Saudi Arabia Calls for Stronger Links Between UN Women And GCC
New Age Islam News Bureau
27
Jun 2020
Saudi Arabia stresses women’s empowerment in the Arab world. (SPA)
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•
Saudi Female Royal Guard’s Picture Evokes Pride, Joy
•
Egypt Asks Women To Delay Pregnancy Amid COVID-19
•
Muslim Women Constitute A Trillion-Dollar Market, New Makeup Brand Shade M Is
Directed Squarely at It
•
Meet the Woman Teaching Self-DefenseTo Muslim Women In NYC
•
Saudi Arabia Ranked Arab World’s Best Country for Women In 2020
•
A UAE-Based Start-up Addresses Gaps in Women’s Medical Care
•
Saudi Arabia Employs Women In All Public Sectors, Helping In Their Empowerment
•
Pak Judge Allows Hindu Woman to Live with Husband After She Denied Forced
Conversion
•
‘Women of The World’ Global Festival Goes Online
•
From Poisonings To Beheadings, 'Honour Killings' In Iran Gets A Fresh Spotlight
With Social Media
•
Chechnya’s Leader Hinders Justice for Domestic Violence Victim
•
UN Women, KP Ombudsperson Launch Toolkit to Eliminate Workplace Harassment
•
Provision of Equal Opportunities to Women Essential for
Country's Development: Governor
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/saudi-arabia-calls-stronger-links/d/122231
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Saudi
Arabia calls for stronger links between UN Women and GCC
June
27, 2020
JEDDAH:
Saudi Arabia has called for greater cooperation between UN Women (the UN Entity
for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment) and Gulf Cooperation Council
countries, in a bid to further implement the UN Women 2018-2021 strategic plan.
The
Kingdom made the statement at a virtual annual meeting of the UN Women
executive board.
“The
extraordinary circumstances of 2020 posed a challenge to the progress made in
regard to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the
empowerment of women and girls,” Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Mission to the UN
said.
It
added: “As the current Women 20 (W20) Presidency, Saudi Arabia’s theme of
‘Putting Women at the Heart of the G20’ adds to the pillars of labor inclusion,
financial inclusion and digital inclusion that have been introduced by previous
G20 presidencies — a fourth pillar of inclusion in decision making.”
As
the current Arab Women’s Committee Presidency, Saudi Arabia “stresses women’s
empowerment in the Arab world, with a focus on the 2030 agenda for sustainable
development and the follow-up to the recommendations of the ministerial conference
on women’s empowerment and its impact on social development.
“As
a member of the executive board of the UN Women and the Commission on the
Status of Women, Saudi Arabia reaffirms the importance of ensuring that UN
Women is responsive to the needs and priorities of recipient countries.
“As
such, for the work of UN Women to achieve concrete and lasting results, there
needs to be a stronger level of collaboration and coordination with these
countries, taking into account their national interests, development
priorities, and the support they need; and stresses taking into account lessons
learned so far from COVID-19, to ensure better preparedness in the event that
similar crises occur in the future,” the Saudi mission said.
The
statement added: “We all perceive the significance of 2020 as it marks
milestone anniversaries for the UN and women, be it the UN 75th anniversary,
the 10th anniversary of UN Women, the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World
Conference on Women and adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for
Action (1995), and the 20th anniversary of UN General Assembly resolution 1325,
not to mention the 10-year countdown to the Sustainable Development Goals. In
short, it is a pivotal year for gender equality and the empowerment of women and
girls.”
Referring
to the coronavirus outbreak, the statement said: “A lesson learned from the
coronavirus pandemic is that addressing the health crisis as well as the
socioeconomic impacts of this pandemic, particularly on women and girls, and
especially as we enter the Decade of Action of the Sustainable Development
Goals, requires system-wide approaches and further collaboration between
relevant UN agencies, as well as stronger regional and international
partnerships.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1695941/saudi-arabia
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Saudi
Female Royal Guard’s Picture Evokes Pride, Joy
27
June 2020
A
picture of a Saudi female Royal Guard standing beside her colleague circulated
on Twitter, highlighting the gains Saudi women have recently made from new
employment opportunities to more social freedoms.
For
years, Saudi women were unable to serve in the military or drive, and strict
guardianship laws limited their freedom of movement.
But
now, under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as part of the
Kingdom’s ambitious Vision 2030 plan, women have earned more rights and
freedoms. In February 2018, Saudi Arabia gave women the opportunity to join the
military working in security services for the interior ministry, departments of
criminal investigations, security patrol and pilgrimage security. In October
2019, the Kingdom opened the armed forces to women, saying they would be able
to serve in the ranks of private first class, corporal or sergeant.
Prince
Sattam bin Khaled al-Saud tweeted the photo, saying “One of the duties of the
Royal Guard is to provide protection and security for the king and his guests
during celebrations and conferences. Accordingly, the role of women in the
Royal Guard will be to accompany the guests or women delegations that accompany
the guests and deal with them and this is a beautiful and important thing.”
It
is unclear when the photo was taken.
Another
account, Saudi Women Stories, tweeted saying the photo was “an honourable and
beautiful image of Saudi women in the Royal Guard.
The
Royal Guards mission is to protect the House of al-Saud, and units of the Royal
Guard protect the royal family around the clock.
Guard
members also perform duties as professional soldiers and have a reputation as
some of the most elite and skilled soldiers in the Saudi Army, Gulf News
reported.
In
2018, when women first made inroads to serving in the military, around 20
percent of the Saudi female population was unemployed, according to World Bank
figures. Part of Vision 2030 is to provide more jobs to Saudi citizens,
including women.
As
the Kingdom seeks to modernize, women earned the right to drive in June 2019. A
few months later in August, the long-standing guardian laws reformed and women
no longer required permission from a male guardian to obtain a passport and
travel abroad, and also gained the right to register births of their children,
obtain family records, and live apart from their husbands.
At
the time, Princess Reema Bandar al-Saud, the Saudi Ambassador to the United
States tweeted “These new regulations are history in the making.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/variety/2020/06/27/Photo-of-Saudi-female-Royal-Guard-highlights-gains-women-have-made-in-the-Kingdom.html
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Egypt
asks women to delay pregnancy amid COVID-19
Jun.
26, 2020
CAIRO
- 26 June 2020: Egypt’s Ministry of Health has advised women to postpone
pregnancy amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
In
a statement issued on Friday, the ministry stated that the virus could cause
blood clotting and, consequently, affects the placenta which feeds the baby.
The virus could cause other symptoms to the pregnant woman, the statement
added.
The
Population's Family Planning Sector at the ministry said that women’s immunity
becomes lower during the pregnancy period, making them more vulnerable to the
infection. The sector added that babies could be affected by the virus.
Egypt
recorded, Thursday, 1,569 new coronavirus cases, upping the total number of
confirmed cases to 61,130.
In
a statement, Spokesman for the Health Ministry Khaled Megahed said 83 patients
have died from the virus over the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to
2,533.
https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/89003/Egypt-asks-women-to-delay-pregnancy-amid-COVID-19
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Muslim
Women Constitute A Trillion-Dollar Market, New Makeup Brand Shade M Is Directed
Squarely at It
JUNE
26, 2020
Muslim
women aren’t a niche. They’re members of the fastest-growing religious group on
earth and constitute more than 12% of the world population. Despite their
numbers and spending power estimated at around $1 trillion, NourKhalife and
Jolie Nubani, beauty industry veterans of Palestinian and Lebanese Dutch
descent, respectively, felt they were given short shrift by entrenched
companies. They decided to create what they saw missing in the market: A
halal-certified makeup brand speaking to Muslim women as the strong force they
are. The brand, Shade M, launched in February with lipstick right before the
pandemic disrupted life in the United States. Beauty Independent talked to
Nubani about launching at the precarious time, focusing on lipstick first,
influencer marketing and moving into mainstream retail.
Tell
us about your professional background and what led to your brand.
We
met over ten years ago working at L’Oréal. Nour managed Yves Saint Laurent, and
has also worked with Chanel and Benefit Cosmetics. I worked with Giorgio Armani
Beauty in both the Middle East and U.S. markets. Between the two of us, we have
over 18 years of experience. Working in dynamic global luxury beauty brands and
markets taught us so much about strategy, passion, leadership, growing a makeup
business and also allowed us to identify market gaps. It was so obvious that
there was a narrow scope regarding representation and production of products
for ethnic women like ourselves. We decided to create Shade M for every shade.
[It’s a] highly pigmented, clean, halal-certified, PETA-approved vegan and
cruelty-free makeup brand. We believe in everyone loving and owning who they
are, being the truest form of themselves and screaming, “I am my own shade!”
The brand has a mission to drive this message into a global reality.
How
do halal principles relate to beauty?
Vegan
and clean beauty have been a movement for many years, halal actually goes hand
in hand with the growing trend. Halal ties directly with the ethos of vegan and
cruelty-free cosmetics, which are increasingly becoming a standard. Regardless
of the morals that guide you, halal products are suitable for everyone. From a
marketing perspective, we happily highlight and educate everyone around all of
our brand promises. Contrary to popular belief, halal isn’t limited to the
Islamic diet and regulations circling the consumption of food and drink. Halal
extends to beauty, too. Simply put, halal makeup doesn’t include animal-derived
ingredients, alcohol or GMOs that are deemed unclean in Islam. Shade M is proud
to be halal-certified by RACS, a halal certification body registered with ESMA
[Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology].
What
are the intricacies involved with creating a line aimed at a diverse audience?
It’s
not about a certain product, it’s a pigment. Many brands think, “I’ll just put
enough shades in a range of foundations, and I’ll be inclusive,” but that’s not
how it works. You might have 100 shades, but, if the undertones and base
pigmentation aren’t formulated correctly, the product oxidizes on skin, which
can be a major issue because it means the product goes whiter. For a person
with darker or more olive skin tones, this just doesn’t work. Additionally,
pigmentation means coverage. To be inclusive, we’ve made it a top priority that
every product we create has the deepest pigmentation possible. This makes them
versatile working for the lightest to darkest shade of skin tone because we
genuinely believe everyone should have an equal experience across products.
Who
are Shade M’s customers, and how do you plan to reach them?
Shade
M is for every woman, but especially those who have been underrepresented in
mainstream beauty—the ethnic woman—with a special focus on the Muslim woman who
represents over 1 billion women in the world, but is rarely seen. We wanted to
design products that showcase how awesome and diverse these women are while
still being inclusive of women belonging to different minority groups who are
often marginalized in the beauty realm.
Shade
M has been designed and developed hand in hand with real women, from product
development to partnerships with female artists from around the world, it’s
made with ethnic diversity and representation in mind. For our first product,
Muse matte liquid lipstick, we were super excited to collaborate with an
amazing Saudi-based digital artist Fida Al Hussan, whose work is centeredaround
furthering the conversation of women worldwide. Fida embodies the same ethos as
Shade M. She is a strong and confident woman who moves against the tide of
society while making strides and positively impacting the world along the way.
She truly is a muse!
How
did Muse come to be?
Lipstick
is an experimental category that people always love to try. We didn’t want to
make just any lipstick, we were obsessed with making our lipstick better for
you. Selecting the shades was such a big deal for us. We made it a mission to
cover the best shades of nudes, pinks, reds and purples, but we also pushed the
norms and offered a silver lipstick that can be mixed with our other shades or
used on its own for the more non-conventional consumer. The range includes 15
shades of matte liquid lipsticks, which we lovingly named Muse after all of the
women who inspired us to create Shade M.
Muse
is made in Italy, meaning we are free of a lot of not so great ingredients
commonly found in makeup like sulfates, SLS and SLES, parabens, formaldehydes,
formaldehyde-releasing agents, phthalates, mineral oil, retinylpalmitate,
oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan and triclocarban. We are happy to
say that we have really achieved a better-for-you formula with no compromise on
pigmentation and end result for every skin tone.
Shade
M is focused on direct-to-consumer distribution now. What’s the e-commerce
strategy, and are there plans to branch into retail?
For
now, we are direct-to-consumer via our own website shademeauty.com. Seeing the
landscape that has evolved during COVID makes it even more obvious that
e-commerce isn’t just a must have, it’s the core of our retail strategy. Our
ambition is to be the first highly pigmented, clean, halal-certified, PETA
approved, vegan and cruelty-free brand to be sold in mainstream retail. We want
every woman to see a version of herself in a makeup brand while not having to
sacrifice on quality of product or shade availability. There are so many
amazing retailers worldwide. Our first markets of focus are the U.S. and U.K.
We anticipate partnering with one key retailer per market exclusively.
How
do you divide the roles of the founders, and who else is on the team?
Our
roles all decisions are made together, and we really enjoy working with each
other. There’s a lot of respect in our relationship which is key. NourKhalife
is the co-founder and CEO responsible for execution and management of all
finance, logistics, legal and business development segments of Shade M. I,
Jolie Nubani, am the co-founder and CMO responsible for the operational and
development marketing, product development, PR and customer service. We have a
junior marketing and PR employee who has been critical in helping us manage our
influencer partnerships, PR outreach and a number of other admin items that
genuinely are helping us grow. We’re a small team of only three. We outsource
all technical roles, legal, financial, etc. We really focus on maintaining a
lean outsourced employee model.
How
has the pandemic affected the brand’s trajectory?
We
launched in February 2020. Our first month was amazing. Then, the onset of
COVID really started to impact markets globally. Unfortunately, with lockdowns
in place everywhere, the impact to our brand occurred since we are selling
lipsticks, but we believe that, as we start to go back out, socialize and enter
into a new phase, this temporary impact will hopefully lift.
Was
there any fear or hesitation in creating Shade M?
No,
we really saw the need for Shade M. We weren’t afraid of starting it, but that
doesn’t mean it’s been an easy road. There have been many moments where we
questioned our process, but there have been even more wins that keep
encouraging us and reminding us that Shade M resonates and speaks to the
community.
How
does Shade M work with influencers?
The
core principle of Shade M is to build a brand for and with our consumer. From
day one we’ve been cultivating our brand story, product assortment and naming
with influencers and their audience. We really find the ones who believe in the
brand as in it genuinely speaks to them versus those that are simply paid.
Those are always our most rewarding relationships. We have been lucky to work
with some amazing women around the world.
What
advice would you give to other entrepreneurs in the indie beauty space?
Being
an entrepreneur is like riding a roller coaster. You don’t know which twist or
turn is coming up. You have a vision in mind, and you have to be prepared to
know that things will not go the way you want. You need to be agile,
open-minded, curious and on a continuous mission to learn and to listen.
Nothing happens without challenges. Together we’ve done an excellent job
working as a team, with full transparency, honesty and trust, and that has
allowed us to make each struggle an optimistic learning experience. We advise
any brands to really work together and not sweat the small stuff, just go for
it!
https://www.beautyindependent.com/muslim-women-trillion-dollar-market-new-makeup-brand-shade-m/
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Meet
the woman teaching self-defense to Muslim women in NYC
Katie
Mather
June
27, 2020
Malikah
is a global grassroots organization and network that aims to train women in
power. The movement offers classes for things like self-defense, financial
literacy and healing.
Founder
RanaAbdelhamid had grown up listening to horror stories from her older female
relatives but experienced her first hate crime firsthand when she was only 15
years old.
When
Abdelhamid founded Malikah, she drew from her experience of growing up with an
immigrant family that understood the power and importance of community.
“I
really wanted to understand what happened to me and be able to talk about what
happened to me to people who would understand,” Abdelhamid told In The Know
about the beginning of Malikah.
Malikah
started out as a self-defense class Abdelhamid taught at her local mosque.
Soon, thousands of women across the globe were interested in the message
Abdelhamid was spreading through Malikah.
“‘Malikah’
means queen, it means power, it means beauty,” Abdelhamid explained. “And our
vision has to do with transforming the way women see their own power.”
Abdelhamid’s
message expands to every woman in New York City. Her ideal goal is to have
every young woman in high school take a class and recognize her own power.
“I
feel so lucky and privileged when they do a technique and they light up and
they’re like, ‘Oh my God, it worked!'” Abdelhamid said about her students. “The
Aha! moment when women realize the power of their body and realize that they
actually can defend themselves — it’s really powerful.”
Abdelhamid
knows that with these women recognizing their power, change is inevitable.
“What
would the world look like if all women were safe? If all women were powerful?”
she asked. “I get goosebumps just thinking about it.”
If
you enjoyed reading this article, you might also want to check out the
21-year-old activist leading the fight against period poverty.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/meet-the-woman-teaching-selfdefense-to-muslim-women-in-nyc-200813176.html
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Saudi
Arabia Ranked Arab World’s Best Country for Women In 2020
June
27, 2020 08:35
Samir
Salama
Abu
Dhabi: Saudi Arabia has been ranked Arab world’s best country for women, and
89th globally, according to a new report recently published by the CEOWORLD
magazine.
Oman
was ranked second in the Arab world and 91st globally, while Jordan came third
regionally and 96th globally.
The
UAE was ranked 4th in the Arab world and 100th globally. Qatar, Kuwait, Libya,
Egypt and Bahrain followed in the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th in the Arab world
and 107th, 111th, 117th, 124th, and 128th globally, respectively.
Sweden
was ranked the best country in the world for women, according to a new report
recently published by the CEOWORLD magazine.
Denmark
and the Netherlands follow up in second and third place, respectively. Norway
ranks 4th. Eight out of the top ten countries for women are in Europe,
including Finland (No. 6), Switzerland (No. 7), France (No. 9), and Germany
(No. 10); the list also included Canada (No. 5) and New Zealand (No. 8). The
2020 rankings placed Luxembourg in 11th ahead of Austria 12th; while Italy
ranked 13th and Spain 14th. Overall, among the top 20 best countries in the
world, for women to live, the 15th, 16th, and 17th positions are held by Japan,
Australia, and the United Kingdom.
There
is a universal pattern of discrimination and crime against women, but volume
and intensity differ from country to country. Regional, racial, and
socio-economic factors play a crucial role in determining the objectification
of the feminine body and gender equality. Frankly, there is no country in the
world that is 100% safe for women with the freedom to live equally. But, some
countries are better than others when it comes to equal rights, social
inclusion, and a sense of security. Based on a survey of nearly 256,700 women
around the world, CEOWORLD magazine has released its annual ranking of the Best
Countries for Women.
To
produce the Best Countries for Women list, 156 countries were given scores
across 9 attributes: gender equality, percentage of legislative seats held by
women, sense of security (females 15 years and older who report feeling safe
while walking alone at night), income equality, care about human rights, women
empowerment, average years of education among women, women age 25 and older who
are engaged in paid work, and women’s inclusion in society.
Scandinavian
countries dominated the list. The latest data show that some of the worst
countries for women have achieved gains, even as some of the best are lagging
in crucial areas.
There
is no doubt women are participating more and have relatively more liberty to
rise and shine in the modern era, but the rate of progress is very slow,
especially in third world countries. In simple terms, half of the world
population is living with a sense of insecurity, and we cannot ever make this
world a better place with the half population living in fear, the report said.
If you compare the level of women’s empowerment around the world, measured in
terms of security, justice, and inclusion, then you will find European
countries, especially Scandinavian countries doing great. In contrast, some
developed countries are still far behind in the race to create a holistic
ecosystem for women to flourish with freedom, the report said.
https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/saudi-arabia-ranked-arab-worlds-best-country-for-women-in-2020-1.1593232630206
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A
UAE-Based Start-up Addresses Gaps in Women’s Medical Care
June
26, 2020
DUBAI:
Investment in the Middle Eastern health care sector is booming. Over $144
billion will be plowed into medical facilities across the Middle East and North
Africa by the end of 2020, with Gulf Cooperation Council nations contributing
more than half of the total expenditure, according to Al-Masah Capital.
But
while much attention is being paid to the region’s general rise in
non-communicable diseases, more focus must be given to female-specific health
issues, says Sophie Smith, founder of UAE-based startupNabta Health.
“Women’s
health has been under-researched and underfunded since time memorial,” she
said. “So much global testing is still done only on men, which means women
still get adverse reactions to medicines, for example.”
Nabta,
which she dubs a “hybrid health care” company, aims to address gaps in local
women’s health care, and to make affordable and accessible health care
available to the next generation of women.
According
to Smith, a new model of health care is required, “one that improves clinical
outcomes by removing some of the inherent inefficiencies in the health care
ecosystem.”
Nabta
says it uses a combination of digital solutions and cutting-edge research to
slash time and expenses in treating regional female health care issues.
The
social enterprise also supports women by providing hundreds of health-related
articles on its online portal www.nabtahealth.com and social media support
groups in Arabic and English.
Nabta’s
business model is based around care pathway models. Its first pathway concerns
fertility and enables the diagnoses of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a
condition that Smith says is responsible for around 70 percent of local
infertility.
The
Nabta solution for PCOS incorporates a pay-as-you-go virtual consultation and a
48-hour couriered blood test.
“We
can diagnose in three months rather than years, and for significantly less than
it would cost in a clinic. Our solution affords women more privacy and
autonomy,” Smith said.
In
the coming years, Nabta hopes to deliver care pathways for ailments such as
endometriosis, gestational diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and reproductive
cancers, as well as PCOS aftercare.
Concerned
by what she views as a “provider-led and provider-centric” health system in the
UAE, Smith stresses that Nabta is an independent company, focused on bettering
women’s health care.
“The
local health care system is very commercially driven. A lot of the laboratories
and health care providers are given kickbacks. Patients often get given tests
they don’t need because of commissions,” she said.
“We
don’t take kickbacks. We’d happily see that aspect of the health care system
eliminated forever.”
Nabta,
which is headquartered in Sharjah Innovation Park, has partnered with the
University of Sharjah to help expedite its research and development ambitions.
“Our
plan this year is to sign some joint ventures so we can more effectively
innovate on a pathway-by-pathway basis and really become more disruptive in
women’s health care,” Smith said.
The
social enterprise is also focused on closing its seeding round, before
launching its Series A round in June.
Smith,
who initially set up Nabta with $110,000 of combined co-founder funding, says
she wants to build a “trusted global leader in women’s health.”
She
added: “We want to acquire companies that can help us add to our services. The
more money we make, the more people we can help.”
Currently,
Nabta employs 21 people across the region, including five developers based in
Egypt.
“In
this region, there’s a huge amount of growth potential for female-focused
hybrid health care solutions,” Smith said.
“We
eventually will export globally, but for now we’re very much focused on the
Middle East,” she added.
“Nabta,
which means blossoming plant in Arabic, is here to support women’s health care
as they blossom throughout their lifetime.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1695841/middle-east
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Saudi
Arabia Employs Women In All Public Sectors, Helping In Their Empowerment
June
27, 2020
Samir
Salama
Abu
Dhabi: Saudi women are not new to working in the public security areas. Rather,
they began their activities in the various security military departments over
20 years ago, under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior.
However,
women's work in various military sectors witnessed a remarkable development
with the launch of the vision of the kingdom, which was keen on empowering women
and raising their participation in the workforce to 30% by 2030.
Ministry
of Defense
The
most important step in this regard is the Ministry of Defense's announcement to
open the doors of acceptance and recruitment for women who wish to enter the
military corps for jobs at the rank of “first soldier, corporal, sergeant
agent, sergeant.”
Saudi
women have worked for years in the Ministry of Defense in non-combat sectors,
such as medical, cultural and social specialties, but the new jobs offered are
directly related to the military sector, and the women who pass the entrance
exams will be given military ranks.
General
Security
The
importance of Saudi women’s working in the military sectors led to their
involvement in recent years with military ranks in the public security
services, including drug control, prison departments, criminal investigation
departments, customs, security guards in many markets and government and
private hospitals, to work in the service of women, reducing crimes committed
by women, in addition to the operating rooms.
Women
are also employed at checkpoints, when women undergo self-inspection, checking
the national identity and verifying the image.
Traffic
Department
The
women became involved in the Traffic Department, after they were allowed to
drive cars, as their presence in the sector became a necessity, especially with
regard to arresting women involved in accidents or violations.
After
successful applicants pass admission, they will undergo advanced professional
foundation courses in order for women to be able to perform their work to the
fullest.
Consolidated
Operations Center
A
number of Saudi women have joined the women's section of the National Center
for Unified Operations since its inception in 2017, starting with 25 employees
and in less than three years the number of female civil servants reached 137
employees, holding educational qualifications as masters in multiple languages.
Military
workers also joined the King Fahd Security College during the past days,
including more than 230 military personnel, bringing the number of the female
component to the new center 911 to about 400 employees, and this new center
serves everyone and includes all security sectors and some service sectors, to
provide better service in the areas of emergency and other humanitarian
services, by receiving calls and tip-offs and relaying them to the competent
authority.
Civil
Defense
The
civil defense departments encouraged Saudi women to join and to develop a
culture of prevention and disaster response. Women overcame obstacles
encountered during their work in the civil defense by gaining a lot of
experience.
The
female component of the civil defense is subjected to training through basic
individual course, and then they are enrolled in specialised military training,
and their work is currently limited to inspection, safety, and inspection of
women's sites and gatherings, whether in commercial or other institutions.
Police
Saudi
women play an active role in the police, so female civil servants take up all reports
received at the police station. As for newly-graduated soldiers, they work to
monitor girls’ runaway incidents.
The
female military component is well prepared through various specialised training
courses, to prepare them well in the future.
Passports
The
General Directorate of Passports has established several standards and
conditions for female applicants to fill military positions, and has cooperated
with the relevant ministries in empowering female civil servants in the
passport sector.
It
finally received female applicants at the rank of soldier to work in the
General Directorate of Passports, and began acceptance and registration
according to certain criteria.
The
Directorate established a specialised center for post-admission, and last year
accepted more than 667 female employees at the rank of soldier to work in the
passport outlets.
Women
are enrolled in training courses on passport systems, ports and passenger
handling systems, whether at arrival or departure lounges.
Women's
Training Institute
The
first women's training institute for public security was opened last year.
The
number of female graduates reached 178 female soldiers.
The
institute trained the first female class in the Kingdom for basic training for
a period of four months, which included unified curricula prepared by the
Ministry of Interior to teach it to all sectors and categories of the Ministry
of the Interior, in addition to training in physical fitness, control, and
infantry.
Saudi
women have proven that they are able not only in the field of education and
other medical and administrative fields, but also in carrying out security work
efficiently and professionally.
https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/saudi-arabia-employs-women-in-all-public-sectors-helping-in-their-empowerment-1.1593236245176
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Pak
Judge Allows Hindu Woman to Live with Husband After She Denied Forced
Conversion
26
JUNE 2020
Karachi,
Jun 26 (PTI) A judicial magistrate in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province has
allowed a Hindu woman to live with her husband after her parents accused him of
kidnapping their daughter and forcibly converting her to Islam.
Reshma,
who is from GarhiSabhayo in the southern Sindh province, went missing after
leaving her home on June 17.
Her
parents suspected DilMuradChandio of having kidnapped and forcibly converting
Reshma to Islam in order to marry her.
Reshma,
who belongs to the Bagri community, appeared in the court in DeraAllahyar this
week with her husband and declared that she was over 20 years and married
Chandio of her own free will.
She
said she had taken the Muslim name Bashiran after converting to Islam.
The
judicial magistrate allowed her to go to her husband.
Her
parents had lodged a complaint at the Saddar police station in Jacobabad.
The
Hindu community leaders have protested in the past over the increasing number
of young Hindu girls being converted to Islam and married to Muslim men in
interior Sindh.
They
say that in majority of the cases the girls are kidnapped and then forcibly
converted.
According
to a report in the Dawn newspaper, the Sindh government has attempted twice to
outlaw forced conversions and marriages, including laying guidelines for the
court process in the Protection of Minorities Bill, and placing an age limit of
18 years upon conversions and enabling better due process.
In
2016, the bill was unanimously passed by the Sindh Assembly, but religious
parties objected to an age limit for conversions, and threatened to besiege the
assembly if the it received approval of the governor, who then refused to sign
the bill into law.
In
2019, a revised version was introduced, but religious parties protested once
again.
A
sit-in was organised by PirMian Abdul Khaliq (MianMithu), a political and
religious leader and allegedly a central figure in many cases of forced
conversions of underage Hindu girls in Sindh.
He
and his group claim the girls are not forced, but fall in love and convert
willingly.
In
March 2019, nearly 2,000 Hindus staged a sit-in demanding justice for two
sisters, Reena and Raveena, who they said married Muslim men after being
forcibly converted to Islam. PTI CORR MRJ MRJ
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/3-feared-dead-in-glasgow-stabbing-suspect-killed/1878522?scroll
--------
‘Women
of the World’ global festival goes online
JUNE
27, 2020
The
British Council in Pakistan in continuing its partnership with the WOW
Foundation, is participating in WOW Global 24 scheduled to take place on June
27-28.
“The
British Council believes that empowering women and girls, and achieving gender
equality is crucial to creating inclusive, open and prosperous societies,” a
statement issued by the organization read. “The UK is committed to addressing
the gendered impacts of Covid-19, providing access to information and resources
to combat its effects, and reducing violence, abuse and harassment against
children, women and marginalised groups,” it added.
Founded
by Jude Kelly, WOW – Women of the World celebrates the achievements of women
and girls and looks at some of the obstacles they face across the world.
Working with and through WOW – Women of the World Festival, the British Council
is supporting platforms to encourage connections, understanding and trust to
build an equitable world.
In
the last 10 years, WOW – Women of the World Festival has been held in 53
countries globally.
Since
2016, the British Council in Pakistan has been hosting WOW festival. The third
festival in 2019 attracted over 16000 people from all walks of life. WOW Global
24 is an extension of the discussion that took place there and more.
YaminaPeerzada,
Harsakhiyan, Dr Fozia Tahir, Nighat Dad and Anoushey Ashraf are taking part
from Pakistan in the first ever WOW 24-Hour online global festival.
“In
times of Covid-19, the WOW Foundation with its WOW Festival’s Global 24 plans
to keep the conversation going through the first ever free 24-hour online
festival,” the statement read. “These are difficult times for all people
especially the vulnerable groups. Women make up a significant part of
vulnerable groups and with the pandemic wreaking its havoc and the economic
slowdown resulting from it, the challenges for women have increased manifold.
Women entrepreneurs are finding it very difficult to sustain themselves and
working women especially those who are single parents are finding it harder to
juggle work and caring responsibilities,” it went on to say. “With marginalised
communities and low-income households, an economic slowdown might mean fewer
girls’ being schooled and being at risk of dropping out of school which may
result in their early marriage to ‘ease’ the supposed economic burden,” it
added.
https://dailytimes.com.pk/632581/women-of-the-world-global-festival-goes-online/
--------
From
Poisonings To Beheadings, 'Honour Killings' In Iran Gets A Fresh Spotlight With
Social Media
June
27, 2020
Last
week in the Kurdish-Iranian city of Kermanshah, an 18-year-old pregnant woman
was forced to consume aluminum phosphide by her father and brothers in what
human rights activists have deemed a brutal "honor" killing.
SomayehFathi
was allegedly poisoned for "having a relationship with another man and
dishonoring her family," the U.K.-based Iran International reported.
To
date, according to local reports, nobody has been held accountable for the
poisoning of taking the life of the young woman and her unborn child.
The
chilling incident highlights the prevalence of apparent honor killings that
Iran has seen in June alone. There is no clear indication if the cases in June
suggest a spike in such killings, however, experts say a spotlight has shined
on them more brightly thanks to social media.
"Over
the past few weeks, there have been at least six publicly documented cases of
so-called 'honorary killings' in Iran," NargessTavassolian, a journalist
at Iran International TV, told Fox News. "With the traction of social
media platforms, more news of these crimes have come to light, but do keep in
mind that many times these crimes are not reported, and they do not find their
way into the media. ParvanehSalahshouri, a former MP, says there have been at least
10 cases of honorary killings in Iran recently."
On
the evening of June 16 in the city of Abadan, a man turned himself in to
authorities some five days after fatally stabbing his sister in the neck and
chest over rumors she was having "an illicit affair and betraying her
husband."
In
the same city just days earlier, 19-year-old FatemehBarhi was beheaded by her
husband and cousin – her body dumped by the riverside – only two days after
running away with a man who helped her escape a forced marriage a year earlier.
The husband also handed himself over to police, all while wielding a bloody
knife.
Moreover,
on June 17, ReyhanehAmeri, 22, was slain by her father in the city of Kerman –
belted over the head with an iron pole and left to bleed to death.
And
then there is the case of 13-year-old RominaAshrafi, who was beheaded by her
father with a sickle while she slept in her family home for merely wanting to
"elope with an older lover."
Weeks
before allegedly decapitating his young daughter, the 37-year-old father is
reported to have sought legal counsel about what kind of punishment he would be
facing and was assured that as the girl's guardian he would not be handed a
death penalty, but would most likely be sentenced to three to 10 years behind
bars.
With
such little at stake, the father went ahead with the grim deed, subsequently
setting off an angry reaction from women and children's rights activists and
raising red flags over the fragility of the legal systems to protect them.
Adding
to the failures was the notion that Ashrafi had run away days earlier, sparking
an intense search, and when spotted told authorities that she feared to return
home due to her violent father, who had threatened to kill her numerous times
before.
According
to Amnesty International, so-called "honor violence" – typically
carried out by male relatives in a twisted bid to reclaim family
"honor" – happens when a woman or girl is accused or suspected of
"engaging in behavior that could taint her family's status," and
generally involves murmurs of infidelity or contact with a male not sanctioned
by males in the family.
"Women's
bodies, particularly, are considered the repositories of family honor, and
under the control and responsibility of her family, especially her male relatives,"
Amnesty notes. "And large sections of society share traditional
conceptions of family honor and approve of 'honor' killings to preserve that
honor."
Nonetheless,
experts say that for every illuminated case, there are still many more than are
swept beneath the rug.
"We
fear that there are other unreported cases every year. Women and girls in Iran
face domestic violence on a widespread basis, and the Iranian authorities have
consistently failed in their obligations to protect the lives and safety of women
and girls," said RahaBahreini, the Iran Researcher at Amnesty
International. "Iranian authorities have yet to adopt specific legislation
criminalizing gender-based violence against women and girls, including domestic
violence, marital rape, and early and forced marriage, all of which remain
widespread."
In
2019, the judiciary heavily watered down a bill aimed at protecting women and
girls against violence during its review and subsequently sent it to the
government's bills committee for review in September 2019, where it remains.
"This
bill has been stalled for over a decade. Outrageously, the authorities'
responsibility for these killings goes beyond their failure to adopt proper
laws, policies, and practices to adequately protect women and girls from
violence," Behreini continued. "In fact, the Iranian authorities
endorse the commission of violence against women and girls through various
abusive and discriminatory laws, and grant impunity to perpetrators."
In
the midst of recent public outcry, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani asked
Parliament to move faster on legislation – which has been languishing for eight
years – to criminalize "emotional, sexual and physical abuse and impose
jail time for violators," but remains unclear what impact more legislation
will have without a more in-depth probe of social norms within the country.
While
there is no official data pertaining to honor killings in Iran, internal news
agency ISNA estimates that an average of 350 to 450 honor killings occur in the
Islamic Republic every year. The agency's study found that almost 20 percent of
all homicides in Iran – and at least half of murders committed by a family
member – are honor killings.
Under
the Sharia law "an eye for an eye" provision, murder is punishable by
death; however, the penal code offers exemptions for the killing of a child by
the legal guardian – generally the father or paternal grandfather.
"Men
who assault or even kill their wives are excluded from the punishments
ordinarily applied to such crimes if they prove that they did so while their
wife was involved in the act of adultery," Behreini lamented.
"Fathers or paternal grandfathers who kill their children or grandchildren
are not subject to proportional, which may exacerbate the risk of 'honor crimes'
against girls and women."
Behreini
continued: "The Iranian authorities also criminalize the work of women's
rights defenders, subjecting them to harassment, arbitrary arrest and
detention, torture and other ill-treatment, and unfair trials resulting in
lengthy prison sentences. They also heavily crackdown on the civil society and
prevent civil society activists from establishing crisis centers and emergency
shelters which would provide life-saving support to women and girls."
Behreini
emphasized that it is the role of the international community, including the EU
and EU member states that are in human rights and political dialogues with
Iran, to call on the Iranian authorities to end the impunity for violence
against women and girls, and to criminalize domestic violence, including child
marriage and marital rape.
While
Iran is considered to be one of the world's leaders in honor killings, the
problem is one that spans almost every pocket of the planet – including the
United States and Europe.
The
United Nations estimates that around 5,000 women and girls are murdered each
year by members of their families. In many countries, Amnesty International
highlights, "the punishment for 'honor' crimes are inadequate or
non-existent—laws either do not recognize 'honor' crime or have insufficient
sentencing for such crime."
And
all too often when laws are on the books, activists say, they routinely go
unenforced.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-honor-killings-social-media
--------
Chechnya’s
Leader Hinders Justice for Domestic Violence Victim
Tanya
Lokshina
June
27, 2020
Two
weeks ago, MadinaUmaeva, 23, died in Russia’s Chechen Republic under suspicious
circumstances. She had previously complained to family members about her
husband repeatedly beating her. On the day she died, neighbors heard screams
from her house and said Madina’s mother-in-law chased away a neighbor who saw
Madina lying on the ground in the yard, claiming it was “nothing but
theatrics.”
Madina’s
in-laws buried her in the middle of the night and insisted she suffered a
lethal fall down the stairs during an epileptic seizure, though her mother says
she didn’t have epilepsy. Appalled by the overnight burial and the neighbors’
reports of a family row, she and other family members spoke to the media and
demanded accountability. Madina’s cousin said the young woman described her
husband as becoming “unruly, crazed like an animal” during beatings, and
although she attempted to leave him, “She came back every time because of
[their three] children.” Chechen traditional laws, often upheld by local
authorities even when contravening Russia’s laws and international human rights
standards, stipulate that children belong with the father and his family. This
often dissuades women from fleeing abusive marriages.
Public
outcry following Madina’s death pushed the local prosecutor’s office to open an
inquest. On June 20, authorities exhumed her body. It seemed that justice was
on the way, until Chechnya’s governor, RamzanKadyrov, intervened.
At
a June 23 meeting broadcast on Chechnya’s official television channel, Kadyrov
accused Madina’s mother of spreading gossip about her daughter’s death.
Although the exhumation findings have not been made public, he said it showed
no evidence of a violent death. He expressed his indignation that an exhumation
was even done, insisting it ran contrary to Islam and the Chechen authorities’
efforts to ensure that “When Chechens die, there is no autopsy.” Dismissing
beatings as something that “can happen” in a marriage, he demanded Madina’s mother
prove her daughter was in fact killed and present witnesses. Appearing
distressed and frightened, Madina’s mother said on camera, “I apologize for
having listened to rumors. I apologize to [you].”
Public
humiliation of people who speak out isn’t new in Chechnya, but these
circumstances were especially egregious. And they will block badly needed
justice for a victim of domestic violence and reinforce a dangerous message
that those seeking redress for abuse should stay silent. Russian authorities
have an obligation to ensure women are safe from violence, including in their
homes.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/06/26/chechnyas-leader-hinders-justice-domestic-violence-victim
--------
UN
Women, KP Ombudsperson Launch Toolkit to Eliminate Workplace Harassment
June
27, 2020
The
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment of Women at
Workplace and UN Women have released a toolkit on “Understanding Sexual
Harassment, Legal Provisions, Roles of Duty Bearers and Right Holders” in order
to train inquiry committee members and stakeholders to dispense justice to
victims.
According
to a press statement by UN Women, the toolkit will train those tasked with
investigating workplace harassment cases "on the law and redressal
mechanisms for dispensation of justice to victims". It has been developed
with the "specialised" help of UN Women.
Quoting
UN Women's representative in Pakistan Aisha Mukhtar, the press statement said:
"Sexual harassment at workplace is a pervasive issue that hampers women’s
economic empowerment and their access to employment opportunities. It affects
not only victims and their families but also the whole economy in form of
decline in productivity and job losses.
"It
is encouraging to see more women speaking up about their experiences of sexual
harassment and there is a need to enhance the capacities of institutions to
effectively respond to complaints."
The
press statement highlighted that incidents of workplace harassment do not just
affect women and their families — they also have an impact on communities. The
aim of both KP ombudsperson and UN Women is to work towards effective
implementation of legislation by "strengthening existing mechanisms,
raising awareness, producing knowledge products and enhancing the capacity of
Ombudsperson Office" so that incidents of workplace harassment can be
eliminated.
“Our
emphasis is on the execution and smooth implementation of the Workplace
Harassment Law to make sure that the environment is safe for women to reach
their full potential and contribute to the economy,” said KP Ombudsperson
RukhshandaNaz during the virtual launch of the toolkit.
The
existing law against workplace harassment in Pakistan provides protection
against:
improper
conduct by an employer, that is directed at, and offensive to employee or makes
the employee feels to be working in a hostile environment
any
objectionable act, comment or display that demeans, belittles or causes
personal humiliation or embarrassment and any act of intimidation or threat
It
also binds organisations to constitute a three-member inquiry committee to
probe any allegations of harassment — that includes any unwelcome sexual
advance, request for sexual favours or other verbal or written communication or
physical conduct of a sexual nature or sexually demeaning attitudes, causing
interference with work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or
offensive work — within 30 days of the complaint. At least one member of the
committee should be a woman.
In
case a member of staff is found guilty of harassment, they can be penalised
with
censure
withholding,
for a specific period, promotion or increment
stoppage,
for a specific period, at an efficiency bar in the time-scale, otherwise than
for unfitness to cross such bar
recovery
of the compensation payable to the complainant from pay or any other source of
the accused
Major
penalties can include demotion, compulsory retirement, removal or dismissal
from service and moentary fine.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1565510/un-women-kp-ombudsperson-launch-toolkit-to-eliminate-workplace-harassment
--------
Provision
of Equal Opportunities to Women Essential for Country's Development: Governor
26th
June 2020
QUETTA,
(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jun, 2020 ) :Governor
BalochistanAmanullah Khan Yasinzai on Friday said the economic system of the
country could be strengthened and stabilized only by providing equal
opportunities and facilities to women in economic and social fields.
He
expressed these views while talking to a delegation of women led by Head of
Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry Quetta Sonia Baloch called on him at
Governor House Quetta.
He
said as the role of economically independent and stable women was imperative
for development despite it was also very important for the modern education and
training of our children.
Governor
Yasinzai said that the present government believed in the participation of
women in all activities of life to improve the economic system and increase
national productivity.
On
the occasion, Governor Balochistan said that there was no shortage of talent
among the women of Balochistan but lack of opportunities and facilities were
major obstacles in their way.
He
urged the delegation to be involved in industry and trade and focus on
increasing the number of women as well as their potential so that poor and
middle-class women can find new ways to enhance their income by learning modern
skills.
During
the meeting, Sonia Baloch apprised the Governor about the problems and
difficulties of businesswomen in the province.
Governor
Yasinzai listened to their problems and difficulties carefully and assured all
possible cooperation for their lasting solution.
https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/provision-of-equal-opportunities-to-women-ess-958436.html
--------
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