Women Police Officers Join Makkah’s Hajj Security Forces for First Time
New Age Islam News Bureau
30
Jul 2020
• Women Police Officers Join Makkah’s Hajj Security
Forces for First Time
• Arab Nations Cannot Afford to Ignore the Rise of
Women’s Football
• Afghan Girl Takes Up Motocross and Champions Women's
Rights
• Emirati Female Footballer Smashes Most 'Hotstepper'
Ball Control Tricks Record
• Human Rights Lawyer Contributes to The Winning
Women’s World Cup Bid
• US Women’s Control Of $10 Trillion Set to Triple in
A Decade
• British Women's 263-Day Tandem Bike World Tour
Breaks Guinness Record
• Mexico Supreme Court Rejects State's Bid to
Decriminalise Abortion
• Viral Female Empowerment Movement Taking Over Instagram
• Covid-19 May Increase Risk of Blood Clots in
Pregnant Women, Warn Scientists
• Most Women Treated In New York City for Gynaecologic
Cancers Not at Increased Risk of Death From COVID-19: Study
• World Bank Gives Zambia 142 mln USD To Support Women
Empowerment, Girls’ Education
• Women Business Owners: Filling the Gap with The
Right Information
Compiled By New Age Islam
News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/women-police-officers-join-makkahs/d/122503
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Women Police Officers Join Makkah’s Hajj Security
Forces for First Time
RUBA OBAID
Hajj began on Wednesday as pilgrims began their journey from the Grand Mosque in Makkah amid strict safety rules. (AFP)
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July 29, 2020
JEDDAH: Saudi women police officers have been fronting
Makkah’s security force for the first time during this year’s Hajj season.
Following last year’s government announcement that
women could join the military service, female officers have been able to join
their male colleagues in policing the holy city for the Muslim festival.
And with strict measures in place to stop the spread
of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, the pilgrimage has been very
different from normal.
Afnan Abu Hussein, who was among the first batch of
women cadets to graduate from police service training, told Al-Ekhbariya TV:
“This is a source of pride and happiness for us. Hajj is a very busy season for
us, unlike normal days.”
“Each group of pilgrims has a leader to facilitate and
control their movement in order to ensure social distancing,” said Sari Asiri,
director general of Hajj and Umrah affairs at the Ministry of Health.
“Moreover, each group is also accompanied by a health
professional to monitor pilgrims’ health status and assist them when needed,”
he added.
“We visited each pilgrim at their home and did an
overall test for their health condition, and we monitored them on a daily basis
until they safely arrived at their hotels in Makkah,” Asiri said.
All workers serving pilgrims this year had also
undergone health checks to ensure they were free of COVID-19, and Makkah
hospitals and health centers have been readied to deal with any emergency.
Tarwiyah Day (fetching water), on Wednesday, was the
first day of Hajj ritual. Pilgrims headed to the Grand Mosque to perform Tawaf
and Saee between Safa and Marwah hills.
The few hundred pilgrims received at the Grand Mosque
this year walked in their groups along specific pathways following their guide.
The movement protocols were designed and implemented
by the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques in
collaboration with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and security authorities.
The presidency has allocated specific entrance and
exit doors for each group of pilgrims to prevent any crowding and ensure a
smooth flow of movement and the organization of social distancing measures
passed the efficiency test for the first day of Hajj.
Civil Defense Forces have stepped up their readiness
in Mina to receive the pilgrims where they will spend the night before moving
to Arafat mount.
Meanwhile, Saudi Public Security announced that it had
arrested 244 violators of Hajj guidelines who had attempted to enter holy sites
without permission. A spokesperson called on citizens and expats to abide by
the law and Hajj instructions, stressing that security forces had imposed a
tight cordon around Makkah and the holy sites.
Those caught at the holy sites without permission risk
fines of up to SR10,000, with fines increasing for repeated violations.
Each year, about 2.5 million pilgrims descend on
Makkah for the annual Hajj, but the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that only about
1,000 will be able to perform it this year.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1711886/saudi-arabia
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Arab Nations Cannot Afford to Ignore The Rise Of
Women’s Football
ALI KHALED
The
women’s game in the region cannot afford to fall behind much longer. (FILE/AFP)
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July 29, 2020
DUBAI: On Sept. 25, 2005, a football match that few
people will remember or even have heard of, took place in Amman, with hosts
Jordan comfortably thrashing an overwhelmed Bahrain 9-0.
But the result mattered little. This was a football
match with a difference for the beaten team; it was the first time that
Bahrain’s national women’s team - established in 2003 - had taken to a football
field.
Women’s football had taken its first, small step in
the GCC. It was only a matter of time before Gulf nations would follow other
more established football neighbors like Jordan and Egypt in developing the
women’s game.
Fifteen years on, a revolution is taking place in
women’s football. But it’s a revolution that seems to be going under the radar
in the majority of the GCC, Arab countries and the Middle East at large.
On June 25, 2020, the announcement that Australia and
New Zealand will co-host the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup was warmly welcomed
across the globe. More than a month on, the news has barely made any waves in
the region, especially considering one of the co-hosts, Australia, is a fellow
Asian Football Federation (AFC) member state.
The 2023 World Cup will also see the number of
participating nations expanded from 24 to 32, in line with the men’s
competition, though the extra qualifying opportunities are unlikely to vastly
improve the chances of Arab nations.
Across Asia, teams like Japan and China, as well as
North Korea and South Korea, have for long been powerhouses in the women’s
game, and now Vietnam, Thailand and Uzbekistan are increasingly looking to
close the gap on the heavyweights of Europe and the Americas as well. For now,
the West Asian region is being left further behind.
Perhaps it’s no surprise that the women’s game has not
captured the imagination, or even mere attention, of the regional public. No
Arab nation has ever taken part in the FIFA Women’s World Cup since its
inception in 1988, and only a few ever make the AFC Asian Cup. Women’s
football, for long a traditional taboo, remains a novelty even in these days of
cultural progress. That remains the case beyond this region.
At the same time, any criticism for lack of the
progress of the women’s game must come with acknowledgement of the
socio-political environment, and hardships, that prevail in many Arab and
Middle Eastern countries like Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq. In many
cases, football and sports in general, for men as much as women, are fraught
with political and cultural obstacles which render them of secondary concerns.
But perhaps that is as good a reason as any to ensure
the current rise of women’s football does not become the latest wasted
opportunity; it’s not just the sporting aspect of women’s game that female
athletes would be missing out on.
In recent years, women’s football has become a driving
force for equal rights in sports, and beyond, something many regional nations
are striving to put right.
In particular, the 2019 World Cup in France was a
revelation, a true game-changer for the women’s game at so many levels. There
were record attendances and worldwide record television audiences and perhaps
for the first time ever, the tournament was enjoyed without the usual,
stereotypical caveats.
Even the previous World Cup, in Canada in 2015, had
seen major steps taken in the women’s game, with the US Women’s National Team
(USWNT) as ever, leading the way.
American captain and star of the last year’s World
Cup, Megan Rapinoe, has for one transcended the sport to become a role model
for aspiring female athletes and one of football’s most vocal advocates for
women’s empowerment.
Ahead of winning the 2023 bid, Australia’s women’s
team, the Westfield Matildas, took on Football Federation Australia and Fifa to
achieve equal pay with their male counterparts. On Nov. 6, 2019 they won their
case and the next World Cup will now stand as a beacon of gender equality and
non-discrimination for female footballers.
It would be unfair and unrealistic to expect such
giant steps to take place across nations were women’s football remains embryonic,
and nor is there is a complete lack of interest by West Asian federations in
promoting the game in countries like UAE, Jordan and Bahrain, and with Saudi
Arabia indicating huge leaps in the coming years too.
Jordan remains the highest women’s FIFA-ranked Arab
nation at 58, and thanks to the work of former FIFA Vice President Prince Ali
bin Hussein and the Jordan Football Association, the team has won several
regional tournaments and competed at continental level. And in captain
Stephanie Al Naber, who had a spell playing at Danish club Fortuna Hjørring 10
years ago, they have a role model that young Jordanian footballers can aspire
to emulate.
In 2018, the Women’s Asian Cup was held at Amman
International Stadium and King Abdullah II Stadium in the Jordanian capital,
two years after the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup had been a success. Jordan, as
hosts, were the only Arab representatives in either competition.
In the UAE, a program of training for talented young
Emirati girls over the last decade has raised the profile of the women’s
national team, with age group selections taking part in invitational
tournaments in Asia and Europe.
Having established a women’s team in 2004, a year
after Bahrain, the UAE won the West Asia Football Federation (WAFF) Women’s
Championship in 2010 and 2011, albeit with a team of mostly nationalised
foreign players. Last year in Bahrain, fielding a team of Emirati players, the
UAE finished fourth.
The UAE Football Association (UAE FA) has provided
significant funding for the national team programs, as well as the seven-team
domestic league, with Houriya Al Taheri - coach and technical director with the
UAE FA - and Omar Al Duri, formerly a coach with Ghana’s World Cup squad,
exerting a positive influence on a team now ranked 97 in the world, 13 behind
Bahrain at 84.
In Saudi Arabia, Saja Kamal, a footballer with a
massive online following has been leading a campaign to establish a senior
national team in the Kingdom, and like Naber and Al Taheri, is a role model in
her own right.
Women were only allowed into Saudi football stadiums
as recently as 2017, but progress has accelerated in recent times. Earlier this
year, an official women’s league was launched in the Kingdom that aims to
encourage participation at grassroots and community level.
The 2023 World Cup may come too soon to see an Arab
team taking part in Australia and New Zealand. But it should be seen as an
unmissable opportunity to learn the lessons that other nations have taken on
board, and plan ahead.
Perhaps regional countries could follow suit and
co-host international tournaments. That would easily be within the capabilities
of the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Staging such competitions would indicate a
commitment to the women’s game and to gender equality. Above all, it will bring
the game closer to young female football fans.
The women’s game in the region cannot afford to fall
behind much longer.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1711731/sport
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Afghan Girl Takes Up Motocross and Champions Women's Rights
Negin
Afshar took up motocross about a year ago after having competed for Afghanistan
in athletics when she was younger. Reuters/Omar Sobhani
-----
Jul 29, 2020
For 16-year-old Negin Afshar, riding a motorbike
around a dirt track in Kabul isn't just about the excitement. It is also a way
to show that Afghan women can be tough too in a country where concerns are
growing that hard-earned rights might be lost.
Encouraged by her parents, Afshar took up motocross
about a year ago after having competed for Afghanistan in athletics when she
was younger.
Wearing a white helmet and black and red motorbike
suit, she trains with male riders on a barren lot surrounded by warehouses and
private homes.
"When I saw the men motorcycling here, I decided
to pursue motocross to inspire Afghan women and show that they can do this
tough sport as well," Afshar said during a break from practice.
"I tried to be one of the first women to take
this path, and I hope we can encourage others as well."
She and her mother worry that pursuing her passion may
not be so easy in future, with the hardline Islamist Taliban movement bidding
for a share of power in a country where it has led a ruthless insurgency since
2001.
When the group ruled Afghanistan in the late 1990s,
girls were not allowed to attend school, women could not work and they had to
wear all-enveloping burqas when they left their homes.
In recent months the Taliban has projected itself as
more moderate, as it seeks to turn battlefield gains into formal recognition.
Talks with a government-mandated committee remain stalled amid violence and
mutual suspicion.
Asked whether she was concerned about the rights of
girls and women being eroded should the Taliban return to power, Afshar
replied: "God willing, this will not happen, because our government will
not allow the Taliban to do so ... If they want to violate our rights, we will
stand against them and resist. I will not leave my country, and I want to stay
here and serve my country."
Her mother, Frishta Afshar, head of the women's
committee of the National Motorcycling Federation of Afghanistan, agreed.
"Some people do not agree with this, and they
have a negative view, while others agree and encourage," she said.
"In any case, my husband and I will support her as much as we can, and we
want to take Negin to the highest peaks of success."
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/afghan-girl-takes-up-motocross-and-champions-womens-rights-119561
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Emirati Female Footballer Smashes Most 'Hotstepper'
Ball Control Tricks Record
29 July 2020
By Hassan Ibrahim
Areej made
history by smashing the record for the most football 'hotstepper' ball control
tricks in one minute,
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Many female footballers in the United Arab Emirates
excel on a regional level, but one woman, by the name of Areej Al Hammadi, has
gone a step further.
Areej made history by smashing the record for the most
football 'hotstepper' ball control tricks in one minute, after completing 86 repetitions
in total. A major jump on the previous record of 56 repetitions set in March
2020 in the UK.
“Not for ladies” is what Areej used to hear throughout
her long career in women’s football. With most of the attention focused on
their male counterparts, Areej is keen to see women's football transform and
take place at the forefront of the sport.
Areej-Al-Hammadi-during-her-attempt-to-break-the-record-for-the-most-football-hotstepper-ball-control-ticks-in-one-minute
Areej has paved her way to the top of women football
in the MENA region.
She is a Creative Services professional by day and a
footballer by night.
She has lived most of her life chasing opportunities
in football, forming football teams both in school and during higher studies in
the American University in Dubai, and attending many of the women’s football
championships within the MENA region. She finally made it to the UAE National
Football Team.
When asked about how she went from being passionate
for the sport to representing the national team she said: “Courage to pursue
your own goals is a key, but with focus and commitment everything is possible
if you have the will to do it."
"I aim to contribute to my country’s improvement
of women's representation at all levels of the game by challenging
discrimination with hopes for big improvements in the sport industry globally.”
Areej-Al-Hammadi-holding-a-ball-in-Dubai-after-breaking-the-record-for-the-most-football-hotstepper-ball-control-ticks-in-one-minute
Following three weeks of consecutive training, Areej
took the challenge to break a world record within a residential area in Mirdif,
Dubai, on a concrete ground outdoors, using a FIFA approved football.
“COVID-19 curfew had a massive impact on the sports
industry, from gym closures to teams stopped from group training, but I wanted
to do something special. I managed to break the record following a week of
practice but wanted to raise the bar on this record title to keep it, at least
for a while,” Al Hammadi said.
The announcement of this record marks the launch of
this year’s Guinness World Records Day; the annual celebration of record
breaking that takes place in November each year. This year's GWR Day (18
November) will celebrate the Discover Your World theme of the Guinness World
Records 2021 book.
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2020/7/emirati-female-footballer-smashes-most-hotstepper-ball-control-ticks-record-625080
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Human rights lawyer contributes to the winning Women’s
World Cup bid
July 30, 2020
Australia and New Zealand’s successful FIFA Women’s
World Cup 2023 bid was assisted by an unassuming Griffith University human
rights defender.
Professor Susan Harris Rimmer from the Law Futures
Centre received the call up from Football Federation Australia and New Zealand
Football for a human rights game plan after consulting on the 2018 Gold Coast
Commonwealth Games.
“This is the first time FIFA has requested an
independent human rights assessment for a Women’s World Cup bid and as far as I
can tell the first one to be written by a woman focused on women’s issues,” she
said.
Professor Harris Rimmer recommended organisers
minimise their environmental and economic impact on host cities and to mitigate
homophobic, racist or discriminatory chants in stadiums and social media
directed at players.
She also encouraged framing the Women’s World Cup as
an important contribution to recognising women’s right and ability to
participate in all forms of public life.
“Australians and New Zealanders identify strongly with
sports and many of our heroes are athletes. This isn’t just any sporting event,
it’s a moment for recognising women at the top of their game and celebrating
them as champions.
“Australians and New Zealanders identify strongly with
sports and many of our heroes are athletes. This isn’t just any sporting event,
it’s a moment for recognising women at the top of their game and celebrating
them as champions.”
“Women can be champions. It sends a very strong
message to young girls and women that they can be more than just supporters and
facilitators of elite sports. There is a place for them on the field.”
Professor Harris Rimmer sees this as an opportunity
for Australia and New Zealand to become leaders in advancing women’s sport and
build on their shared legacy as pioneers in women’s rights.
“There are still major issues around funding women’s
sports and access to sports equipment, training and infrastructure that male
athletes take for granted.
“Women are also precarious players in the business of
sport, their spots aren’t guaranteed despite capably proving themselves often
with much less.”
When the Women’s World Cup rolls around in three
years, Professor Harris Rimmer said the event’s success should not be measured
purely in economic benefits but in how it inspires people.
“The world is so ready for this event, it could be
something really special as the world needs a bright moment, something hopeful,
shiny, good and which lifts everyone’s spirits.”
https://news.griffith.edu.au/2020/07/30/human-rights-lawyer-scores-womens-world-cup/
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US women’s control of $10 trillion set to triple in a
decade
30 Jul 2020
American women control more than $10 trillion in U.S.
household financial assets, an amount likely to triple within a decade.
The shift is being driven by aging baby boomers who
are set to inherit wealth as they outlive their spouses, as well as by younger
women who are becoming more financially savvy, according to a McKinsey &
Co. survey of more than 10,000 affluent investors, almost 3,000 of whom are
female financial decision-makers.
“An unprecedented amount of assets will shift into the
hands of U.S. women over the next three to five years, representing a $30
trillion opportunity by the end of the decade," McKinsey said in its
report, released Wednesday. Men in America currently control almost 70% of
total assets, the consulting firm said. “After years of playing second fiddle
to men, women are poised to take center stage."
The conclusions have implications for wealth
management, where women represent just 15% of financial advisers. The industry,
which has long been dominated by men, will need to come up with systematic ways
to serve female customers, just as the automotive and real estate industries
have done, McKinsey said.
https://www.livemint.com/
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British women's 263-day tandem bike world tour breaks
Guinness record
JULY 29, 2020
By Ben Hooper
July 29 (UPI) -- Guinness World Records announced a
pair of British women broke the record for fastest circumnavigation by tandem
bicycle when they crossed the globe in 263 days, 8 hours and 7 minutes.
The record-keeping organization said Cat Dixon, 54,
and Raz Marsden, 55, began their attempt in Oxford, England, on June 29, 2019,
and cycled an average 80-100 miles per day on their tandem bike before arriving
in London on March 18, 2020.
The trip took the two women through France, Monaco,
Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania,
Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia,
Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, United States of America, Mexico, Morocco,
Spain and Gibraltar.
The women, who raised more than $50,000 for charity,
not only broke the female version of the record, they also surpassed the male
version of 281 days, which was set by fellow Britons Lloyd Edward Collier and
Louis Paul Snellgrove.
Guinness announced the new record as part of the
run-up to Guinness World Records Day, scheduled for Nov. 18. The theme of this
year's event, which encourages members of the public to set their own world
records, is "Discover Your World."
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2020/07/29/British-womens-263-day-tandem-bike-world-tour-breaks-Guinness-record/6711596043942/
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Mexico Supreme Court rejects state's bid to
decriminalise abortion
29 July 2020
Mexico's Supreme Court has rejected a landmark
injunction on abortion rights across the country.
The case revolved around an injunction granted in the
eastern state of Veracruz, which would have effectively decriminalised
termination in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Campaigners hoped the ruling would set a precedent for
similar injunctions in other states.
Abortion is legal in just two of Mexico's 32 states.
In an article last week, reproductive rights
organisation GIRE said they hoped the court's decision would be a
"historic opportunity" for pro-choice campaigners.
But at the hearing today, four out of the Supreme
Court's five justices voted against upholding the injunction.
Last year, a judge in Xalapa, Veracruz, approved an
injunction ordering the state's Congress to remove articles 149, 150 and 154 of
the local penal code.
The case then went to Mexico's Supreme Court, which
needed to decide whether to uphold that judge's decision.
Removing these articles would have decriminalised
abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, allowed terminations for health
reasons, and gotten rid of the time limit on abortions in cases of rape.
These changes were first recommended in a wide-ranging
report on women's rights, published by the National Commission to Prevent and
Eradicate Violence against Women (Conavim) and the National Institute for Women
(InMujeres) in 2016.
Although this decision only affects Veracruz for now, campaigners
said it could have had repercussions for the rest of the country, too.
In its article last week, GIRE said that if the
injunction were to be upheld, Veracruz state congress should "modify its
abortion legislation, thereby opening the doors and setting a precedent for
other states to modify their local penal codes in the same terms".
While other states allow abortion after rape, there
have been high-profile cases of women and girls in this situation being denied
terminations.
In 2016, a 13-year-old girl in Sonora state was denied
an abortion by health officials after a judge ruled that she was not raped, but
was the victim of the lesser crime of "sexual coercion".
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-53584575
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Viral female empowerment movement taking over
Instagram
July 29, 2020
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Millions of women are joining the
movement to lift each other up on social media. Filling a lot of people’s feeds
with black and white images of themselves.
Big-time celebrities and maybe your own friend are
joining hands to empower each other. It’s spreading quickly because a part of
the challenge is to post the picture and say #challengeaccepted but to also
then privately message 50 other women to do the same.
Celebrities like Founder of Spanx Sara Blakely,
actresses Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon have shared their female
empowerment messages to their millions of followers.
Actresses Jennifer Aniston took the moment to
encourage women to say, “and while I have you here, maybe the best way we can
support other women is to REGISTER TO VOTE for the issues that affect women.
Encourage all your friends, girlfriends, sisters, moms, daughters to do the
same. The election is right around the corner, and we need to look out for each
other AND love each other!”
That brings up the question, why was this challenge
started in the first place? Some say it was a female empowerment response to
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s speech responding to remarks she
claims Representative Yoho said to her.
Actress Jessica Biel posted that the movement was a
global effort for women to support women, but specifically to highlight what is
happening to women in Turkey.
Biel said in her post, “especially those whose voices
are not being heard (here, and around the world). To the women in Turkey, we
stand with you and hear you. And for the women here in the US — this is a
reminder that we need to use our voices to protect each other... and vote on
the issues that affect women.”
https://www.wcnc.com/article/features/viral-female-empowerment-movement-taking-over-instagram/275-a004faf2-40a6-440e-afce-45b3b767d082
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Covid-19 May Increase Risk of Blood Clots in Pregnant
Women, Warn Scientists
JULY 30, 2020
COVID-19 may increase the risk of blood clots in pregnant
women, or in those taking estrogen with birth control or hormone replacement
therapy, say scientists who call for the development of innovative animal
experiment models to further study this association.
According to the researchers, including those from the
Tufts University School of Medicine in the US, one of the many complications of
COVID-19 is the formation of blood clots in previously healthy people.
They said the female hormone estrogen also increases
the chance of blood clots during pregnancy, and in women taking birth control
pills or hormone replacement therapy.
If infected with COVID-19, the risk of blood clotting
could be even higher, and these women may need to undergo anticoagulation
therapy, or discontinue their estrogen medicines, noted the research, published
in the journal Endocrinology.
The scientists believe further research is needed to
understand the effects of the novel coronavirus on coagulation, answering if
the virus aggravates the risk of blood clots and strokes associated with oral
contraceptive pills, other estrogen therapies, and pregnancy-associated risks.
"During this pandemic, we need additional
research to determine if women who become infected with the coronavirus during
pregnancy should receive anticoagulation therapy, or if women taking birth
control pills or hormone replacement therapy should discontinue them,"
said Daniel Spratt, the study's corresponding author from Tufts University
School of Medicine in Boston, US.
"Research that helps us understand how the coronavirus
causes blood clots may also provide us with new knowledge regarding how blood
clots form in other settings and how to prevent them," Spratt said.
However, the scientists said understanding the cause
of blood clotting in COVID-19, including the intersecting effects of estrogen
therapy or pregnancy, has several hurdles and will require innovative animal
and tissue models.
"The emergence of this pandemic and the curious
impact of this virus on hypercoagulability emphasise the continuing need for
additional research into coagulation pathology in women," they wrote in
the study.
According to the researchers, collaborative efforts
between clinicians and basic researchers, and between endocrinologists and
hematologists are necessary to understand the interactions between the novel
coronavirus and pregnancy or estrogen therapy that could guide clinical
management.
https://www.news18.com/news/world/covid-19-may-increase-risk-of-blood-clots-in-pregnant-women-warn-scientists-2744223.html
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Most Women Treated In New York City For Gynecologic
Cancers Not At Increased Risk Of Death From COVID-19: Study
30 July, 2020
New York [USA], July 30 (ANI): Women receiving
standard treatment in New York City for ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancers
are not at increased risk of being hospitalised for -- or dying from-- COVID-19
due to their cancer, a new study shows.
The researchers found that neither having cancer nor
receiving treatment for it, which can come with its own toxicities, worsened
COVID-19 disease outcomes.
Led by researchers at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer
Center and NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the study showed that 121 women,
ages 51 to 63, who were receiving standard treatments for such malignancies and
who contracted the pandemic coronavirus had similar rates of hospitalization
and death as those who only had COVID-19.
Publishing in the journal Cancer online July 31, the
study showed that 54 per cent of the women (66 of 121) required hospitalization
and among these, 25 per cent (17 of 66) died, for an overall death rate of 14
per cent. This is comparable to the results of another study, which showed a 21
per cent death rate among all 5,700 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in the
city, who were mostly male (60 per cent) and at greater risk of the disease,
researchers say.
Having late-stage gynecologic cancer, cancer surgery,
or high-dose chemotherapy also did not increase a woman's risk of dying from
COVID-19.
Importantly, the work also found that 75 per cent of
gynecologic cancer patients with COVID-19 had a mild form of the disease and
recovered from their infection.
"Our study should be reassuring for women with
gynecologic cancers who are worried that having cancer increases their risk of
becoming seriously ill if they go to the hospital because of COVID-19,"
says study lead investigator Olivia Lara, MD, an oncology fellow in the
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Perlmutter. These patients already
contend with increased inflammation and imbalanced immune systems that, in
theory, coronavirus infection could make worse.
"Women with gynecologic cancers have the same
risk factors for dying from COVID-19 as women without these cancers," says
study senior investigator Bhavana Pothuri, MD, MS, a professor in the
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Perlmutter.
These shared risk factors, she says, which overall
double women's risk of dying from COVID-19, are being African-American or
having two or more underlying health conditions, such as hypertension, obesity,
and diabetes.
As part of the study, researchers reviewed the medical
records of women treated for both COVID-19 and gynecologic cancer at area
hospitals between March 1 and April 22, 2020. These included NYU Langone's
Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYC Health + Hospitals Bellevue Hospital, Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, SUNY
Downstate Medical Center, and the Montefiore Medical System.
Another study finding was that a small number (eight
of 121) of participants receiving immunotherapy, drugs that harness the immune
system to attack cancer cells, were three times more likely to die than women
who were receiving standard radiation, surgery, chemotherapy, or a combination
of these therapies. However, Pothuri cautions that the number of women
receiving immunotherapy was not large enough to lead to any firm
recommendations about clinical care. (or to result in any firm conclusions
about clinical care)
Pothuri says the team has plans to analyze patient
records for further insights into any factors that might lessen the impact of
these underlying risk factors for COVID-19 on women with cancer, including how
best to communicate with local community groups.
For now, Pothuri says, women should definitely not put
off screening, diagnosis, or treatment of new cancers out of any additional
fear they have about the risks from COVID-19. "The basic rules of cancer
care have not changed during the pandemic," she says. "Early
detection, screening, and care lead to more people surviving what remains a
leading cause of death among American women.
http://www.businessworld.in/article/Most-women-treated-in-New-York-City-for-gynecologic-cancers-not-at-increased-risk-of-death-from-COVID-19-Study/30-07-2020-303078/
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World Bank gives Zambia 142 mln USD to support women
empowerment, girls’ education
July 30, 2020
The World Bank has given Zambia 142 million U.S.
dollars which will go towards livelihood support for women and boost access to
secondary education for disadvantaged adolescent girls in extremely poor
households, the bank said on Wednesday.
In a release, the bank said the funds are for
additional support to the Girls Education and Women’s Empowerment which the
bank has been supporting.
The Swedish International Development Association
(SIDA) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID) which are
jointly funding the program have also provided 35 million dollars co-financing
grant.
According to the release, the project has supported
more than 28,000 girls from poor households by covering their secondary school
costs and about 75,000 women with livelihood packages, including life and
business skills, mentorship and support to form saving groups.
The project, according to the release, is also
supporting regular and predictable cash transfers to some 245,000 extreme poor
and vulnerable beneficiaries which have gone a long way in improving basic
consumption, resilience and investments in productive activities.
The financial support, according to the release, is to
protect the basic needs and human capital of the poor.
“With this support, we are hopeful that better human
capital outcomes will be attained through educating adolescent girls,
empowering women and supporting the poorest households with longer-term
investments, as well as enhancing government’s capacity to manage such
interventions,” Sahr Kpundeh, the World Bank Country Manager for Zambia said in
the release.
https://africa.cgtn.com/2020/07/29/world-bank-gives-zambia-142-mln-usd-to-support-women-empowerment-girls-education/
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Women Business Owners: Filling the Gap with The Right
Information
July 29, 2020
West Orange, NJ, July 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The
Product Boss (https://TheProductBoss.com) is a New Jersey based, woman-owned
company. They’re working to help strengthen women globally with resources that
teach them product-based selling.
Jacqueline Snyder and Minna Khounlo-Sithep saw a
bigger, brighter future and went for it. Then they taught other women how to do
the same thing. Entrepreneurs, take note. They’re creating a trail of wealth
not only for themselves but for the women they teach and guide. The women of
The Product Boss offer information on their website, courses, and a top-rated
business podcast. The Product Boss works hard to lift up other women, so they
too can reach their dreams.
The Product Boss’s area of expertise is an area that’s
often overlooked. While many businesses focus on service products, they help
people learn the ropes of product-based businesses. With a gap in the market,
they knew they could help. Jacqueline Snyder and Minna Khounlo-Sithep were
skilled and knowledgeable in this field. Sharing that information with women
who sell physical products became their mission.
In fact, they’re so good at what they do, they created
a mastermind group. Success? Absolutely. Not only are they thriving, but the
businesses in the mastermind groups are seeing huge gains in their own
businesses.
They speak on the importance of believing you can do
something, and mention, many entrepreneurs have self-limiting beliefs about what
they can accomplish. They put caps on what they think they can make
financially. With masterminds and digital courses, they help business owners
see beyond their self-imposed limitations.
One suggestion when starting out is to get a feel for
the information you’re considering jumping into. The Product boss offers free
advice on their popular business podcast, which allows you to get a feel of
what they’re digital courses and masterminds offer. The podcast is accessible
and offers a vast array of combined knowledge.
The Product Boss Podcast is a winner and a top
business podcast on Apple’s charts. It’s important for the founders to lift up
other women globally. They are inclusive in their reach, wanting to help women
across the world find the answers that work for them.
When it comes to Jacqueline Snyder and Minna
Khounlo-Sithep, they share a connection of not only being first-generation
American’s but also being the first in their families to get a college degree.
They not only saw what was possible but went after it, grabbing the brass ring.
The drive they feel in lifting other women and growing their community helps
feed their continual success. Success breeds success.
For the entrepreneur thinking of starting a
product-based business, it’s time to check out The Product Boss. They’re ready
to help you thrive, once you get your feet on the ground and your business
growing.
Their mastermind groups are for business owners who
are already at the point of growth but need help taking the next step. These
are six-figure and seven-figure businesses. Everybody has to start somewhere,
but the key is learning to start.
One final note, they don’t let change hold them back.
Pivoting is crucial in today’s world. With COVID-19, in a time when many
businesses are crumbling, they grew stronger. With quick thinking, they helped
their community learn new creative ways to work around the ever-changing
issues.
By having multiple streams of revenue, there is more
stability. They strongly stress that relying on one stream of revenue is
limiting, and can destroy your business if something massive changes. By having
multiple streams of revenue and visibility,
you’re able to adapt without losing your business.
If you’d like to know more about The Product Boss, be
sure to check out their signature digital course, today. Their website makes it
easy to see their full list of programs, resources, courses, and more.
You can find a grouping of their latest podcasts here
or on your favorite podcast resource. The Product Boss Podcast covers topics
such as strategies, leveling up, pivoting, being authentic, and so much more.
They also interview multiple successful business owners, so you get a
well-rounded look at how other businesses are thriving too.
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/07/29/2069557/0/en/Women-Business-Owners-Filling-the-Gap-with-The-Right-Information.html
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/women-police-officers-join-makkahs/d/122503