Saudi Arabia’s First Woman Car Mechanic Merihan Yehia; Once a Male Preserve in the Kingdom
New
Age Islam News Bureau
21
July 2022
• Muslim
Women in Uganda Complain About Being Forced To Remove Veils
• Dubai
Business Women Council Empowers Female Entrepreneurs
• Abu
Dhabi entity empowers 23 women to drive sustainable changes
• Turkish
Court Says Erdogan Had Right To Annul Women's Treaty
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/saudi-woman-mechanic-merihan/d/127535
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Saudi
Arabia’s First Woman Car Mechanic Merihan Yehia; Once a Male Preserve in the
Kingdom
Merihan
Yehia talks about her experience in auto mechanics to Al Sudiah TV.
Image
Credit: Screengrab
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July
21, 2022
Ramadan
Al Sherbini
Cairo:
The first Saudi woman car mechanic has disclosed that she was drawn to the
vocation after seeing her father repair auto malfunctions.
In
an interview with Saudi television Al Saudiah inside her workshop, Merihan
Yehia added she had taken a liking for repairing, loosening and reassembling
things since her childhood. “When a person loves something, this happens
involuntarily,” she said.
Merihan
walked into the field that was once a male preserve in the kingdom.
“In
the beginning, it was impossible for a woman to work in the field of mechanics.
Women were not allowed to drive cars,” she recalled.
In
2018, Saudi Arabia allowed women to drive for the first time in its history as
part of dramatic social and economic reforms in the kingdom.
“After
women were allowed to drive, many fields started opening up to women including
mechanics,” Merihan said. “Gradually, people began to know about my car
repairs. I have made a reputation for myself,” the young woman added.
“There
is nothing impossible. Women can do any job,” Merihan said. On offering help to
women or families whose cars break down on roads, she said, they would be
appreciative and proud of her.
“People
around you encourage you. They think you do something big.”
In
recent years, Saudi Arabia has made major strides in women’s empowerment in
different walks of life.
Source:
Gulf News
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Muslim
Women In Uganda Complain About Being Forced To Remove Veils
Photo:
aa.com
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Godfrey
Olukya
20.07.2022
KAMPALA,
Uganda
Muslim
women in Uganda complained in parliament Wednesday, saying they are being
forced to remove their veils before getting services.
The
women said that apart from being forced to remove veils before being
photographed at passport offices, some schools force female students to remove
their veils.
Female
MP for the Butambala district, Aisha Kabanda, said the Constitution allows the
population to practice their religions and forcing Muslim women to unveil while
taking a passport photograph exposes parts of the body that are not supposed to
be seen.
“The
act of coercing Muslim women to unveil ... deprives Muslim women of the right
of practicing their religion. This is discrimination of Muslim women,” she said
and demanded that the practice be stopped.
Speaker
Anita Among said she had received a petition from Muslim women and Catholic
nuns complaining about the issue and she has requested that Prime Minister
Robinah Nabanjja act on the complaint.
Nabanja
said she has asked parliament to give her time to produce a report on how the
problem can be solved.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Dubai
Business Women Council empowers female entrepreneurs
July
20, 2022
The
Dubai Business Women Council has recently wrapped up a string of seminars,
training workshops, and business meetings that addressed crucial topics and
catered to the needs of businesswomen and entrepreneurs.
More
than 250 businesswomen took part in the DBWC events held in June, which touched
on the mental and emotional health of women, fundamental business skills, and
how they can increase their productivity in the workplace.
The
council also announced it is all set to launch a series of events and
initiatives that focus on improving women’s labor market competitiveness and
strengthening their capacities and skills.
The
Health and Wellness Conference will be one of the major events to be organized
by the DBWC to support businesswomen in adopting healthy and sound life
practices that would relieve them of business and daily life stresses.
The
conference will also help female entrepreneurs pursue and adapt to their
professional lives and achieve success on both a personal and professional
level. It will include interactive workshops and discussions that review the
best practices, strategies, and experiences in the healthcare and human
development sectors. The event will also highlight how crucial it is to take
good care of one’s health in order to lead a balanced and successful life.
The
conference will be followed by another major event called “DBWC Masterclass for
SMEs Leaders” with the theme “New Business Opportunities to Grow and Succeed —
Identify your Why and How.” The event will empower female entrepreneurs in the
business community, brief them on growth and success opportunities, and discuss
how best to capitalize on these opportunities.
Nadine
Halabi, business development manager of the DBWC, said the council is looking
forward to expanding the skillsets of female entrepreneurs and improving their
professional and personal experiences to assist them in realizing their
business aspirations and dreams. She stressed that the many events hosted by
the DBWC have been instrumental in empowering women and in boosting their
competitive edge.
“Over
the coming period, the council will organize a series of events addressing
diverse themes that concern the business community and foster a culture of
self-development among female entrepreneurs,” Halabi said, adding that the
council membership entitles all members to exclusive participation in these
events.
Last
month’s activities included a training workshop on mental and emotional health
held in collaboration with Mind Resilience Training. The workshop discussed how
female entrepreneurs can employ mental well-being to tackle both professional
and interpersonal challenges. The session was designed to fuel individual
energy, productivity, encourage learning and adaptability to changes, as well
as to reinforce positive thinking and behavioral patterns.
Additionally,
the DBWC hosted an exclusive session for its members to explore the art of
effective communication, titled “What’s Your Point.” The session focused on the
art of asking the right questions strategically in order to drive meaningful conversation
in both public and private settings.
Established
in 2002, under the umbrella of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the
DBWC is the official representative organization for business women, both
professionals and entrepreneurs, in the emirate of Dubai. It aims to provide
support to Dubai businesswomen and entrepreneurs taking their first steps in
the business world.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2126371/corporate-news
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Abu
Dhabi entity empowers 23 women to drive sustainable changes
20
Jul 2022
Masdar,
Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, has empowered 23 talented women aged
between 25 to 35 years to lead sustainable change in their communities and
careers.
In
the past four years, more than 70 women of 17 nationalities, including this
year’s cohort, have graduated from the Women in Sustainability, Environment and
Renewable Energy (WiSER) Pioneers Programme.
The
WiSER pioneers feel enriched after completing more than 20 hours of educational
and skills-training workshops and over 100 hours of one-on-one mentorship
sessions.
Eman
Thani Alsuwaidi, a process engineer, said: “The programme broadened my
understanding of the professional world, encouraged me to develop new
skillsets, and gave me the confidence to move forward in my career as a
sustainable leader.”
Yara
Tannoury, an energy consultant, noted: “I was pleased to have the opportunity
to connect with like-minded women who share the same interests in
sustainability, renewable energy and the environment, and here comes the
importance of joining the programme.”
Sara
Al Hanai, an urban planner, said: “Initiatives such as the WiSER platform
empower women to play an active role in addressing global sustainability
challenges and achieving the desired goals.”
Farah
Al Sayegh, a pioneer, underlined: “The programme gave me the opportunity to
learn directly from world-class experts, industry leaders, innovators and
change-makers, fostering the real-world experience and robust global network I
will need to make a meaningful difference.”
Aya
Shiraz Al-Masri, a process simulation engineer, said the programme has improved
her understanding of sustainability.
“By
creating a space for young women committed to sustainability to learn from each
other as well as industry experts, the programme empowered me with the
knowledge and skills to promote sustainability in my community and career.”
Maria
Jose Martin, a biologist, is proud to have the opportunity to be part of the
programme.
“The
insights we gained on sustainability and gender equality issues inspired us to
grow and innovate for today’s world and, more importantly, for the world’s
future.”
Masdar
executive director of brand and strategic initiatives, and WiSER programme
director, Dr Lamya Fawwaz, said the programme enables future generations of
women to become sustainability leaders in their communities, workplaces and
around the world, which is critical to meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development
Goals.
WiSER
advisory council member, co-chair of UN-Energy, and CEO and Special
Representative of the UN Secretary-General for sustainable energy for all,
Damilola Ogunbiyi, is looking forward to the positive impact the graduates will
make.
The
programme is part of Masdar’s broader WiSER initiative, which launched in 2015
on the sidelines of the 70th UN General Assembly to inspire women and girls to
play a more active, coequal role in the global energy transition, in line with
both the UAE’s strategic net-zero initiative and the UN’s Sustainable
Development Goals.
Source:
Khaleej Times
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Turkish
court says Erdogan had right to annul women's treaty
19/07/2022
Rights
groups and Western governments voiced shock and outrage when Erdogan cancelled
Turkey's membership of the Istanbul Convention in an overnight decree last
year.
Erdogan's
political opponents argued the president did not have the power to unilaterally
annul membership of an international agreement.
Turkey
became the first country to sign the convention in 2011 and ratified it by vote
in parliament the following year.
But
the top administrative court on Tuesday rejected a request to overturn
Erdogan's decision in a case involving testimony from leading women's rights
groups and legal scholars.
The
court's five judges ruled in a 3-2 vote that a president's decision could not
be subject to a legal review.
The
two dissenting judges said in a separate opinion that Erdogan's actions
overstepped his legal bounds.
A
lawyer representing the We Will Stop Femicide Platform rights organisation said
the ruling was "tantamount to rejecting the constitution".
"It
is terrifying from a legal perspective," lawyer Ipek Bozkurt told AFP.
"This erroneous decision should have been stopped by the court."
The
treaty -- now enacted by dozens of European countries -- requires member states
to adopt domestic legislation that strictly punishes domestic abuse and
gender-based violence.
But
Erdogan's Islamic conservative supporters argued that its language harmed
traditional family values and promoted LGBTQ rights.
Erdogan's
main opponents in next year's general election immediately rose to the treaty's
defence.
Main
opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu vowed to sign Turkey back up to the
convention should he become president in the July 2023 vote.
"I
can make a promise to the nation," the CHP party leader said.
"When
we come to power -- and we will, with God's permission and the nation's
approval -- in the first week, even in the first 24 hours, we will implement
the Istanbul Convention," Kilicdaroglu told reporters.
Nationalist
Iyi (Good) Party leader Meral Aksener accused the court of issuing "a
political decision (aimed) at pleasing a dirty mind".
Source:
France24
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/saudi-woman-mechanic-merihan/d/127535