Country Office, SharmeelaRassool emphasized the importance of credible data for the development of the country and for gender equality and said, “IPMG is an innovative platform for identifying solutions that are tailor-made for Pakistan. NGDP is one such example of such solution. Data is important as it helps in identifying gaps in the policy along with helping officials to make informed decisions.”

The IPMG was established in 2009 to enhance inter-provincial coordination on gender equality and women’s empowerment in Pakistan. Eighteen meetings have been conducted so far, to facilitate the exchange of experiences and insights between national and provincial women’s machinery.

Source: Pakistan Today

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/11/03/women-play-vital-role-in-development-of-country-ahsan-iqbal/

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U.S. provides seed funding to women entrepreneurs for growing business

November 4, 2022

The United States (U.S.) has provided seed funding to women entrepreneurs to grow their businesses in Pakistan.

According to a statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan on Thursday, more than 30 participants from the second Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program, sponsored by the United States, competed for seed funding for their business start-ups on October 28.

A panel of judges, comprised of Pakistani and American businesswomen, selected the top four proposals after reviewing participants’ business plans and hearing their pitches.

The four winners of the seed-funding competition, AmnaAfridi, NayabGohar, KhushBakhatHussain, and Asia Umar Khan, will receive $5,500, $4,500, $3,500, and $2,500, respectively, to launch or grow their business in Pakistan.

Deputy Counselor for Public Diplomacy Jacqueline Deley congratulated the graduates during the closing ceremony, stating: “Your success is Pakistan’s success, and we are proud to support you to become Pakistan’s dynamic entrepreneurs, business leaders, and economic influencers.”

It is pertinent to mention here that the AWE is a three-month, rigorous course of online study using the DreamBuilder (https://dreambuilder.org) platform developed by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and the American company Freeport McMoran. AWE is designed to cultivate entrepreneurial know-how, help women entrepreneurs connect with funding opportunities, enhance opportunities for business expansion, and increase the likelihood of entrepreneurial success.—APP

Source:PakObserver

https://pakobserver.net/u-s-provides-seed-funding-to-women-entrepreneurs-for-growing-business/

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Women and Justice Summit by Türkiye’s KADEM focuses on cultural codes

NOV 03, 2022

The biannual Women and Justice Summit, jointly organized by the Women and Democracy Association (KADEM) and the Ministry of Family and Social Services, begins on Friday in Istanbul, with the participation of speakers from around the world. The two-day event at Atatürk Cultural Center delves into the “norms” women are forced to be confined into. Held under the theme of Cultural Codes and Women, the event is the latest edition of the summit which concentrates on women’s rights and the problems they face in daily life.

President RecepTayyipErdoğan, Minister of Family and Social Services DeryaYanık and KADEM chair SalihaOkurGümrükçüoğlu are keynote speakers of the event. The summit brings together ministers, academics, researchers, journalists, businesspeople and representatives of various nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). On the first day, a ministerial-level meeting will be held, with the participation of guests from Libya, Palestine, Azerbaijan, Algeria, Germany, Hungary and Singapore, under the title of “Towards More Inclusive Societies: Women as Agents of Change.” On the second day, panels will be held.

The first panel, entitled “Women as Subject” focuses on discussions on a fair social structure and empowerment of women as the subject of civic society, as well as challenges women’s movements may face in the future, along with questions on the potential of the women’s movement to reshape civic society as a movement questioning male-dominated public space. Associate professor MerveSafaKavakçı from Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry, Afghan peace negotiator and women’s rights activist Fatima Gailani, TesniKhrijiChirchi, an academic from IbnHaldun University who also serves as executive director of Jasmine Foundation for Research and Communication and SharifaNoaman al-Emadi from Qatar, executive director of Doha International Family Institute will speak at the panel.

The second panel, entitled "Public Space and Working Life" tackles the questions including norms defining women’s position in working life and how fragile women’s situation in working life is and ways to increase the quality and quantity of workforce opportunities for women, as well as their empowerment in accessing economic power. The panel will also discuss maintaining a balance between working and family life for women. Hayat Sindi, a biotechnologist from Saudi Arabia, will join LedBy Foundation founder RuhaShadab, YaseminGürSolmaz, a member of the executive board of Türkiye’sGürmen Group and Marlyse R. Ndjenga from Cameroon, a publishing director of ValeursAjoutees magazine, at the panel. In the "Public Spaces and Market Rules" panel, participants will discuss how daily life and public space establish womanhood norms while creating social reality and challenges women face in public space and working life, as well as their response to those challenges, in addition to a discussion on mechanisms required to protect and endorse women in working life. King’s Counsel Sultana Tafadar from the United Kingdom, World Hijab Day CEO Nazma Khan from the United States, chef and social entrepreneur EbruBaybaraDemir from Türkiye and award-winning American journalist RowaidaAbdelaziz will attend the panel.

The “New Lifestyle and the Construction of Culture” panel on Saturday will discuss the impact of new lifestyles on existing norms and how new lifestyles impose their legitimacy and whether this transformation is an opportunity or obstacle for women. The panel will also tackle the womanhood experiences in different cultures and how to build women-friendly media. Among the panel's participants are Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir, a former basketball player from the U.S. turned motivational speaker who was prohibited from attending international matches because of her headscarf, Rizwana Hamid, a filmmaker and journalist from the U.K., Syrian filmmaker and activist Waad al-Kateab and Australian actor ReshadStrik.

The “Pictures of Womanhood” panel will delve into how women are associated with art and how visual and audio art forms build images and norms on womanhood and transform them, as well as how art criticism can intersect with women’s activism. Ayşe Taşkent from Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, historian, author and presidential adviser HümeyraŞahinOktay, filmmaker and producer Samah Safi Bayazid and designer and podcaster Ayşe Akova will speak at the panel.

Source:DailySabah

https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/women-and-justice-summit-by-turkiyes-kadem-focuses-on-cultural-codes/news

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