Tunisian Director and Actress Leila Toubal Defends the Rights of Women through Theatre
New
Age Islam News Bureau
21
October 2021
•
Two Hindered Women Cadets To Be Inducted In Kuwait Army
•
As Women Flee Afghanistan, Brain Drain Hits Economy and Girls' Hopes
•
‘You Are Not Invincible’: UAE Breast Cancer Survivor Urges All Women To Get Screened
•
Conference to Shed Light on How Saudi Arabia Has Helped Empower Women through
National Reforms
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/tunisian-director-leila-toubal-rights/d/125618
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Tunisian
Director and Actress Leila Toubal Defends the Rights of Women through Theatre
20/10/2021
Leila Toubal in a promotional poster of “Yaqouta”.
(Facebook)
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Tunisian
director and actress Leila Toubal found in the theatre a space for resistance
through art. In her new play “Yaqouta”,
she talks about women’s issues and their long journey for rights and freedoms
“Yaqouta”
is the last part of a theatrical trilogy that Toubal started with her plays
“Silwan” (2015) and “Houriya” (2017), in partnership with “Art is Resistance”
productions and musician Mehdi Trabelsi.
Each
play delved into the depths of female suffering in a patriarchal society par
excellence, as “Houriya” and “Silwan” rejected religious extremism and
terrorism and defended women’s freedom and gains at a critical period in
Tunisia’s history following the January 2011 revolution.
Leila
Toubal chose for her new play the name “Yaqouta (Arabic for “Pearl”) to suggest
that women shine like pearls, no matter how society “covers” them under the
veils of virtue and taboos or tries to smother their will with judgments,
customs and religious notions.
Through
the play, Toubal calls on women to be true to themselves, with all their
contradictions, mistakes, qualities and flaws.
“Umm
Yaqouta” (Laila Toubal) gives voice to women as she explores usually muted
issues. From drama to black comedy, she
speaks about being subjected to marital violence. She offers the audience a
dialogue between the mother and her daughter “Yaqouta” (the fruit of rape). She
wants to show after all the years, nothing has changed in the reality of
Tunisian women.
Toubal
reviews a host of laws that do not serve the rights of Tunisian women, such as
adding the husband’s surname to his wife’s ID, making her “the wife of
so-and-so”, presents the issue of marital rape from a societal and legal
perspective and decries the bias of police in favour of the husband in most of
the cases submitted for prosecution against marital violence.
Delving
into regional concerns, “Yaqouta” criticises the notion that a woman “must
remain silent because she is a woman”. She denounces genital mutilation and
trafficking in women and enslaving them under ISIS and al-Qaeda. She criticises
the many people in society who are satisfied with being active on social media
or taking part in street demonstrations just to take selfies.
Toubal
denounces the ten years of rule by Islamist parties and their allies, and what
she sees as their relentless efforts to roll back women’s achivements in
Tunisia. She describes how Tunisians have endured the pain of illegal
migration, acts of terrorism and infant deaths in precarious hospitals. Yaqouta
screams in the face of women asking them to challenge society, its inhibitions
and restrictions.
The
tempo of the theatrical performance follows an ascending rhythm to simulate the
pace of life itself.
Toubal,
the director, uses sound effects as she makes the voices of women advocates heard. There are audio recordings of Giselle Halimi
(a Tunisian-French lawyer who stood up against French colonialism), the late
Raja Ben Ammar (theatrical director), and the late Zeinab Farhat (journalist,
playwright and feminist activist). There are also recordings of unknown women
brought together by their struggle for women’s rights, each one according to
her circumstances and the society in which she grew up.
Toubal’s
“Silwan”, “Houriya” and “Yaqouta” were different women in
different periods of time. They are linked by theatrical
productions through which Leila Toubal
tries to show that the conditions of Tunisian women, those of Arab women and to
great extent those of women all over the world, have not changed much. Tragic
fates have often worsened. From Toubal’s perspective, Arab societies are in
urgent need of a major intellectual and cultural shock, in order to bring about
the desired change and grant women their right to life without limits,
restrictions or prejudice.
Source:
The Arab Weekly
https://thearabweekly.com/toubals-yaqouta-stands-stage-defend-rights-women
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Two
Hindered Women Cadets to Be Inducted In Kuwait Army
KUWAIT
CITY, Oct 20:
Kuwaiti women have been serving as police officers
for the past two decades, which paved the way for women to join the army.(AFP /
Representational)
-----
The
Director of the Directorate-General of Mobilization, Colonel Tariq Al-Sabr said
200 women cadets will be inducted into the Kuwaiti army, 150 to work for the
Amiri Guard and will undergo a training course for 3 months, while 50 will
serve the medical services sector of the Armed Forces and will under one
month’s training, according to Al-Rai daily.
The
sources told the daily, those wishing to apply must do so via the Ministry of
Defence website, and the applications will be called for an interview after the
applications are verified by the security and medical committees.
Source:
Arab Times
https://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/200-women-cadets-to-be-inducted-in-army/
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As
Women Flee Afghanistan, Brain Drain Hits Economy and Girls' Hopes
Oct
20, 2021
Photo courtesy/LiveWire
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Marzia
has dedicated the past decade to treating some of Kabul’s poorest women, but
the midwife has now packed up her stethoscope along with a few precious photos,
ahead of leaving Afghanistan with her husband and son.
The
health worker is part of a major brain drain of professional women —
entrepreneurs, lawyers, scientists, journalists and more — that many predict
will set the country back decades.
“I
am not leaving happily, but with a broken heart,” she said.
“So
many educated and professional women like me are leaving because of threats to
our lives. But this will be devastating for the country in the long term,” said
Marzia, who asked not to use her full name.
Tens
of thousands of people fled Afghanistan in a mass evacuation arranged by the
United States and partner countries after the Taliban took control on Aug. 15.
Others
have left with help from international organizations, or under their own steam,
fearing danger in the new Taliban era.
Marzia,
34, said the exodus would hurt the country’s economy as well as decimate the
aspirations of younger generations.
When
the Taliban were last in power from 1996-2001, they barred women from work and
imposed harsh restrictions on their daily lives, flogging or stoning those who
broke the rules.
Education
for girls was also banned.
Role
models
Since
then, there has been a massive international effort to boost women’s education,
empowerment and economic opportunities.
“The
brain drain is a huge concern,” said Manizha Wafeq, president of the
Afghanistan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AWCCI).
“We
all invested so much in creating a great pool of professionals to support the
country — in politics, the economy, engineering, the environment — everything.”
There
are an estimated 57,000 women-led businesses in Afghanistan, from handicraft
traders to dried fruit exporters.
They
employ about 130,000 people, and provide work for thousands of women making
handicrafts at home.
Wafeq
said women had increasingly made inroads into traditionally male sectors such
as IT and media services.
Even
running a cafe is considered man’s work given it is often taboo for women to
interact with men outside the home.
The
loss of women exemplars will hit girls especially hard.
“We
had created a lot of role models for the next generation,” Wafeq said.
“They
were seeing so-and-so has started a travel agency, a construction company, an
IT company, and saying ‘I can do it too’. If these women leave, we’re losing
hope.”
The
Taliban say women will be allowed to work in accordance with Islamic law, but
have not clarified exactly what this means.
Many
women — including female civil servants — have already lost their jobs; others
have been told to stay home.
The
AWCCI has asked the Taliban to let women-led businesses resume operations, and
is awaiting a meeting with officials.
“(Many
women) don’t want to leave. They’ve given all their lives to build these
businesses,” Wafeq said.
Zahra
Rezaie, 34, who runs a carpet business providing work for 200 weavers, is among
those who have fled.
Now
in Albania and hoping to get to the United States, Rezaie said she had decided
to leave partly because she lived alone — “a big taboo for the Taliban”.
“I
was so scared,” said Rezaie, who still runs her business from abroad.
Health
and education
The
World Bank says Afghanistan’s long-term outlook hinges on greater female
participation in the economy and society.
Before
the Taliban takeover, one in five urban women worked. Women accounted for about
a quarter of civil servants and MPs, and tens of thousands were studying at
universities.
Economists
say broadening women’s opportunities helps lift their families, communities and
countries out of poverty too.
Experts
fear the exodus of professionals could also cut women’s future access to
healthcare and education.
The
Taliban say men should not teach girls or women and many men do not let male
doctors treat their wives and daughters.
Afghanistan
has more than halved maternal and child mortality rates in the last 20 years,
but the World Bank says a collapsing health service could see this now rise by
a third.
Death
threats
Farzana
Rahimi, a 43-year-old counselor from the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, said the brain
drain would also sabotage efforts to help women access justice and tackle
domestic violence.
Studies
suggest 87% of Afghan women experience abuse.
Rahimi,
who worked for an organization providing victims with legal support and trauma
counseling, was on her way to the airport with family when the Taliban took
Kabul.
“I
thought I’d be killed on the spot,” said Rahimi, now rebuilding her life in
Canada.
Rights
activists, lawyers and judges have also fled or gone into hiding, fearing
reprisals from Taliban supporters.
Female
judges have received death threats after the Taliban released some men they
jailed. Others are at risk after ruling against men in domestic violence,
divorce and custody cases.
Rahimi
said women would no longer get justice in court as the Taliban did not accept a
woman had the right to judge men.
“Society
will go back to past centuries,” she said.
“When
I think about all we’ve done in the last 20 years to build our country — it’s
now a big zero.”
Source:
Japan Times
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/10/20/asia-pacific/afghanistan-women-brain-drain/
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‘You
are not invincible’: UAE breast cancer survivor urges all women to get screened
21
October ,2021
A
breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of the disease
in her mid-20’s urged young women to do regular checks and screening as she
spoke about her ten-year-recovery battle.
Beauty
entrepreneur, Anisha Oberoi, founder of Secret Skin, said she was in the prime
of her business career when she found a lump in her breast.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
“I
had quit my fashion job with Ermenegildo Zegna to go to INSEAD - the most
prestigious MBA program in the world and had booked my flights,” she told Al
Arabiya English.
However,
that dream was put on hold after a biopsy revealed she had breast carcinoma.
“In
early-2010 I was misdiagnosed twice due to two senior gynecologists who were
not trained in oncology to pick up on suspicious growths (as it often was, a
decade ago) and told to watch my period for the next few cycles, assuming it
was a fibroid,” she said. “It appeared as a soft pea-sized lump on my right
breast that distended when touched.”
“Within
months it grew harder and by July an FNAC (fine needle aspiration cytology
procedure) revealed that it was intermediate stage breast carcinoma.”
Oberoi
said she was stunned by the news.
“I
was terrified and stunned as I had no family experience with the disease and
very little support existed back then in terms of counselling for young
people.”
“But
like anything else in my life, I treated it like a time-bound project with
INSEAD being the end goal. I stubbornly worked backwards from my dream and that
kept me alive.”
Oberoi
underwent aggressive treatment, including surgery to remove the lump, eight
rounds of chemotherapy, and a few months of extensive radiation.
“I
lost my lashes, brows, hair and put on weight due to steroids,” she recalled.
“They found that the cancer had reached my lymph nodes and my armpit had to be
scooped out of its nerve endings.”
“They
took a flap from the muscle from my back to replace the loss of skin when the
lump was removed, and this caused me to lose sensation in the right side of my
body.”
“My
arm was like a broken wing full of scar tissue that had to be opened out with
regular physiotherapy to restore movement.”
Oberoi
said she experienced extreme fatigue and night sweats and her period was
artificially put on hold due to the pathology revealing that the cancer was
hormone-driven.
The
radiation came to an end in June and by August Oberoi had moved to France to
continue her studies.
“It
was an effort to start a new life but with a suitcase full of injections that I
need to administer to my stomach at a French clinic as part of hormone
therapy.”
“During
this period, I felt ugly, impotent, vulnerable but I also felt hopeful of a
better future. My seat at school was waiting for me.”
Oberoi
is currently in remission but still undergoes “anxiety-ridden medical checks”
every three months.
“Anything
suspicious has to be poked and prodded to ensure I’m safe but I’m grateful for
advancements in the medical field, and for the support I have from my partner
and doctors in UAE,” she said.
As
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is marked during October, Oberoi said she wants
to give a timely reminder for all women to get checked if they notice anything
irregular in their breasts and to undergo regular screening.
“We
are not invincible, and it can happen to anyone. The important part is to stay
on top of your own health and prioritize your emotional and mental wellness at
all costs.”
COVID-19
led to screening delay
Earlier
this month Al Arabiya English revealed how women in across the UAE delayed
vital breast cancer screening during the COVID-19 pandemic in a “concerning
phenomenon” that led to a spike in cases across the country.
October
marks the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and experts are reminding that
early detection brings a higher chance of recovery.
Breast
cancer has four stages and catching it at the first stage means the chance of
survival is between 95 and 100 percent.
However,
doctors in the UAE said screening is well below pre-pandemic levels as women
missed routine appointments and avoided health settings over the fear of
COVID-19 meaning they missed vital lifesaving treatment.
Prof.
Humaid al-Shamsi, a consultant in oncology and medical oncology director at VPS
Healthcare, has noticed an increase in breast cancer cases across the UAE as a
result.
“October,
also known as Pink Month, is the month to increase awareness about breast
cancer, which is one of the most common cancers worldwide,” he told Al Arabiya
English.
“Since
the pandemic, we are noticing an increase in the number of patients presenting
with breast cancer. This means they are delaying their visit to the doctor over
fears about COVID-19.
“We
are very concerned about this phenomenon.”
The
doctor said he wants to highlight the importance of being aware of any symptoms
like new lumps in the breast, changes to the nipples, and pain in the breast
area.
According
to the World Health Organization, close to 2.3 million women were diagnosed
with breast cancer and over 685,000 died worldwide in 2020.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Conference
to Shed Light on How Saudi Arabia Has Helped Empower Women through National
Reforms
October
21, 2021
RIYADH:
Imam Mohammad bin Saud Islamic University will hold a two-day conference to
shed light on how Saudi Arabia has helped empower women through national
reforms, government policies, and private initiatives.
The
conference, which will be held on Nov. 22-23, will bring together more than 60
experts, ministers, and Saudi universities. It will explore seven themes and
indicators of women empowerment in local and international organizations.
Prof.
Nouf bint Abd Al-Aly Al-Ajmi, the vice-rector of Female Student Affairs, who is
also the head of the organizing committee, told Arab News that many prominent
female figures will participate in the conference.
“Saudi
women have taken great strides towards empowerment, thanks to the legislation
and laws issued to enhance women’s position and protect their social and
personal rights and ensure their participation as decision-makers,” Al-Ajmi
said.
The
themes will focus on legislative reforms in the era of King Salman and how they
have helped meet the demands and needs of women towards more vital social
participation.
There
will be an emphasis on national identity and citizenship through women’s
empowerment in education and training.
The
rector of the Imam Mohammad bin Saud Islamic University, Prof. Ahmed Salim
Al-Amiri, said the royal approval to organize this conference reflected the
interest and support of the Kingdom’s leadership for Saudi women.
“Saudi
women have enjoyed many rights while many historic and key decisions were
issued to enhance women’s role in society and empower them to be an active
partner in national development,” Al-Amiri said.
The
rector said various governmental and non-governmental sectors will participate
in the event, including Saudi universities, to explore women’s empowerment on
different levels.
The
conference will also focus on government projects and initiatives that support
the empowerment of Saudi women, key indicators of women’s empowerment, and new
functional areas.
The
successes and achievements of women in the era of the Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques will also be highlighted.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1952111/saudi-arabia
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