From Riyadh to Dubai to Doha Arab Female Reporters Leading the Way in Covering the Ukraine War
New Age Islam News Bureau
08 March 2022
• Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Congratulates Women on the Occasion of International Women's Day
• How Sarah Al-Tamimi Embodies Women’s Empowerment in
Modern Saudi Arabia
• Indian Muslim Women Professionals to Train Girls for
Free
• Indian Muslim Women Face Workplace Discrimination
for Wearing Hijab
• Women’s Day Special- AMU Crafting the Future of
Muslim Women Entrepreneur
• UN Stands with Afghan Women and Girls As They Are Impacted
By Conflict: UNAMA
• Women Diplomats Take Lead in Turkiye's Relations
with Africa
• British Embassy, Lakum Artspace Celebrate Saudi
Women Artists in Riyadh
• Woman With A Cause: Pakistan’s First Blind Diplomat
Working for More Accessible World
• International Women’s Day: How social media has
helped amplify women’s voices
• Aramco Saudi Ladies International to Host It’s First
Ever ‘Ladies Day’
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
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From Riyadh to Dubai to Doha Arab Female Reporters Leading the Way in Covering the Ukraine War
Aya Ramadan, a Syrian TV
host for Al-Aan in the UAE, began her career on social media before moving into
television. (Supplied)
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March 08, 2022
LONDON: When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began
almost two weeks ago, Middle Eastern news outlets were quick to respond,
deploying correspondents to report live from the ground.
With a particular focus on how the conflict might
impact the Arab world, newsrooms in Arab capitals, from Riyadh to Dubai to
Doha, have worked round the clock to keep their viewers informed with the
latest news and views about the crisis.
However, viewers region wide have noticed something
different about the recent coverage: Almost all of the correspondents deployed
by regional channels to cover the war are women.
Among the prominent Arab women covering the war is
Najlaa Aboumerhi, a war correspondent for Qatar’s regional news channel
Al-Araby TV. She has been reporting on the developments as they unfold from the
heart of Ukraine.
Previously at BBC Arabic, London-based Aboumerhi’s
reporting style has drawn praise for displaying both courage and charisma that
resonated well with Arab audiences.
“Reporting from a hostile environment needs some journalistic
qualifications and personal aptitude and skills that I believe I enjoy,
therefore when I was asked to be deployed to Ukraine, Kyiv by my editors at
Al-Araby TV, I immediately accepted the mission,” Aboumerhi told Arab News.
A mentor in the Marie Colvin Female Journalists’
Network, which is dedicated to the late American correspondent who was killed
while reporting on the Syrian war for London’s Sunday Times newspaper,
Aboumerhi described women’s experiences on the front line.
“I think we see more women reporters on the front line
due to many factors, not because women were less keen before, but because at
the decision-making level, the thinking has changed,” she said.
“In the last ten years, we witnessed a move that
pushed for more diversity in general, that led to giving the platform for more
women contributors, more presenters, allowing the natural progress for women to
reach a high level of seniority and to actually be able to lead.”
Another woman covering the war is Al-Hadath’s
Christiane Baissary, who recently tracked Russian troop movements as they
entered Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine live from the front line. Footage shows
Baissary and her team being asked to take shelter and move somewhere safer.
Another is Al-Arabiya News Channel’s Katia Tome, who
has extensive experience of the region after covering the annexation of Crimea
in 2014.
Other acclaimed correspondents covering the war
include Diala Khalili, reporting from Russia for Ashraq News, and Al-Jazeera’s
Ranya Dridri, who was sent to the Russia-Ukraine border to report live from the
ground.
“The safety of a human being and the journalist should
be regardless of how they identify themselves,” Amboumerhi told Arab News.
“The safety measures start from taking the necessary
steps to make the journalist ready and well equipped for the mission, and
provided with the knowledge and info they need on the ground to make the right
assessment for their safety.”
These women follow a long line of embedded female
correspondents who have reported from conflict zones.
Al-Arabiya’s Iraqi journalist Atwar Bahjat lost her
life reporting on the US invasion of Iraq. In 2006, she was hunted down and
shot in cold blood, along with her colleagues Adnan Al-Dulaimi and Khalid
Al-Fellahi, while covering a story in Samarra.
Other well-known conflict correspondents are Al
Arabiya’s Rima Maktabi and Najwa Qassem, who both covered the 2006 Lebanon war,
with the former being named among the world’s 100 most influential journalists
covering armed violence in a ranking by a UK-based charity.
Source: Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2038121/media
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Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Congratulates Women on the Occasion of International Women's Day
Representative Photo:
Menafn.com
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08 Mar 2022
The Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan has congratulated 8th March, the International Women’s Day to all
the women in the world.
In a statement released by the spokesperson of the
Ministry Abdul Qahar Balkhi reads the protracted wars in Afghanistan have been
too detrimental for women.
“IEA is committed to addressing the plight of Afghan
women, and providing facilities for an honorable and beneficial life in light
of the noble religion of Islam and our accepted tradition.” Reads the press
release.
This comes as the Ministry of women has been dissolved
and the Ministry of information and culture has not announced any gathering on
the occasion yet.
The Ministry of women has been replaced by the
Ministry of promotion of virtue and prevention of vice but officials of the
latter claim to be paying the salaries of all women who worked for the women’s
ministry. Meanwhile, the male staff of the ministry is still employed by the
ministry of vice and virtue.
The international community has been arguing that
human in particular women’s rights has been violated by the Taliban, a claim
that has been denied by the IEA.
The Taliban argue that women can work, go to schools,
and education in light of Sharia law.
Source: Khaama Press
https://www.khaama.com/iea-congratulates-8th-march-to-world-women/
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How Sarah Al-Tamimi Embodies Women’s Empowerment In
Modern Saudi Arabia
March 07, 2022
RIYADH: Sarah Al-Tamimi, the Human Rights Commission’s
deputy for international cooperation and vice chair of the National Committee
to Combat Human Trafficking, is a shining example of women’s empowerment and
leadership in modern Saudi Arabia.
Wearing an intricate pink abaya and a welcoming smile,
Al-Tamimi recently hosted Arab News at the Human Rights Commission in Riyadh
for an all-access tour and an opportunity to discuss her illustrious career
ahead of International Women’s Day.
Al-Tamimi has impressive credentials, holding a
bachelor’s degree in international relations from Tufts University,
Massachusetts, an MBA from MIT, and a master’s in public administration from
the Harvard Kennedy School.
She previously worked at the Saudi Investment
Authority, the Saudi Mission in Germany, and the Ministry of Media.
When Al-Tamimi began working for the Human Rights
Commission in 2019, she was the only woman in her department. This is now no
longer the case, she says proudly.
“For International Women’s Day, I would like to really
celebrate and recognize every single woman — no matter which sector she works
in, no matter what she does,” Al-Tamimi told Arab News.
“Because every contribution is a contribution and any
woman who goes out there and contributes for herself economically — this has a
tremendous impact, not only on her, but also her children, her family and the
society. Every single woman is integral and is important, and plays a big role
in Saudi Arabia.”
Since the Kingdom launched its Vision 2030 economic
and social reform agenda, women’s participation in public life and all sectors
of the economy has grown exponentially — helped along by the initiatives of the
Human Rights Commission.
“The share of Saudi women in the labor force has
increased 64 percent in just two years, to reach 33 percent — which is huge,”
said Al-Tamimi.
“We have a dedicated committee that is focused on
women’s rights and our board is composed of 50 percent women, and the Human
Rights Commission consistently works hand in hand with partner organizations
and government entities on various topics related to women to build on previous
successes.”
Al-Tamimi’s main professional focus, however, is
combatting human trafficking in the Gulf region, where governments have been
waging campaigns against the smuggling and abuse of migrant laborers and sex
workers.
“As Saudis, human rights are very much intrinsic to
the fabric of the society. It is part of our Islamic tradition and culture.
We’ve always had a culture of service and you can even see this through the
nonprofits that are around.
“I think, as you see with Vision 2030, it has a lot of
focus on fields that are extremely important for us. We are still signatories
to many conventions. This is a priority. And we are consistently putting work
into it.”
Al-Tamimi urges critics to visit Saudi Arabia to see
how far the Kingdom has come in the defense and respect of human rights.
“I would invite a lot of people in the West to come to
Saudi Arabia to witness it for themselves,” she said.
“There’s a lot of misconceptions and misperceptions
that are really very outdated, and the best way to really judge a place is to
come and experience it and see it. I very much look forward to more people
coming here and witnessing and living through all the changes that we see.”
In particular, Al-Tamimi wants the world to recognize
the progress made on women’s rights in the Kingdom.
“A myth that I’d like to quash about Saudi is myths
dealing with women and women’s rights,” she said.
“Women are so empowered. They have really taken charge
of their lives. The amount of sociocultural and economic changes and
empowerment given to women nowadays has been immense.
“Not just women driving — which we all know about —
but also women traveling, women taking custody of their children, women being
able to be heads of households, women at the workplace, women dealing with
retirement age, and a lot of different sectors opening up to women which were
previously closed.”
Source: Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2037966/saudi-arabia
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Indian Muslim Women Professionals To Train Girls For
Free
Mar 8, 2022
Lucknow: In a novel initiative, Muslim women
professionals will mentor young girls from socially weaker sections with Rising
beyond the Ceiling (RBTC) launching its free mentorship programme on the eve of
International Women’s Day.
RBTC is a group of 100 Muslim women honourees at
national-level and 100 at state-level. These women will now mentor young girls
on professional, educational, emotional, and financial matters.
“Why is a Muslim woman considered illiterate if she is
wearing Burqa or Niqab? If provided an opportunity, she can achieve anything
she desires. This is an opportunity we will provide to young girls from
socially weaker sections,” said RBTC UP coordinator and UP Sunni Waqf Board
member Sabiha Ahmad.
RBTC is not just helping in breaking the stereotype
about Muslim women but is also contributing to nation building, she added.
“Bringing women from different areas of work, such as
the women in uniform, in academics, arts, journalism and others, for mentoring
helps in building self confidence in young girls and gives wings to their
aspirations,” she said.
“Regardless of religion, any girl with the aspiration
to work in any field can get in touch with the organisation to seek whatever
help is required. The mentorship is free of cost, and we have started inviting
submissions for it apart from the current mentees being guided already,” she
added.
Source: Times Of India
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Indian Muslim Women Face Workplace Discrimination for
Wearing Hijab
Taniya Roy
08 Mar 2022
New Delhi: Thirty-year-old Wafa has learned over the
years to always disclose that she wears a hijab when she applies for a job in
order to avoid conflicts in the future.
Last year, Wafa had interviewed for a job in a public
relations company. Everything had gone well: the selection process, the
interview. There were even hints that she could receive an appointment letter.
But when she finally disclosed that she wears a hijab, first there was silence,
then a question.
“Will you be able to attend parties?” Wafa’s
interviewer asked her. “It won’t look good for the business.”
Wafa never heard from the firm again.
Looking elsewhere for work, Wafa applied for a
content-writing position with a firm that creates written content on Hinduism.
Her name did not stop the firm’s human resources
personnel from calling her for an interview, but after Wafa said that she wears
a hijab, the interviewer said he would get back to her after talking to his
manager and she never heard from them again.
“This has happened quite a few times,” said Wafa. “My
outer appearance is judged more than what is inside my head. It feels bad
because I’m not judged on the basis of my qualifications. I’m being judged from
the way I’m dressed.”
Wafa has learned that Indian society is selectively
inclusive. “It [society] makes me feel I am different. People from other
religions who wear visible religious symbols are not questioned. Sikh men, for
example, wear turbans and so do a certain section of Sikh women. Hindus wear
tilaks if they want to. But they are not asked to remove their religious
symbols before they come to the office.”
Wearing a hijab was Wafa’s personal choice. Until she
was in her third year of college, she showed off her long, silky hair. Her
decision to wear a headscarf was based on comfort: the hijab keeps the sun off
her head, neck and shoulders in the hot Delhi summer and ensures warmth in the
winter. “It was a personal choice,” she reiterated. “Some friends and
acquaintances tell me that I would look more beautiful without a hijab, but I
have the right to wear what I like.”
Material bias
Not all Muslim women wear the hijab – the headscarf
that covers the hair, neck and sometimes shoulders and chest. Nor do they
necessarily wear the niqab, a face veil that leaves the eyes uncovered, or the
burkha that covers the entire body from the top of the head to the feet, with
only a mesh screen allowing the wearer to see in front of her, or the jilbab, a
long, loose outer garment that covers the whole body and sometimes the head.
But somehow it is assumed that those who do wear these
symbols of their faith are either forced into them against their will or have
their faith so deeply ingrained in them that they may not be able to function
as independent women in a modern world.
Just as bad, it is sometimes assumed that women who
wear this attire are somehow worthy of suspicion, that they have something to
hide.
These assumptions are often made by people unfamiliar
with Islam. But when 26-year-old Aanya was in college some years ago, she had
faced these suppositions even from a selection board comprising Muslims. And
this happened not once, but twice.
In one instance, Aanya, the topper of her class at a
law college under the University of Kashmir, was not permitted to represent her
college at an event in Geneva because she wears a Jilbab.
At first, she had no idea why she was not selected,
since she was a good student, was confident about the event and had
participated in several similar competitions before. But later, a professor
confessed to her that she had been rejected because of her religious attire.
Only ‘fashionable’ women had been selected for the Geneva event, indicating
that they did not wear religious attire.
Even before this incident, the all-Muslim selection
committee for an intra-college debating competition did not select her for the
competition although they gave her a ‘trial’.
“Your speech was good, relevant, well-researched,” one
of the committee members had told Aanya. “But I couldn’t see your facial
expressions.”
Elsewhere, Aanya’s attire has made her an object of
suspicion. On one occasion, a stall owner in Srinagar asked her to show him her
hands because she had been wearing a burkha and he suspected that she had
participated in a theft. In another incident when she was still in college, she
was mistaken for a sex worker because she was in a burkha and waiting on the
street for a friend.
Hate and hurt
The hijab Shifa wore caused her to change her
profession from journalism to health counselling for the sake of safety. She
feels safer working at her government job than being a visibly Muslim
journalist in Delhi.
But Shifa, who has a bachelor’s degree in computer
application from the University of Kashmir and a master’s in convergent
journalism from the Central University of Kashmir, had not felt threatened when
she worked outside the office as a reporter while she interned at a newswire in
Delhi in 2014-15. Instead, the feeling that she was being targeted came from
her colleagues at the office, because they frequently made hurtful remarks
about her attire.
“Please remove your hijab,” a senior female colleague
had told Shifa. Other senior colleagues too had suggested, “Why don’t you
remove your headscarf?”
“They told me that people would be scared of me. I
asked them: are you scared of me,” said Shifa. “They used to pinpoint things
like that and I got very hurt. My dressing wasn’t very traditional. I wore
jeans and a kurti, and then a headscarf. I feel safe wearing a headscarf.
Nowadays I don’t wear scarf like that [a hijab]. But I still cover my head.”
Like Wafa, Shifa wonders why Hindu women in ghungats,
Sikh men in turbans and Christians who cover their heads are seldom the
subjects of petty discrimination. She can only blame the discrimination faced
by Muslim women in their religious attire on misinformation about Islam.
“Half-knowledge is dangerous,” Shifa said. “No
religion teaches hatred. And there are preachers who don’t know much about the
other religions they comment on. They don’t even have full knowledge of their
own religion; if they did, they would know that no religion teaches hatred.”
Unseen and unheard
Discrimination like this has existed for years, but
the environment for Muslim women in religious attire began to feel more unsafe
when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014.
In 2016, the Quint reported that the Delhi Public
School in Kashmir’s Athawajan had asked a 29-year-old teacher to discontinue
teaching at the school if she continued to wear an ‘abaya’. The teacher wore an
abaya that covered her entire body, as well as a hijab.
In school, we were all taught that the Constitution of
India guarantees equality of faith. Civics textbooks told us: “The Constitution
of India ensures secularism. The Constitution provides the freedom to its
people to practice, profess and propagate any religion, or not to follow any at
all. It also prohibits discrimination on religious grounds and provides equal
rights to all religions.”
However, since 2014 or even earlier, India has
witnessed a rise in the number of hate speeches, hate crimes and instances of
religious discrimination against Muslims.
In Udupi, Karnataka, right now, six students are not
allowed entry into their college unless they take off their hijabs. One of them
has moved the Karnataka high court, seeking a declaration that wearing a hijab
is a fundamental right guaranteed under Articles 14 and 25 of the Constitution
of India and is an essential practice of Islam.
When the case was heard on February 23, the Karnataka
government told the high court that there is no restriction on wearing the
hijab in India with reasonable restrictions subject to institutional
discipline. It dismissed the charge that disallowing women from wearing the
headscarf was a violation of Article 15 of the constitution, which prohibits
discrimination of every sort. It further said that the hijab is not an
essential religious practice.
Earlier on February 10, the Karnataka high court in
its interim order had temporarily restrained students from wearing any
religious attire like the hijab or saffron scarves in schools and colleges.
Since then, many hijab-clad students have protested against not being allowed
entry into college premises to write their exams. Many were even allegedly
forced to remove their hijabs and burkhas before entering their schools.
But India is not the only country where the hijab and
other religious attire of Muslim women leads to discrimination. In the West,
such discrimination is common.
A Harvard Business Review study published in 2017 shed
light on some of the biases that women who choose to wear a hijab may face on
the job market.
For the study, HBR conducted an experiment in which
they created three job applications for fictitious female candidates with
identical qualifications. The experiment was held in Germany because job
seekers in that country typically attach their photos with their resumes.
Two of the fictitious applicants had Turkish names,
and one of them wore a headscarf. The third fictitious applicant was given a
German name.
“I used a modern style of arranging the headscarf to
signal that the applicant was a young, modern woman who could easily fit into a
secular environment,” the author of the study wrote.
Around 1,500 applications from the three fictitious
women were sent out in response to job advertisements. The applicant who wore a
headscarf had to send 4.5 as many applications as the applicant with a German
name to receive the same number of call backs for interviews. The applicant
with a Turkish name but without a headscarf had to send 1.4 as many applications
as the German applicant.
In India, the Narendra Modi-led Union government
passed legislations that further marginalise Muslims, the largest minority
community in India, constituting nearly 15% of the population. And with the
falling labour participation rate of women due to patriarchal norms, Muslim
women face the double disadvantage of being female and Muslim.
According to a study conducted by the Economic Times
Intelligence Group in 2015, Muslims constituted approximately 2.7% of mid to
senior executives in the private sector. As of April 2018, only 1.33% of
officers in the central government holding the rank of joint secretary and
above were found to be Muslims.
The lack of women leaders is even starker. And Indian
Muslim women are practically invisible in the country’s workforce.
Cultural invisibility
In her previous workplace, an MNC that has a
medium-sized office in India, Wafa observed very unusual behaviour in the
celebration of festivals.
“At offices, people celebrate Diwali, Holi and
Christmas by decorating the workplace. But on Eid, Muslims bring food from
their home. It should be a two-way street,” she said.
Many organisations in the country do not include Eid
in their list of religious holidays. Wafa’s brother who works in the same
industry takes casual leave on Eid. “Many organisations get a list of 12
holidays to choose from, from which some firms exclude one Eid holiday while
some exclude both Eid holidays. Technically, Eid is for three days and not one
day,” said Wafa.
Wafa believes people form opinions about Muslims
without even making an effort to understand their culture. “I used to organise
celebrations for all the festivals at the office. I loved doing it. I organised
Christmas celebrations, ‘Secret Santa’ gift-giving, Diwali. But no one ever
wished me on Eid. They would only ask me to bring biryani from home,” she said.
She worked at this organisation for more than three
years and not only were her religious festivals mostly ignored, but she was
also forced to comment on the BJP and Hindu-Muslim relations in the country
despite clearly conveying that she was not comfortable sharing her opinions at
the time.
Eventually, she said: “As long as the BJP government
works for all, it is fine. But that’s not what’s happening on the ground. The
government is selectively inclusive.”
During the Shaheen Bagh protests against the
Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC),
Shifa stayed at Saket’s Maidan Gali. It was the safest place to be at that time,
she believed, even though the area was full of supporters of the CAA and NRC
who chanted incendiary slogans, sometimes led by senior members of the saffron
party.
“The environment in Delhi [during the protests] made
me feel unsafe,” Shifa said. “I eagerly waited to go back to my hometown in
Kashmir.”
The names of all the women interviewed for this essay
have been changed to protect their identities.
Source: The Wire
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Women’s Day Special- AMU Crafting the Future of Muslim
Women Entrepreneur
Syed Ali Mujtaba
8th March 2022
The Frank and Debbie Islam incubation center of the
Department of Business Administration at Aligarh Muslim University is crafting
the future of Muslim Women Entrepreneurs in Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere and
definitely the bells should toll for it on the women’s day that falls on March
8.
The incubation center mentors the women in their
craft, upgrading their skill base and providing them design and marketing
support. This enables the incubation center to bring applique craftswomen to
get trained in entrepreneurial skills to help start their small businesses.
This project was conceived during the world Alumni
summit of 2008 when Mr. Ameer Ahmad (MBA1978) and Mr. A.G. Danish (MBA1988)
committed Rs. 1 crore and Rs. 10 Lakh respectively for the building project
The project got a major fillip when Dr. Frank Islam, a
Washington-based AMU alumnus originally from Azamgarh and his wife Debbie
Driesman, through their Frank Islam and Debbie Driesman, pledged USD 2 million
for this project.
In addition to the contribution of Dr. Frank, the
project received contributions from other alumni, well-wishers, students,
faculty members, and others from India and all over the world.
This building of this innovative project is
constructed on a 3-acre plot in the Sir Syed House Complex. The Complex is the
new home of the Department of Business Administration and Faculty of Management
Studies and Research. The building is a state-of-the-art facility but maintains
the architectural legacy of AMU.
The construction began in May 2015 and the foundation
stone was laid on 15th February 2016. The Project was completed in a record
time of two years, creating a facility of 50000 sq feet, containing an academic
block, a faculty-cum-administrative block, a facility block comprising library
& IT facilities, and open areas. Phase 1 of this Building was inaugurated
on 12 Feb 2017 and it was occupied in June 2017.
Phase 2 of the project is being built with the help of
Dr. Nadeem Tarin, another distinguished and committed alumnus of AMU. This
phase shall house a seminar hall, an incubation center, additional classrooms,
including facilities for executive training.
The additional facilities will broaden the scope of
the MBA Department’s offering that has already started two additional Master’s
programmes, namely MBA (Islamic Banking and Finance) and MBA (Hospital
Management). Another MBA for working executive is due to be started soon. In
addition, phase 2 shall provide additional space for other incubating
start-ups.
Source: Siasat Daily
https://www.siasat.com/womens-day-special-crafting-the-future-of-muslim-women-entrepreneur-2287270/
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UN stands with Afghan women and girls as they are
impacted by conflict: UNAMA
08 Mar 2022
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
(UNAMA) in a statement said that the UN stands with the Afghan women and girls
as they face the consequences of multiple crises.
The press release that is made public on the occasion
of International Women’s Day on Tuesday, March 8 reads that women in Afghanistan are impacted
by a legacy of conflict, in addition to drought and a collapsing economy.
UNAMA further added that the above-mentioned crises
have plunged millions of Afghanistan into debt and humanitarian needs.
“What we are witnessing today in Afghanistan is a
crisis of catastrophic proportions. Everyone in the country is affected by the
current crises, but the situation for women and girls is particularly
concerning as their rights and access to opportunities have become increasingly
challenged,” said Deborah Lyons, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative
(SRSG) for Afghanistan.
UNAMA also acknowledged that granting equal part and
participation to Afghan women in all areas of public life will positively
impact the future of Afghanistan but vice versa denying the right to education
and work for women will limit the economy of the country.
Further, the press release added that durable peace
and stability in Afghanistan will not be achieved without the active role of
women in the economic and political life of the country.
Source: Khaama Press
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Women diplomats take lead in Turkiye's relations with
Africa
Gokhan Kavak
07.03.2022
Turkiye's women diplomats have played an important
role in building political, economic, and cultural relations with African
countries in the last 20 years.
Turkiye has been strengthening its diplomatic
relations with Africa and is now among the countries with the highest number of
diplomatic representations on the continent.
Women diplomats are at the forefront in 15 of the 43
embassies opened in Africa, including those in Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, South
Africa, and Togo.
Nur Sagman, the general director of the West and
Central Africa region at the Foreign Ministry, shared her experiences as the
former ambassador to Guinea.
She stated that her perspective on life changed in
Guinea, a West African country where she worked for about three and a half
years and that this task was a turning point in her profession.
"The sincere approach is, unfortunately, a style
that African people do not come across from other countries. However, many
African people have been victims of hidden agendas. Turkiye shows its
difference here. As a Turkish diplomat, I have sincerely established
friendships in my African duties with the power given to me by my state,"
she said.
Turkiye's Ambassador to Rwanda Burcu Cevik said that
she has been on duty since 2019.
"I am honored to represent our country in
geography like Africa, where conditions are known to be difficult. Rwanda is a
special country in its region and continent as it has provided peace and
security, and made strides in economic and social development after the
genocide 28 years ago," she said.
Cevik said that the advantage of being a female
ambassador was being a little more flexible in the field of communication.
"I can say that I did not encounter any special
difficulties while performing my profession as a woman. I believe that dignity
is not about gender, but about being able to do your job with lacquer. Although
diplomacy is traditionally seen as a male-dominated field in the world, I find
it positive that the number of female diplomats and the quality of the duties
they undertake is increasing in the world and in our country," she added.
Source: Anadolu Agency
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/women-diplomats-take-lead-in-turkiyes-relations-with-africa/2526801
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British Embassy, Lakum Artspace celebrate Saudi women
artists in Riyadh
RASHID HASSAN
March 08, 2022
RIYADH: In celebration of International Women’s Day
2022, the British Embassy in Riyadh, in collaboration with Lakum Artspace, has
organized an exhibition featuring the works of 20 Saudi women artists from
Riyadh, Jeddah, Alkhobar, Jazan and Abha.
Lakum Artspace, a local Saudi contemporary art hub,
curated the exhibition, which is part of the British Embassy’s project to mark
International Women’s Day and support aspiring Saudi women artists in the early
stages of their careers.
The exhibition will conclude on March 10, and will
open to public from Tuesday.
In addition to showcasing their work, the artists will
spend three days developing their communication and portfolio building skills
to build their future careers and public profiles, Dana Z Qabbani, Lakum
Artspace general manager, told Arab News.
The artworks are themed on “Impressions of the UK” and
are on display at Lakum Artspace in Riyadh.
Inaugurating the exhibition at a VIP preview on Monday
evening, Anna Walters, deputy British ambassador, said: “International Women’s
Day on March 8 is an opportunity for us to celebrate women’s achievements in
Saudi Arabia and around the world. We know that many women study art, yet few
get the opportunity to exhibit.
“Together with Lakum Artspace, we are delighted to
offer these highly talented women from different corners of Saudi Arabia a
platform to exhibit, raise the profile of their work and further build their
skills as female artists. Supporting female empowerment and leadership,
encouraging inclusion, and growing the creative industries are all shared priorities
for the UK and Saudi Vision 2030,” she added.
Speaking at the event, Neama Al-Sudairy, founding
director of Lakum Artspace, said: “Lakum Artspace was created to foster
collaborations and empower young Saudi women, specifically artists, to have the
confidence to showcase their work even at early stages. We hear their voices,
we support both established and young artists, and we help get their voices to
the community. We hope this collaboration will be the first of many more.
“Lakum Artspace takes pride in this collaboration with
the British Embassy in Saudi Arabia to support women on International Women’s
Day.”
Asma Alibrahim, one of the artists taking part in the
exhibition, said: “I found myself very attracted to art exhibitions and
galleries, so I decided to participate in this exhibit.”
Mariam Al-Jumaa, another artist, said: “Since I was
little, I was a huge fan of Queen Elizabeth. She is an exceptional personality
and she is the symbol of the UK in my perspective. My artwork that talks about
the queen is inspired by her style, colors and the UK flag.”
International Women’s Day grew out of the labor
movement to become an annual event recognized by the UN, and has become a date
to celebrate how far women have advanced in society, politics and economics.
The seeds were planted in 1908, when 15,000 women
marched through New York City demanding shorter working hours, better pay and
the right to vote.
International Women’s Day was first celebrated in
1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.
Things were made official in 1975 when the UN started
celebrating the day.
Every year on March 8, International Women’s Day is
celebrated to commemorate the cultural, political and socioeconomic
achievements of women.
Source: Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2038206/saudi-arabia
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Woman with a cause: Pakistan’s first blind diplomat
working for more accessible world
SAIMA SHABBIR
March 07, 2022
ISLAMABAD: Saima Saleem made headlines last year when
she addressed the UN General Assembly with a fierce speech in support of the
right of Kashmiris to self-determination. All cameras were on her as she sat
behind the Pakistan nameplate at the assembly’s hall and read her address
written in Braille.
Born in Lahore in 1984, Saleem lost her sight around
the age of 17 to a rare genetic disorder of the eyes that gradually causes loss
of vision.
An international humanitarian law graduate of the
Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, holding a
master’s degree in English literature from the Kinnaird College for Women in
Lahore, she became Pakistan’s first blind civil servant when she joined the
foreign office in 2008.
The stereotypes, prejudices and challenges, especially
institutional, that Saleem had to face as a woman and a person with a
disability did not discourage her, and with family support, she broke barriers,
set precedents and paved the way for others.
“I was the first visually impaired who joined not only
foreign service but the civil service of Pakistan. After that it gave
encouragement to a lot of blind students to aim for that and aspire to do
something that they always wished to,” Saleem told Arab News in an exclusive
interview last week.
Before Saleem’s admission, persons with disabilities
could only be employed as civil servants in sectors such as information, post,
commerce and trade.
During her exam, Saleem objected to the rules: “I told
them that civil service is about competence, merit and equal opportunity. If I
manage to secure a good position and am eligible for joining foreign service,
then there shouldn't be a bar on the basis of my disability.”
Once the results were announced, she was the
sixth-best candidate in Pakistan, and the Federal Public Service Commission
moved a summary for the prime minister to amend the rules.
“The civil service rules were amended,” Saleem said.
“That was something I think was a moment which gave me a lot of satisfaction
and it opened up the window for joining civil services for [those] who would be
joining in the years to come.”
Determined to achieve her career goals, Saleem reached
the world of international diplomacy and now serves as a counselor at
Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York.
At the same time, she knows her role does not end
there, as she is in a position to help make the world more accessible through
her example and advocacy.
“Most challenging thing for me was, if I may say it, a
challenge to make our society and the system understand that it is not your
disability that matters rather it is your ability that counts,” she said.
Saleem and her brother Yousaf Saleem have the same
vision disorder, and both received the support of parents who wanted them to be
educated and contribute to society. The sister became Pakistan’s first blind
civil servant, while the brother in 2018 became the country’s first visually
impaired civil judge.
“I want to be a source of awareness for so many people
around who would need more information and understanding of the challenge,”
Saleem said.
Her speech on the human rights situation in
Indian-controlled Kashmir — the world’s most militarized zone and the largest
region occupied by security forces, where the local population has for years
accused Indian troops of violations and targeting civilians — shined a
spotlight on her.
Her UN address came after an Indian delegate leveled
accusations against Pakistan, with which India has a longstanding dispute over
Kashmiri territory, as both countries rule it in part but claim it in full.
The speech was a part of Saleem’s professional duty,
but she said it also resonated with her convictions, education and own study,
as she has recently finished writing a book on the status of human rights in
Kashmir from a legal point of view.
“I, as a diplomat, was doing my official commitment
and responsibility,” Saleem said. “Perhaps what made it a little special was my
own passion to work for them (Kashmiris) and my own conviction that they are
experiencing one of the gravest human tragedies that is unfolding in the 21st
century.”
Source: Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2037941/world
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International Women’s Day: How social media has helped
amplify women’s voices
SANJAY KUMAR
March 07, 2022
NEW DELHI: When a group of Muslim girls at a school in
a southern Indian state were barred from wearing the hijab in January, they
staged a peaceful demonstration. Social media soon amplified their voices,
igniting a nationwide debate over women’s rights.
The controversy began at a government-run secondary
school in the Udupi district of Karnataka. Despite the protest, the local
administration backed the school’s decision and issued an order in February
that banned the wearing of the hijab and “clothes which disturbed peace” at
educational institutions.
However, after social media users and news outlets
picked up on the story, the small protest grew into larger public rallies,
spilling over into other states, and quickly became a national issue. Petitions
against the hijab ban have since been heard in the high court.
“The uproar on social media helped the news become
global, focusing on the larger issue of the rights of Muslim women in this
whole debate,” Hana Mohsin Khan, a Delhi-based commercial pilot and activist,
told Arab News.
“In the hijab controversy, it is through social media
that Muslim women found solidarity among people and right-thinking people.
Because of social media, Muslim women found so much support.”
Social media platforms have provided an important
forum for many women to share, raise their voices and communicate over a wide
range of issues. In the process, it has created a more level playing field for
women from different backgrounds and communities to participate in public
debate, allowing them to organize and speak collectively.
Perhaps the strongest example of this in recent years
is the #MeToo movement, which encouraged women worldwide to speak out about
instances of everyday sexism and harassment, encouraging solidarity and
emphasizing shared experiences.
Thanks to the growth of this new digital space,
women’s movements have become far more inclusive and representative,
strengthening the collective voice of disparate communities and clearing the
way for social reforms.
Muslims make up about 12 percent of the population in
Karnataka, where the vast majority of people are Hindu. Muslims and other
religious minorities are often left feeling alienated by state regulations,
which make it difficult for interfaith couples to marry and for people to
convert to Islam or Christianity.
The hijab ban has been viewed by many as
discriminatory.
“Muslim girls have been wearing hijab in this part of
the state and it has never been an issue. Now, because of that, some girls who
were in their final year had to miss their exams,” Aamna Kausar, a postgraduate
student in Udupi, told Arab News.
“The fact that the issue took a political turn is
largely due to social media. No doubt social media highlighted Muslim women’s
fundamental rights.”
While social media is designed for engagement, it has
become a potent tool for fostering civic participation.
For Shayma, a Muslim activist and doctoral student at
Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, social media has provided a platform
for those who would otherwise not have been heard.
“These kinds of small incidents have been happening on
a smaller scale all the time, but this time women students found a way to break
through their silence and put their voices forward, and the credit to a great
extent goes to social media,” she said.
“Lots of people who are at the receiving end of the
hijab controversy have been able to enunciate their issues.”
While women’s rights were the core of social media
activism surrounding the hijab controversy, Nadeem Khan, co-founder of United
Against Hate, a campaign group established by students, lawyers and
intellectuals, told Arab News the issue has since grown into a debate over
religious freedoms.
“The immediate attack was on the hijab, but, once the
issue was raised on social media, the first question that was asked was about
religious freedom,” he said.
“Social media highlighted the constitutional rights
for practicing one’s faith, discrimination that is taking place against Muslim
students in educational institutions and the issue of Muslim identity in
India.”
Source: Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2037991/media
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Aramco Saudi Ladies International to Host It’s First
Ever ‘Ladies Day’
March 07, 2022
JEDDAH — The Aramco Saudi Ladies International
presented by Public Investment Fund has announced that it will be hosting its
first ever Ladies Day on Friday, March 18, as part of the four-day $1million
tournament.
The celebration of both women’s golf and inspiring
Saudi females will form part of the ground-breaking Ladies European Tour event
when it returns to Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, King Abdullah Economic
City (KAEC), March 17-20.
All women attending the Ladies Day — set alongside the
stunning 'Instagrammable' backdrop of the Red Sea — can look forward to a free
day of entertainment on and off the course, with free golf clinics,
LET-professional led tuition, delicious food, gift-packs and the opportunity to
meet and chat with some of the biggest stars in women’s golf and motivational
Saudi females, including fitness influencer and YouTube star, ‘It’s Always
Hana’.
The Ladies Day announcement was made Sunday at a Media
Day organized by the Aramco Saudi Ladies International to celebrate
International Women’s Day and to look ahead to next week’s tournament.
Majed Al Sorour, deputy chairman and CEO of Golf Saudi
and the Saudi Golf Federation said: “Women’s golf in Saudi Arabia is continuing
to grow with interest and participation increasing steadily year on year.
“Using our flagship events, alongside our partners
Aramco, we know we can really inspire and empower more women to experience the
sport like never before as our journey to transform the sport in the Kingdom
continues.
“Our Ladies Day is open for all and gives an
opportunity to either pick up a club for the first time with friends or simply
enjoy watching and meeting the world’s biggest stars in the sport in a stunning
location.”
Moroccan golf star Maha Haddioui, the first Arab woman
to play on the Ladies European Tour, added: “It’s been amazing to witness more
and more women get into golf in Saudi Arabia and for newcomers to the sport to
message me on social media every time we play here.
“I’m excited to be part of Ladies Day and to meet
future golf fans and anyone wanting to come out and experience this amazing
sport for the first time.”
Introductory golf coaching schools will be run
throughout the day on the course’s driving range, where the competing players
themselves will warm-up before taking to the course.
Running from 2 p.m., the sessions will provide
beginners tips and guidance for any women and girls wishing to get into the
sport or simply learn more about it.
That will be followed by lunch in the tournament’s fan
zone, before chats and selfies with some of the world’s best female golfers and
live golf.
The day will culminate with attendees being escorted
to Royal Greens Golf & Country Club’s iconic 16th hole — dubbed as one of
the most beautiful holes in golf by the world’s best men’s and women’s golfers
— on a range of luxury 12-seater golf buggies, for photos and refreshments over
sunset, before the hosting of a ‘Ladies First Fashion Show’ at the tournament’s
Aramco Energy Zone following play finishing for the day.
Those who attend will also be eligible to sign-up for
more information around becoming a member of the Ladies First Club: Golf
Saudi’s free learning initiative for women and girls looking to take up the
game.
As members of the Ladies First Club, receive a
year-round calendar of complimentary golf lessons, full 18-hole rounds and
social activities.
To be part of Ladies Day, simply register for a free
ticket for the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by Public Investment
Fund by visiting www.golfsaudi.com, where you can also discover further
tournament information. — SG
Source: Saudi Gazette
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