The Taliban’s War on Women: A Nation’s Daughters in Peril
New Age Islam News Bureau
16 February 2025
• The Taliban’s War on Women: A Nation’s Daughters in Peril
• UNICEF and ADB officials highlight support for women and children in Afghanistan
• Woman accused of seven-month, hate-fuelled, anti-Islamic graffiti spree
• Muslim women open door for more female-only fitness spaces in the Twin Cities
• Shirin Ebadi on Iran’s politics, women’s rights, and the struggle for change
• Iranian female youth selected as Researcher of Year
• Women encouraged to lead Pakistan’s e-commerce sector as contestants showcase tech expertise
• Sheikha Mayassa leads Forbes Middle East’s Top 20 Arab Women in Government 2025
• Iran’s women’s football team to play Puerto Rico
• Meet the passionate Emirati woman driver who owns all types of driving licences
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/taliban-war-women-nation-daughters/d/134634
-----
The Taliban’s War On Women: A Nation’s Daughters In Peril – OpEd
February 16, 2025
By Sara Sheikh
Since the Taliban’s swift and brutal takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the country has experienced profound shifts in every facet of life, particularly for women. The collapse of the U.S.-backed government marked the beginning of a new, grim chapter for Afghan women, whose rights have been systematically stripped away.
Under the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic law, women face unprecedented levels of repression, which have led to their near-total erasure from public and private life. The situation for women in Afghanistan is complex, shaped by a combination of cultural, religious, and historical factors that have entrenched patriarchal norms and restricted women’s roles in society. However, it is the recent, increasingly absurd measures enforced by the Taliban that truly highlight the extent of their control and disregard for women’s fundamental human rights.
One of the most striking examples of the Taliban’s misogynistic policies is the imposition of stringent rules on women’s visibility, even in their own homes. The Taliban have now taken the extraordinary step of banning windows that allow women to be seen from outside. This decree, dubbed the “window test,” mandates that homes should not have any windows overlooking places where women might be seen, including kitchens and courtyards. According to a Taliban spokesperson, “seeing a woman working in kitchens, in courtyards, or collecting water from wells can lead to obscene acts.” While it is absurd to claim that the mere sight of women going about their daily tasks can provoke immorality, this new rule reflects the Taliban’s obsession with controlling every aspect of women’s existence, even their private, domestic spaces.
These extreme measures follow a long list of restrictions that have been imposed on women since the Taliban regained power. Afghan women are no longer allowed to attend school beyond primary education, with secondary and higher education completely banned for girls. Employment opportunities for women have been drastically reduced, with the government ordering thousands of women to leave their jobs, especially in government offices. Women are not permitted to travel without a male chaperone, and they are forced to cover their faces fully when in public. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs has been dissolved and replaced by the Ministry of Vice and Virtue, a clear indication that the Taliban see women as subjects to be controlled, not as individuals with rights to be respected.
The Taliban’s strict rules are not limited to women’s mobility or education, they also extend to healthcare. Women in Afghanistan are prohibited from seeking medical care unless it is provided by a female healthcare worker. This restriction has led to a shortage of essential medical services, particularly for women who are already suffering from the devastating effects of the Taliban’s policies, including an increase in maternal mortality rates and a growing suicide epidemic among women. The country’s healthcare system, already fragile before the Taliban’s return, has been further crippled by the absence of women from the workforce.
The oppression of Afghan women under the Taliban is not only a violation of their rights but also a self-inflicted wound on the country’s economy. By excluding women from the workforce, the Taliban have effectively reduced the country’s labor force by half, plunging Afghanistan into deeper poverty. The economy, already suffering from decades of conflict and international sanctions, has been dealt a further blow by the systematic exclusion of women from key sectors such as education, healthcare, and governance. This gender-based discrimination is not only a moral failure but also an economic one, as it prevents the country from fully utilizing its human resources.
The international community has largely condemned the Taliban’s actions, but the regime has found ways to maintain its grip on power despite the widespread outcry. No country has officially recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, but the group has made significant diplomatic strides. Several countries have welcomed Taliban diplomats, and there have been discussions about removing the group from international terrorism lists. These diplomatic victories represent a troubling reality: while the international community continues to turn a blind eye to the horrors women face under the Taliban, the regime is gaining recognition on the global stage.
For Afghan women, this is nothing short of a betrayal. They are denied basic human rights, subjected to violence and oppression on a daily basis, and yet the world continues to engage with the Taliban as though they are a legitimate government. More than 300 women have been killed by men since the Taliban’s return to power, and over 840 women have been victims of violence. The Taliban themselves are often implicated in these crimes. The world’s failure to hold the Taliban accountable for these atrocities sends a chilling message to Afghan women: their suffering is invisible and irrelevant.
In addition to the physical and psychological violence they endure, Afghan women are also forced to confront the constant fear of being punished for even the smallest transgressions. Women who are found begging in the streets for food or money can be arrested, detained, and subjected to brutal treatment by the Taliban. The Taliban’s repressive measures have left Afghan women with little recourse but to retreat further into isolation, where they are often left to fend for themselves in a society that views them as little more than second-class citizens.
The question that many Afghan women are asking is simple yet profound: why are they being silenced and erased from public life? Are they not human beings? Are they not entitled to the same basic rights as men? The international community must not ignore the cries of Afghan women, who are living under a regime that seeks to strip them of their dignity, their rights, and their futures. The situation in Afghanistan may have become a forgotten war, but it is a war in which one group of people, Afghan women, continues to lose. The world must wake up to their suffering and take concrete steps to support them in their struggle for freedom and equality.
The Taliban’s treatment of women in Afghanistan is a grave injustice that must be confronted by the global community. If we continue to turn a blind eye to their plight, we are complicit in their oppression. It is time to stand up for the women of Afghanistan, whose voices have been silenced, whose rights have been stripped away, and whose futures have been stolen. Only by recognizing their humanity and supporting their fight for freedom can we hope to end the suffering of Afghan women.
Source: Www.Eurasiareview.Com
https://www.eurasiareview.com/16022025-the-talibans-war-on-women-a-nations-daughters-in-peril-oped/
-----
UNICEF and ADB officials highlight support for women and children in Afghanistan
By Fidel Rahmati
February 15, 2025
Tajudeen Oyewale, the UNICEF representative in Afghanistan, emphasized support for women and children during a meeting with officials from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
On Friday, February 14, Oyewale stated on his X account regarding the meeting with ADB officials, discussing how they can support women and children in Afghanistan.
He described the meeting as a “strong partnership for a brighter future for women and children in Afghanistan” and stressed that they are working together to expand essential services and create more opportunities to help those in greatest need.
He emphasized that during the discussion, both parties agreed to expand essential services and provide more opportunities for those in need. No further details have been released about the meeting’s discussions.
This comes at a time when several international humanitarian organizations have expressed concern over the worsening humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, especially for women, after the suspension of U.S. aid.
According to reports, Afghanistan’s economic and social crises have intensified, leaving millions of women and children reliant on humanitarian aid to meet their basic needs. Recently, the World Bank reported that Afghanistan is facing a severe food security crisis, with at least 2.9 million people currently on the brink of hunger.
Source: Www.Khaama.Com
-----
Woman accused of seven-month, hate-fuelled, anti-Islamic graffiti spree
Clare Sibthorpe
February 16, 2025
A woman allegedly embarked on an Islamophobic and anti-Arab graffiti spree at a major Sydney shopping centre and at a sports stadium over more than six months, scrawling messages such as “Arabs are all terrorists” on the walls of public toilets.
Bronwyn Elizabeth Nowicki, 53, was granted bail in Parramatta Local Court on Sunday over nine counts of damaging property inside the toilets of Hornsby Westfield shopping centre and CommBank stadium in Parramatta.
The court heard she allegedly committed the repeated and deliberate offending between July last year and this weekend at both locations.
Magistrate Wills called the offences serious and public. Vulnerable people like children and the elderly were able to see them. She said there was a strong prosecution case as the alleged acts had been caught on CCTV.
Court documents allege Nowicki first used a black texta at Westfield Hornsby in July. On August 17 at the same shopping centre, she is accused of writing “Islam is not a religion, it is a satanic cult. Muslims f-k off to Palestine. Scarf = ugly sl-t”.
The message continued: “Muslims are terrorists and need to f--k off from our country. Palestine supporters need to f--k off to Palestine. Scarf = ugly slut who f--k their brothers. Islam = terrorist cult”.
Over the next several months, she allegedly returned to the same shopping centre to write variations of anti-Arab and anti-Islamic comments, including “Arabs and Muslims f--k off. Go to Palestine if you want to support the dogs there.. Hamas started this… Muslim cult, not religion”.
The messages found at CommBank Stadium on Saturday, also written on the public toilet door in black texta, read: “the mob have spoken, Arabs are all terrorists and need to f--k off to Palestine”.
On January 20, police attached to Ku-ring-gai Police Area Command discovered the offensive graffiti at Hornsby Westfield and began investigating. About 7pm on Saturday, police at CommBank Stadium discovered more.
Following inquiries, police arrested Nowicki inside the stadium and took her to Parramatta Police Station, where she was charged with nine counts of destroy or damage property and was refused police bail.
Her defence lawyer told the court she had no criminal record, had been in Australia her whole life and was otherwise of “upstanding character”.
“The defence concedes the objective gravity, not by way of value of the damage but the dangerous rhetoric over the past six months of which these offences took place,” he said.
The court heard Nowicki suffered mental health issues, including bipolar, PTSD, depression and anxiety and that she had struggled with the recent death of her mother.
The prosecution opposed the granting of bail, noting Nowicki’s risk of committing further offences and endangering the community, where “these offences are far too prevalent”.
But Wills said the risks could be mitigated with bail conditions including living with her elderly father and her siblings and being barred from entering Hornsby Westfield.
Sydney has been rocked by religious hate graffiti in recent months, including a wave of antisemitic attacks in the city’s east, which is home to a significant Jewish community.
Source: Www.Theage.Com.Au
-----
Muslim women open door for more female-only fitness spaces in the Twin Cities
By Binta Kanteh
February 16, 2025
As a teen, Fatma Sheekh played soccer and tennis. Later on, her uncle introduced her to the art of boxing. Working out as a young adult gave her “consistency and clarity,” she said.
That led her to launch the Hawa Women’s Health Club in 2024. The club rents space at three gyms and offers a range of classes, from boxing to strength training to barre.
Hawa is one of a growing number of Twin Cities fitness clubs that cater to Muslim women, offering women-only spaces where they can work out without having to maintain a hijab, along with opportunities to build friendships and connections.
Owners of Hawa, Hers Fitness in Minneapolis and Miriam Fitness Gym in Burnsville said they’re seeing a burst of interest by Muslim women in activities such as weight-lifting, boxing, strength training and self-defense.
Miriam Mongare, who opened a women-only gym four years ago, said clients have told her they feel safer and more at ease in the space. And it’s drawn women who have never worked out in a gym before.
When she walked into Life Time Fitness in 2022, Sheekh’s unfamiliarity with the machines made her reconsider solo fitness. So, she decided to give classes at the gym a try.
Sheekh did an entrepreneurship and business management program at the University of St. Thomas and in August 2024, she founded Hawa Women’s Health Club. Hawa offers fitness activities at three locations. It has strength and training classes in Plymouth on Mondays, including high-intensity resistance training (HIRT) and barre. Free self-defense classes are in the queue too, Sheekh said.
Yoga and monthly wellness workshops can be found in Hawa’s Minneapolis location on Saturdays, and boxing is offered at Title Boxing in Edina on Saturdays and Sundays.
Jamie Anderson recently became an assistant manager at the Title Boxing location and worked with Sheekh to create a welcoming space for Muslim women to train at the gym.
“It’s such a moving experience for me to get to be part of this and to see women be more free and get to do something they want to do,” Anderson said.
Heba Eid, 27, was born in Germany to Egyptian parents and moved to Minnesota when she was 9 years old. Eid’s fitness journey, like Sheekh’s, also started with some trepidation in 2019.
She launched Hers Fitness in August 2024, offering a range of classes including high-intensity interval training (HIIT), strength training, Zumba and belly-dancing, and Eid said she’s working to introduce boxing. She rents space from Studio TimeOut in Minneapolis on Saturdays and Sundays for classes.
Mongare, 33, is a Kenya-born fitness coach who opened her women-only gym, Miriam Fitness Gym, in 2020. Now located in Burnsville, Mongare’s gym is one of very few full-time women-only fitness spaces in Minnesota. Although Mongare is not Muslim, nearly 95% of her clients are.
Mongare said that she has witnessed a growing number of Muslim women getting into weight lifting and believed availability of women-only fitness spaces has helped encourage that growth.
Mongare, Eid and Sheekh said they also hope to see more women-only fitness centers in permanent spaces. Eid and Sheekh both said they’re working toward owning their own locations.
St. Paul boxer Amaiya Zafar, 24, made headlines in 2016 when she was disqualified from the Sugar Bert Tournament in Kissimmee, Fla., for wearing a hijab and clothing that covered her arms and legs under her boxing gear. In 2017, Zafar was allowed to compete with her hijab and hijab-compliant clothing due to a religious exemption by USA Boxing.
Zafar, with help from her father, Humayun Zafar, is opening Ummah Fit later this year at Zawadi Center in Bloomington. The women-only fitness space will offer classes and provide child care.
“There’s not a lot of spaces that are truly inclusive, accessible and safe as a Muslim woman,” Zafar said. “My goal is a space that is empowering, uplifting, and inclusive for many of us who have been overlooked in the fitness and athletic world.”
This story comes to you from Sahan Journal, a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to covering Minnesota’s immigrants and communities of color. Sign up for a free newsletter to receive Sahan’s stories in your inbox.
Source: Www.Startribune.Com
-----
Shirin Ebadi on Iran’s politics, women’s rights, and the struggle for change
15th February 2025
On Monday the Oxford Union welcomed the first female Nobel Peace Prize Laureate from Iran: Shirin Ebadi. This visit marked Ebadi’s third address at the Union, following appearances in 2013 and 2017; but her most recent visit to Oxford was in Trinity Term 2024, where she was hosted by OxSpeaks.
Ebadi has led an exceptional life and career. Born in Hamadan, northwestern Iran in 1947, she became one of Iran’s first female judges in 1969, while continuing her doctoral studies in private law at Tehran University. In 1975, she became the first female President of the Tehran city court. After obtaining her legal license in 1992, Ebadi largely defended people who were being persecuted by the Iranian government, handling many political and human rights cases. These included the case of journalist Zahra Kazemi who died in custody under suspicious circumstances, political activists Parvaneh and Dariush Foroohar, who were killed by security forces, and student Ezat Ebrahim Nejad who was killed at Tehran University. As a consequence of this work, Ebadi was imprisoned in 1999. She left Iran in 2009 before the Presidential election and has since continued her work abroad. At her address, Ebadi mentioned these experiences of hers, and heartfully stated “I may have left Iran, but Iran remains in my heart. All my activities are to advance the situation in Iran.”
The event began with a meet-and-greet in the Gladstone Room, where Ebadi discussed, in Persian, a variety of preeminent issues facing Iran. “I believe that every country has the right to self-determination, including Iran itself, and therefore it is the fate of the Iranian people and not of international organisations to do so. However, we could benefit from these international human rights organisations, especially the UNHRC, to ensure our voices are heard in the outside world.”
Another member of Iran Society mentioned Iran’s current foreign exchange deficit, economic disparity, and America’s role to play in this, to which Ebadi replied: “The economic situation in Iran is dire. A large chunk of the population live under the poverty line, and American sanctions on Iran stem from Iranian economic policies—and that’s before expanding on the European end of the same issue. 47 years ago on this day the Islamic Republic of Iran was established, and from the outset our foreign policy was set to stand against the United States, their foreign expansion, and to destroy the state of Israel.”
Ebadi also referenced the 1979 hostage crisis, during which Iranian militants held 52 American diplomats and citizens hostage for 444 days. While the Iranian regime did not initially order the attack, it later endorsed it, leading to a complete severing of U.S.-Iran diplomatic relations in 1980. Iran has also used proxy groups within the Middle East, including arming and funding Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen, among others, and Ebadi ascribes a significant portion of blame on these incidents towards the current state of fractured relations between the U.S. and Iran. Ebadi described the Iranian popular sentiment against Israel through vivid elaborations of hateful messages graffitied on walls in Tehran, and how the Islamic regime provided more than just support for Hezbollah in Lebanon; they were crucial to its creation, as the force majeure guiding the opposition to Israel in a critical bordering state.
According to Ebadi, the Iranians capitalised on the Arab Spring of 2011, using it to bolster the Assad regime in Syria. Bashar al-Assad was primarily chosen since Iran needed a friendly Syria to use as a corridor to transit its arms to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Keeping Assad in power was a costly endeavour: over US$4 billion was spent on him. Meanwhile, U.S. sanctions just kept increasing more and more, weakening the Iranian state even further.
An undergraduate from Balliol College, Alborz, asked a complicated question in fluent Persian, only for them to tell him to translate it into English to expedite the Q&A process in advance of photos. Ebadi responded that she has “never advocated for the forceful, violent methods of the regime, and only the Iranian people themselves have a right to self-determination, only doing that with a free referendum.”
“Not a gun!” she added in English, before attendees were briskly swept away to the chamber, where the interview was to take place.
Moderator Moosa Harraj, Librarian of the Oxford Union, began the conversation on this topic, asking about Ebadi’s pioneering role in the Iranian judiciary and how it influenced her worldview. Ebadi responded by discussing some of Iran’s most oppressive current laws against women. Examples included women’s testimony being worth half that of a man’s in court, the requirement for a husband’s permission to work or travel, and the reduction of the legal marriage age for girls. “These examples demonstrate how bad the situation is for women in Iran,” Ebadi explained, which is why “in every social uprising women were always at the forefront.”
Following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Ebadi was dismissed from the judiciary, as women were no longer allowed to serve as judges. Ebadi was demoted to being the clerk of the court she had once presided over. Subsequently, she requested an early retirement from the court and applied to practise law privately, which was denied. Speaking about the post-revolution government, Ebadi explained that the “unjust laws that exist in Iran” are “not compatible with Iranian culture.” “Before the revolution,” she continued, and “before even the Swiss women were allowed to vote in Parliament [1971], Iranian women could be Members of Parliament [1963].”
The conversation then turned to Iran’s foreign policy and Western sanctions on the country. Ebadi argued that the West imposed sanctions on Iran due to its foreign policy, rather than its human rights abuses against women. She explained that from the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, its foreign policy emphasised strong hostility toward Israel and the United States. Ebadi emphasised that the sanctions ultimately cause the “ordinary people [to] suffer,” and that “Iran needs to change its foreign policy for the sanctions to be lifted.”
Next, Harraj shifted the conversation to Iran’s future. Ebadi said she believes “the regime cannot be reformed, but it is close to its downfall.” “The Iranian people do not agree with the policies of the Iranian government,” and “once they achieve victory, the foreign policy will change” and a “democratic government” can be formed. Currently, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s interpretation of Islam is defining the government and its legislature. This means that all laws must be compatible with Khamenei’s interpretation, and consequently, discrimination against women can be legalised. “Islam, like other religions, has many interpretations,” Ebadi said, and “the correct interpretation makes democracy compatible with Islam.”
Harraj then turned to the audience for questions. One student, Arjun from Kellogg College, asked Ebadi how she finds hope in situations of despair. In her answer, she drew on the metaphor of a boat: “If you are on a boat in the ocean and it capsizes, do you drown or continue swimming?” The Oxford Student spoke to Arjun after the event, who commended the talk and emphasised that he greatly liked her answer to his question.
Following the talk, the Oxford Student spoke with more attendees. One student, Yvette, a postgraduate at St Cross College studying Sociology felt that the event was “perhaps missing a few more pointed questions on feminism, given that this was an event from a Nobel Laureate who received her Nobel Peace Prize for advocating for women and children’s rights.” Yvette also noted that “in the Q and A section there were many women with their hands raised, but instead the moderator chose to take four questions in a row from men, so that was a little bit disappointing.” Another postgraduate student from Wadham College echoed a similar sentiment, criticising the lack of questions focused on Ebadi’s “work about women’s rights.”
Additionally, a fourth student voiced that “as an Iranian, it is really encouraging and amazing to have female figures like this come to talk to us” and that the talk gave “a sense of courage to push forward peacefully” and that we “all have an individual responsibility to act in some shape or form.” The student felt that the main takeaway from the talk was “to take action no matter how small: peaceful, persistent, without being afraid.” “There’s agency in all of us,” they continued, “and collectively, if we all come together, regardless of our differences of opinion, if we all have one aim in mind, we will hopefully achieve it.”
Source: Www.Oxfordstudent.Com
-----
Iranian female youth selected as Researcher of Year
Feb 16, 2025
TEHRAN, Feb. 16 (MNA) – Iran’s representative at the “BRICS and SCO Young Leaders Award”, Hosna Salimi has won the title of Young Researcher of the Year.
Hosna Salimi, a trainee of AMF’s 6th Internship Program who was nominated for the competition by the Forum, received the award for her scientific and research activities.
The award ceremony was held on January 26 in the Russian city of Kazan, with representatives from India, Iran, China, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, South Africa, and Russia being recognized in various categories, including Media Influencer, Social Entrepreneur, Public Diplomacy, Young Researcher, and Eco-Initiatives.
Source: En.Mehrnews.Com
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/228413/Iranian-female-youth-selected-as-Researcher-of-Year
-----
Women encouraged to lead Pakistan’s e-commerce sector as contestants showcase tech expertise
Muskaan Mujahid
February 15, 2025
Women across Pakistan were encouraged to lead the country’s information technology (IT) and e-commerce sectors as the 9th edition of the Women Tech Quest (WTQ) took place in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore on Saturday.
The WTQ, an initiative of 10Pearls University, not only puts women’s tech skills to the test but also helps them gain recognition and network with others in the industry, opening their paths to new opportunities.
In Karachi, the competition took place at the state-of-the-art National Aerospace Science & Technology Park (NASTP), while in the capital it was held at the Nust School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and at the University of Central Punjab (UCP) in Lahore.
In all cities, the competitions were followed by sessions where women industry leaders gave their insights into the world of tech and business. They highlighted how women have been leading various initiatives with digital innovations making their challenges a bit easier.
Addressing one such session in Karachi, Hira Khalil, the senior lead for e-commerce at Dawlance, noted that the e-commerce industry was “booming in Pakistan and women could gain the most from it”.
Similarly, Sohail Zindani, an author and entrepreneur who founded his The Sohail Zindani Company, urged women to lead the digital disruption in Pakistan.
Javeria Siddiqui, chief financial officer (CFO) at Feroze1888 Mills Limited, advised women to aim to have multiple streams of income.
Bringing the day-long WTQ to an end, Sarah Peracha, chief executive officer (CEO) at Peracha Ventures and Futurist Vally founder, gave a motivational boost to those who could not secure a winning position: “Maybe some wanted to win today’s competition but everyone is a winner in it.
The contest had six winners from each city, divided into three categories — testing, design and coding. Each category had one winner from the students and professionals sections.
Memon told Dawn.com that her test involved building an online dashboard for a school system. “It was very basic in terms of design,” she said humbly of the contest she won.
In the category of testing software, Rabeeha Ali emerged victorious in the student section while Nida Ramzan won the professional contest.
Ramzan told Dawn.com that database knowledge and checking for bugs were among the various skills tested in the competition. “The most challenging is test cases’ curation, for which you have to perform some brainstorming tasks,” she added.
In coding, Noori Shaukat bagged the winning student place from Karachi while Maryam Nasir was the winner in the professional section. All six winners in Karachi were awarded a cheque worth Rs25,000, as well as a Rs5,000 voucher by one of the sponsors.
Source: Www.Dawn.Com
https://www.dawn.com/news/1892155
-----
Sheikha Mayassa leads Forbes Middle East’s Top 20 Arab Women in Government 2025
15 Feb 2025
Doha, Qatar: Forbes Middle East has unveiled its inaugural list of the 'Top 20 Arab Women in Government' for 2025, featuring the exceptional women spearheading change across the Arab world’s public institutions.
This pioneering ranking highlights influential female leaders who are driving policy and innovation within government organizations, excluding ministerial and parliamentary positions. These remarkable women are shaping key sectors such as diplomacy, culture, technology, media, and the environment while representing their countries on the global stage.
Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani secured the No. 1 spot in the prestigious top 20 list. As Chairperson of Qatar Museums, the Doha Film Institute, Reach Out to Asia, and the Qatar Leadership Centre, HE Sheikha Mayassa has played a pivotal role in expanding Qatar’s cultural influence worldwide.
Forbes recognizes Her Excellency as a leader deeply involved in the fields of culture, education, leadership, and philanthropy. She founded the Doha Film Institute, which in 2024 celebrated the 11th edition of the Ajyal Film Festival, supporting independent filmmakers from the region.
In her role at Qatar Museums, HE Sheikha Al Mayassa has been instrumental in building the nation’s dynamic network of museums, heritage sites, festivals, creative hubs, and public art installations. Under her leadership, the institution has also expanded its international outreach.
In November 2024, Qatar Museums and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture inked a landmark cooperation agreement to mutually advance heritage conservation, arts education, and urban regeneration, while preserving and celebrating cultural heritage both in Qatar and globally.
HE Sheikha Al Mayassa is the only Qatari representative on this distinguished list, with Emirati women claiming 11 spots, followed by Saudi women with four, and three Egyptians.
The ranking takes into account several key factors: the impact of each leader’s role, other positions they hold, their tenure in the position, and the significant initiatives they have championed in 2024.
Source: Thepeninsulaqatar.Com
-----
Iran’s women’s football team to play Puerto Rico
February 16, 2025
TEHRAN – Iran’s women’s football team will meet Puerto Rico in two friendly matches next week.
Team Melli Banovan will first play Puerto Rico on Feb. 23 in Istanbul, Turkey and play the team three days later.
The friendlies will be held as part of preparation for the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification.
Maryam Azmoun, Iran’s women head coach, has called up 20 players to the team.
Source: Www.Tehrantimes.Com
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/509819/Iran-s-women-s-football-team-to-play-Puerto-Rico
-----
Meet the passionate Emirati woman driver who owns all types of driving licences
Mira Al Rashdi
16-02-2025
Safaa Al Mahri is an Emirati businesswoman who has achieved a historic feat as the first woman in the UAE to obtain licences for all seven categories: motorcycles, light vehicles, heavy vehicles, light buses, heavy buses, light tractors and heavy tractors.
She told Al Khaleej about her experience that driving was initially a hobby, which soon turned into a passion and a challenge that led her to involve herself in unusual experiences, such as driving heavy vehicles and equipment which require high skill in control. In addition to being heavy in weight, they also require full awareness of the surrounding environment and precision in dealing with all the details. Safaa expressed her pride in her accomplishment, especially as it is rarely done by woman.
Safaa added that driving a motorcycle was a big challenge because it requires a great deal of balance and high concentration, as it is not protected and requires great control over movement and speed.
The second challenge which Safaa faced was driving a bus due to its height, length, and large size, which requires precision and caution while driving, besides the large mirrors which require a great skill in terms of vision and control.
Al Mahri says, "I do my best to help women overcome their fears of driving, especially those who suffer from driving phobia. I strive to enhance their confidence and teach them how to deal with vehicles, because I believe that woman is capable of overcoming any obstacle in the UAE. We are fortunate to have a developed infrastructure and well-studied traffic laws which help us drive safely, and these are very encouraging factors for developing driving skills among women."
"My message to every Emirati young woman who aspires to achieve similar accomplishments is to believe in her abilities and discover her talents, because women in the UAE are supported by our wise leadership and the support of Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Mother of the UAE," Safaa added.
Source: Www.Gulftoday.Ae
-----
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/taliban-war-women-nation-daughters/d/134634