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Islam, Women and Feminism ( 20 March 2023, NewAgeIslam.Com)

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Selena Gomez Hails Iranian Women Whose Video of Dancing In Public on 'Calm Down' Went Viral; Calls Them Her 'Inspiration'

New Age Islam News Bureau

20 March 2023

• Gulf Nation's Poor Record on Women's Rights: World Cup Hosts Hail FIFA Ruling Out Saudi Sponsorship

• Female Restaurateur, Samira Mohammadi, Provides Jobs for 20 Poor Women

• Over 70 Nations, EU Sign Statement on Afghan Women's Rights

• Embracing Equity: Hyatt Champions Women across Mideast

• Al Ahmadani Opens ‘Arabian Woman’ Expo at QNCC

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:    https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/selena-gomez-iranian-nspiration/d/129362

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Selena Gomez Hails Iranian Women Whose Video Of Dancing In Public On 'Calm Down' Went Viral; Calls Them Her 'Inspiration'

 

Selena Gomez posted about the viral dance video on her Instagram story.(REUTERS)

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March 20, 2023

American pop star Selena Gomez who become the first woman to hit 400 million followers on Instagram recently took to Instagram to hail the spirit of five young Iranian women. The women's video went viral earlier this month while dancing without headscarves to the 2022 global hit song ‘Calm Down.' It is sung by Nigerian Afrobeats singer and rapper Rema. The song features Gomez as well.

Gomez shared a reel of the viral video which was originally posted by a news website, 'Iran International English' with the caption, "This video of Iranian girls in Tehran’s Ekbatan neighborhood dancing unveiled to the song 'Calm Down' by Rema and Selena Gomez has gone viral. Women are banned from dancing in public in Iran." and was reshared by Rema.

Rema captioned the post as, "“To all the beautiful women who are fighting for a better world, I’m inspired by you, I sing for you and I dream with you."

Selena shared the video on her Instagram story and wrote, “To these young women and all the women of Iran who continue to be courageous, demanding fundamental changes, please know your strength is inspiring."

See Selena's Instagram story in response to the video below:

In Iran, women are banned from dancing in public. They also, need to wear the headscarf and artists can be charged with acts of ‘immorality’ for showing defiance to the Islamic laws.

Source: Free Press Journal

https://www.freepressjournal.in/lifestyle/selena-gomez-hails-iranian-women-whose-video-of-dancing-in-public-on-calm-down-went-viral-calls-them-her-inspiration

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Gulf Nation's Poor Record on Women's Rights: World Cup Hosts Hail FIFA Ruling Out Saudi Sponsorship

 

The FIFA logo is seen outside the FIFA headquarters in Zurich. (Reuters)

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17th March 2023

Co-hosts New Zealand and Australia on Friday welcomed FIFA's announcement that Saudi Arabia's tourism board will not sponsor this year's Women's World Cup.

The two countries had protested when reports emerged last month that Visit Saudi Arabia would be among the sponsors of the 32-team football tournament hosted by New Zealand and Australia from July 20.

The Australian and New Zealand football authorities wrote a joint letter to FIFA saying they were "shocked" not to have been consulted given the Gulf nation's poor record on women's rights.

But, speaking at a congress in the Rwandan capital Kigali on Thursday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said talks with Visit Saudi "did not lead to a contract".

Infantino also accused Australia of employing a "double standard" by opposing the sponsorship while maintaining trade links with Saudi Arabia.

Football Australia chief executive James Johnson said Friday that the body welcomed the "clarification from FIFA regarding Visit Saudi".

Equality, diversity and inclusion were "deep commitments" for Football Australia, he said in a statement on its website.

"We'll continue to work hard with FIFA to ensure the Women's World Cup is shaped in this light," Johnson added.

New Zealand Football also hailed FIFA's confirmation.

"We believe it is critical for all commercial partnerships to align with the vision and values of the tournaments they are involved in," it said in a statement.

Source: New Indian Express

https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/football/2023/mar/17/womens-rights-world-cup-hosts-hail-fifa-ruling-out-saudi-sponsorship-2556977.html

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Female Restaurateur, Samira Mohammadi, Provides Jobs for 20 Poor Women

Sohrabi

20 Mar 2023

KABUL (Pajhwok): A Kabul-based woman entrepreneur has opened a restaurant in the capital, providing job opportunities for 20 needy females.

Two years ago, Samira Mohammadi established the eatery called “Banoan Afghan” at a cost of 100,000 afghanis in the Khairkhana area of Kabul, where 20 women are currently working.

Ahead of the new solar year, the café owner said they had organised a Samanak party — an ancient traditional gathering of women.

She added 20 poor women were working at the restaurant, preparing delectable recipes like aushak, bolani, mantu, samosa, pizza and ice cream.

In addition to the 20 women, she said, 30 men were also working in different sections of the eatery.

With regard to worker salaries, Samira said: “Since ours is a relatively new restaurant, it doesn’t have a huge budget. We pay our employees to the extent that their daily expenses are met.”

She promised providing jobs for 500 more women in the future in case of cooperation from donors.

Source: Pajhwok

https://pajhwok.com/2023/03/20/female-restaurateur-provides-jobs-for-20-poor-women/

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Over 70 nations, EU sign statement on Afghan women's rights

March 20, 2023

New Delhi: More the 70 countries and EU representatives in a United Nations CSW statement said the ban on female education puts Afghan women and girls at increased risk of “gender-based violence, including child, early, and forced marriage” and it “undermines Afghanistan’s stability.

According to a report in the Tolo News, “In addition, the order barring female employees of national and international NGOs from the workplace means that millions of Afghans will be unable to access life-saving humanitarian assistance,” the statement said.

Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the country has become the most repressive in the world for women and girls, deprived of virtually all their basic rights, the United Nations said in grim assessments on International Women’s Day.

Despite initial promises of a more moderate stance, the Taliban have imposed harsh measures since seizing power as U.S. and NATO forces were in the final weeks of their pullout from Afghanistan after two decades of war.

Girls are banned from education beyond sixth grade and women are barred from working, studying, traveling without a male companion, and even going to parks or bath houses. Women must also cover themselves from head to toe and are barred from working at national and international non-governmental organizations, disrupting the delivery of humanitarian aid.

“Afghanistan under the Taliban remains the most repressive country in the world regarding women’s rights,” Roza Otunbayeva, special representative of the U.N. secretary-general and head of the U.N. political mission in Afghanistan, said in a statement earlier.

Source: Firstpost

https://www.firstpost.com/world/over-70-nations-eu-sign-statement-on-afghan-womens-rights-12319132.html

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Embracing Equity: Hyatt Champions Women across Mideast

March 19, 2023

Empowering women to fulfill their full potential is a vital part of Hyatt’s strategy for talent growth and success.

Hyatt has launched two pioneering initiatives including Women@Hyatt, a globally dedicated diversity business resource group, and the Inspirit Mentorship Program, created exclusively in the EMEA region, to support female colleagues to feel a sense of belonging and be inspired in their daily roles. Now in its sixth year in EMEA, Women@Hyatt supports Hyatt’s regional diversity, equity and inclusion mission through cultivating and maintaining an active network, fostering a culture that supports a gender-diverse and inclusive workplace and supporting the needs and advancement of women at Hyatt.

With 29 branded properties in the Middle East, Hyatt is committed to championing women across different roles within the region, including those of leadership and setting a benchmark across the industry.

The company’s purpose is to care for people so they can be their best, which is reflected in Hyatt’s 2025 DE&I goals, setting out three main areas to accelerate the organization’s progress toward advancing diversity and inclusion efforts. This includes doubling the representation of women in senior management roles at Hyatt, across the region and globally.

Katrin Melle, regional vice president of DEI and talent, Europe Middle East and Africa, Hyatt, said: “It is truly inspiring to see the growth of Women@Hyatt and the Inspirit Mentorship Program across the EMEA region. Diversity and inclusion is at the core of Hyatt’s values, and I’m proud that our teams bring our commitment to life, continuously working together to embrace equity and empower female leadership growth at Hyatt.”

Women@Hyatt

Women@Hyatt is a global initiative designed to accelerate and increase professional growth opportunities for female employees at Hyatt. Founded in 2012, the initiative has seen significant growth in activity during 2022-2023 in the EMEA region. At present, there are six active “chapters” in the region including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan, spearheaded by female employees with many male allies. Women@Hyatt chapters are country-based, city-based, or functional focused networking groups supporting women and are based on voluntary formation and participation.

The goal of the program is to foster a culture that promotes professional and personal growth opportunities for women.

Britta Leick-Milde is the general manager of Hyatt Centric Jumeirah Dubai. She is an active mentor in the Inspirit Mentorship Program and a participant in Women@Hyatt, through which she has introduced new initiatives and resources for female staff, including extended maternity and paternity leave options to provide new parents with ample bonding time with their children.

Inspirit Mentorship Program

A core component of Women@Hyatt in EMEA is the Inspirit Mentorship Program, a bespoke mentoring program for female employees at Hyatt in the region. The program was launched in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi at the end of 2022, with Jordan launching soon. Currently, there are 18 colleagues from the Middle East in the regionally run Inspirit Program for female leaders.

Ruba Taha is the director of marketing and communications at Grand Hyatt Amman in Jordan. An award-winning hospitality professional, Taha is also the chapter chair for Women@Hyatt in Jordan. One of her main achievements is to apply for menstrual leave as an official monthly two-day off for the women working in Grand Hyatt Amman. The hotel team also received a 2022 award from the UN Women’s Women’s Empowerment Principles program for their best practices, recognizing all their efforts made toward women’s empowerment.

Source: Arab News

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2271746/corporate-news

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Al Ahmadani opens ‘Arabian Woman’ expo at QNCC

20 Mar 2023

Doha: Qatar Chamber Board Member and Chairperson of the Qatari Businesswomen Forum Ibtihaj Al Ahmadani opened the Arabian Woman Exhibition which lasts until March 22 at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC).

The opening ceremony was also attended by Tamader Al Marri, director of Vogue Event Company, alongside a number of Qatari businesswomen and entrepreneurs. The expo, which is being held under the sponsorship of the Qatar Chamber, features 200 local and international stands with the participation of more than 150 prominent female entrepreneurs from Qatar, alongside others from GCC countries, Lebanon, Turkey, Morocco, and India. The expo displays the latest innovations in fashion designs for Ramadan season 2023, as well as a collection of women’s innovations and accessories.

Al Ahmadani toured the exhibition and was briefed on the latest designs, accessories and products presented by Qatari designers. Tamader Al Marri said that the exhibition offers a good opportunity for Qatari designers and other exhibitors to showcase their new collections, after the significant success of the expo’s previous editions.

She noted that this edition will be distinguished due to the participation of many prominent names in the field of high-end fashion and abayas, adding that it will be also a comprehensive edition as it displays all that the Qatari woman needs in terms of abayas and women’s accessories.

Al Marri also pointed to the participation of the most famous Qatari designers, indicating that their designs will be presented for the first time in Qatar.

She said that the exhibition would witness a great turnout this year, due to the variety of products it offers, noting that the exhibition will open from 10 am to 10 pm every day.

Source: The Peninsula Qatar

https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/20/03/2023/al-ahmadani-opens-arabian-woman-expo-at-qncc

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URL:    https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/selena-gomez-iranian-nspiration/d/129362

 

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