First Batch Female Officers to Assume Duties at Dubai Police Command Centre
New Age Islam News Bureau
22 September 2022
• Saudi National Day: Kingdom's Women Celebrate Drive
towards Equal Opportunities
• Syrian Jihadist Group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham Accused
of Blocking Married Women from Studying
• US Launches Alliance for Afghan Women’s Economic
Resilience
• Joe Biden Vows Solidarity with Iran Women amid
"Anti-Hijab" Protests
• National Council for Women Thanks Sisi for
Appointment of Female Judges With Courts
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/uae-female-officers-dubai-police/d/128006
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First Batch Female Officers to Assume Duties at Dubai
Police Command Centre
Photo: DMO
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21 Sep 2022
After completing an integrated training program for
six months, Dubai Police General Command has recently qualified the first batch
of female officers to join the Command and Control Centre.
The female officers, Al Lt. Mira Mohammad Madani; Lt.
Samar Abdulaziz Jashouh, Lt. Kholoud Ahmed Al Abdullah, and Lt. Bakhita Khalifa
Al Ghafli; successfully demonstrated their efficiency in completing the course
and undertook several field assessments to evaluate and measure their readiness
and knowledge.
The training programme featured 24 specialised courses
and practical training in several divisions, including the Emergency Response
Division to receive communications, the Guidance and Control Division, and the
Duty Officer's Office.
Major General Dr Mohammad Nasser Al Razooqi, Director
of the General Department of Operations, said that the Dubai Police proud
itself to have a remarkable cadre who shine and excel in all fields. The Force
always seeks and harnesses all its capabilities to invest in young cadres and
quality them with the necessary skills.
"Female personnel plays a significant role in
ensuring safety and security for all and proactively take on missions and
duties that were exclusively carried out by their male counterparts in the
past", he explained.
Maj Gen Al Razooqi reaffirmed the keenness of Dubai on
empowering and enhancing the role of women in various police fields,
specializations and positions. "The Force spares no effort when it comes
to increasing the level of women's involvement in the policing work and
ensuring they develop and show their potential to serve their community,"
he added.
Meanwhile, Brigadier Turki bin Faris, confirmed that
the female officers had shown a great dedication and capabilities that met the
high criteria of cognitive and organizational skills and intellect and
security-awareness that their duties as command and control officers required.
The four-female officers expressed gratitude to have
joined the Command and Control Centre, which never ceases to motivate them with
new challenges. "Dubai Police has created a motivating environment for the
youth in general and women, in particular, to ensure we strive for nothing but
excellence," they explained.
Source: Khaleej Times
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Saudi National Day: Kingdom's Women Celebrate Drive
Towards Equal Opportunities
Dr. Manar Al Moneef, Chief
Investment Officer, NEOM. photo: NEOM
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Mariam Nihal
Sep 22, 2022
As they prepare for the 92nd Saudi National Day on
Friday, Saudi women are celebrating the nation's progress and their rise to
leadership positions across different sectors.
Saudi women have always coveted more visible and
pertinent roles in society, and the kingdom's Vision 2030 is the catalyst that
has made them possible.
Saudi Arabia has developed a diversified economy
thanks to its “progressive leadership”, Dr Manar Al Moneef, chief investment
officer at the kingdom's $500 billion city of the future Neom, told The
National.
“We are proud of the incredible accomplishments that
have ignited the pride of our people all over the kingdom and we continue to
strive for greatness,” she said.
Neom will "continue to be a powerful enabler” of
the Saudi Vision 2030, she said.
Dr Manar believes Saudi Arabia is committed to women’s
empowerment and has enabled women to obtain the “highest levels” of education.
It has encouraged them to participate in various
aspects of “economic, political, and social life”.
“As part of Vision 2030, I am grateful for the major
reforms and the continuation of the leadership’s efforts to empower women to
occupy leadership positions in various sectors," she said.
She said Neom was committed to creating a work
environment that "supports, develops and promotes equality and diversity”.
Vision 2030 aims to boost female participation in the
workforce to 30 per cent by 2030.
Saudi women make up more than a third of the country's
workforce, statistics released in March this year by the General Authority for
Statistics show. That marks a 17.4 per cent increase from five years ago.
The female unemployment rate fell to its lowest level
in 20 years in the first quarter of 2022.
Many female leaders attribute this achievement to the
kingdom's ambitious programme to reshape its economy to become self-sufficient,
progressive and diversified.
Saudi women have always demonstrated resolve and
“Vision 2030 catalysed this determination into action”, said Dr May Taibah,
board member and corporate financial controller at Community Jameel Saudi
Foundation.
She has been working in social enterprises for more
than a decade, including Bab Rizq Jameel Services and Nafisa Shams Academy for
Arts and Crafts.
Vision 2030 caters to the diverse needs of Saudi
citizens because it enables every member of society, and especially women, to
contribute to socio-economic growth in the kingdom, she said.
“This gives me a front-row seat to witness first-hand
the impact of collaboration between the public, private and governmental
sectors in fuelling human capability,” she told The National.
“It is truly inspirational what can be achieved
through the right support framework.”
In the first quarter of 2022, the percentage of women
in middle management and senior positions rose from 28.6 per cent compared with
39 per cent in first quarter of 2017, the Ministry of Human Resources and
Social Development said.
But the value added by the growth of the female
workforce in the kingdom is not limited to statistics and numbers, said Deema
Al Bashrawi, head of operations at Tanmiah, a manufacturer and distributor of
food and agricultural products.
She attributed her professional success to a
culmination of factors including the strength of the kingdom’s educational
framework, which enabled her to earn a degree in economics, and the support of
her family.
She said “Tanmiah continues to support my sustained
growth” since she joined in 2012 as a manager.
“Today, I look forward to continuing to serve my
country, customers, partners, and investors as we continue to support the achievement
of Saudi Arabia’s goals towards improving food security, reducing waste, and
achieving self-sufficiency,” Ms Al Bashrawi said.
Dr Taibah believes an entrepreneurial mindset is vital
to prosperity and extends beyond entrepreneurship.
“The value extends beyond that, to the personal
stories of lives, businesses and industries transformed through supportive
socio-economic empowerment across the entire framework,” she said.
The World Bank’s Women, Business and Law report for
2020 and 2021 found that Saudi Arabia was among the top countries when it came
to implementing reforms and rights related to women.
“Vision 2030 was developed to extend equal support,
whether a person is a craft worker, start-up CEO or employee,” Dr Taibah said.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development
introduced policies that promote inclusivity, and diversity in the labour
market.
These were “to enhance the positive image of women in
the workplace, and to create a supportive and inclusive environment to
facilitate women’s entry into the labour market”, a ministry representative
said this year.
“Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been a champion
for women's progress and has helped empower women in the labour market by
giving us ease of running businesses and authority which does not require a
man,” said Ghalia Abdul, who runs a retail store in Jeddah.
Women's right to drive, travel and run their own
businesses had helped her to hire more female workers in the last four years,
she said.
The Arab Institute for Women’s Empowerment has said
that investing in targeted training for Saudi women would have a return on
investment of $400 billion by 2030.
“Most young Saudis have an entrepreneurial spirit and
the new changes have helped people like me not just run my own business, but
also contribute to the economy and create jobs for women,” Ms Abdul said.
Source: The National News
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Syrian Jihadist Group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham Accused of
Blocking Married Women from Studying
Mouneb Taim
September 3, 2022
Women in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib face
daily violations of their rights at the hands of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS),
which controls the province. The group’s members have been repeatedly accused
of violations and restrictions against the people of Idlib.
Most recently, married women have been deprived of
their right to education, sources from Idlib schools told Al-Monitor. Multiple
principals in Idlib said that on Aug. 15, the Education Directorate of the
Salvation Government, HTS’ civilian arm, informed them orally of a decision to
ban married female students from attending public schools and universities.
The move deprives dozens of married women of their
basic rights to education and to continue their studies, as part of HTS’
systematic policy of tightening the noose on residents of Idlib province.
All attempts by Rawan al-Atrash, from Binnish city in
the countryside of Idlib, to be admitted to school and fulfill her dream of
becoming a teacher in the future were unsuccessful.
Atrash, 16, told Al-Monitor, “I am one of dozens of
married students who were deprived of education in Syria because of the
decisions of the Education Directorate of the Salvation Government to prevent
married female students from pursuing their studies.”
On a more personal level, she said that her father
forced her to drop out of school when she was in sixth grade because she was
his eldest daughter and had to help her mother and learn sewing, cooking and
housework in order to get married.
When she turned 14, she was coerced by her family into
marrying her cousin. After two years of marriage and a child and another on the
way, her husband agreed to her completing her education in ninth grade.
However, she was surprised by the refusal of the school administration in Binnish
to admit her. She did not disclose the name of the school out of fear for her
personal safety.
Shortly after, her married friend Aisha told her that
several married students had been rejected at the same school, and they had
been given the same reason by the school principal — that there were no spots
available.
Atrash said that denying her the possibility of
completing her education deeply affected her, especially as the first rejection
came from her family at a young age. Once she had convinced her husband to
allow her to pursue her studies, since the school was nearby and all her
married friends would be in the same class, she was rejected by the Education
Directorate.
In 2019 statements, Mahmoud al-Maarawi, the first
Sharia judge in Damascus, who heads the religious court that oversees personal
status issues in Syria, said that the percentage of underage marriage during
the Syrian war rose to 13%, compared to 3% before the war. Most marriages were
concluded as per customary contracts, according to Maarawi.
Speaking to Al-Monitor, Raghad al-Jassem, a
19-year-old woman from Idlib, said she was deprived of her right to education,
which would have helped her become more independent and self-sufficient.
She was unable to continue her studies after her husband
was killed two years ago during battles with HTS in Idlib’s countryside, as she
was forced to drop out of school and tend to her family.
This year, she decided to go back to school. But
although she is not technically married, but rather a widow, she is trying to
hide her status at the Education Directorate through her inside contacts to
circumvent the recent decision, and be able to finish her high school studies
and achieve her dream of becoming a nurse.
Jassem described HTS’ recent efforts as unjust and
arbitrary, adding that there is no article or clause preventing married women
from education in the Syrian Constitution, Syrian laws or even in Islam.
For years, the education sector in Idlib and its
countryside has been suffering from great difficulties that have encumbered
thousands of male and female students from education.
On the other hand, a school principal in Maarrat
Misrin, in the north of Idlib, told Al-Monitor that she was recently asked by
the Education Directorate of the Salvation Government not to enroll married
female students in public schools that are affiliated with the directorate.
The source, who asked that her name and the name of
the school not be published due to safety concerns, said that the decision was
not in writing, but it was verbally mentioned to her.
She said that she was told she would be held
accountable if any married student is enrolled at her school, and she would be
punished.
She noted that the decision applies to all schools in
Idlib and its countryside that are affiliated with the Education Directorate.
The school principal said she was also asked to tell
married women seeking education that there are no available spots.
The source said she is personally implementing this
mandatory decision, as she believes the most suitable place for a woman is her
husband's house and raising her children. She noted that a married woman would
take the place of another student because she would have to suspend education
during pregnancy and childbearing for an extended period, and that would
deprive an unmarried student of the spot.
She said that the way unmarried and married female
students think is totally different, especially when it comes to marital
conversations in school. This might affect other girls’ thinking.
She concluded by saying that, as a school principal,
she believes the decision is correct, and any married woman should abide by it
and by her husband’s opinion completely.
An Idlib-based activist who spoke to Al-Monitor on
condition of anonymity said that banning married women from enrolling in public
schools is arbitrary and unjust, amid lack of justifications, except for HTS’
control of the area and its systematic crackdown on citizens and education of
women, married or unmarried, but mainly the married ones.
Women have bigger responsibilities and burdens, and
education can boost their self-confidence and empower them to interact with
others and with society, she said, adding that depriving women of education
negatively affects their lives, weakens their character and robs them of
economic independence.
HTS is trying to completely control the education
sector in Idlib and indoctrinate students with its ideas and beliefs by luring
them to its religious schools and offering them benefits.
There are several religious schools affiliated with
HTS in Idlib, like Dar al-Wahi al-Sharif, which is one of the largest in Idlib.
HTS funds its religious schools from its own resources.
In February, teachers who volunteer at schools
affiliated with Idlib and Hama education directorates closed schools until they
have paid their outstanding wages, as part of a general strike. Teachers in
Idlib, who were forced to work as volunteers after years of unpaid salaries,
had been protesting in recent years the deteriorating conditions of schools in
Idlib. But their demands continue to fall on deaf ears.
Source: Al Monitor
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US Launches Alliance for Afghan Women’s Economic
Resilience
September 22, 2022
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken launched the
Alliance for Afghan Women’s Economic Resilience (AWER) on the sidelines of the
UN General Assembly.
“AWER is a new public-private partnership between the
Department of State and Boston University that aims to catalyze business,
philanthropic, and civil society commitments to advance Afghan women’s
entrepreneurship, employment, and educational opportunities in Afghanistan and
third countries,” the US Department of State said in a press release.
This comes as some women's rights activists said that
many women have become jobless.
The event was attended by Afghan women entrepreneurs,
business leaders and civil society members, as well as representatives of the
US and other foreign governments, including US special envoy for Afghanistan
Thomas West and US special envoy for Afghanistan Women and Human Rights Rina
Amiri.
“This is a public-private partnership that will help
improve access to education training, expand job opportunity, support women
entrepreneurs in Afghanistan as well as in other countries. Now I don’t want to
sugarcoat it. This is going to be hard, given the severe restraint imposed by
the Taliban. But we are determined to safely deliver this support to women in
Afghanistan,” Blinken said at the event.
Speaking at the event, Blinken noted Deloitte’s
commitment to work with the Alliance’s first member Pod in mentoring 2,000
Afghan women under MWMA as an example of how AWER aims to foster economic
opportunity for Afghan women and girls, the statement reads.
The announcement of the Alliance for Afghan Women’s
Economic Resilience by the Afghan women comes as many women became jobless
after the Islamic Emirate swept into power.
“If such programs are launched for girls, they will
surely improve. As you and I know that women are contributing half of the
society,” said Manizha Nasiri, a women’s rights activist.
“We see that girls have been affected recently. They
are deprived of the right to education. They lost their jobs. They are facing a
lot of economic challenges,” said Husna Rasuli, a civil rights activist.
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Chamber Commerce and
Industry (ACCI) said that more than 4,000 women entrepreneurs have invested in
the country.
“The girls who live in Afghanistan have faced
restrictions after the changes happened in the country. Especially considering
the situation that many women cannot go to their jobs in government
departments,” said Roya Hafizi, acting head of the ACCI. ‘
Source: Tolo News
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-179954
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Joe Biden Vows Solidarity With Iran Women Amid
"Anti-Hijab" Protests
September 21, 2022
United Nations: US President Joe Biden vowed
solidarity with Iranian women Wednesday as eight people were reported killed in
growing protests over the death of a young woman arrested by morality police.
Addressing the United Nations shortly after a defiant
speech by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Biden saluted the protesters while
renewing his support for reviving a nuclear accord with Tehran.
"Today we stand with the brave citizens and the
brave women of Iran who right now are demonstrating to secure their basic
rights," Biden told the General Assembly.
Public anger has flared in the Islamic republic since
authorities on Friday announced the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had
been held for allegedly wearing a hijab headscarf in an "improper"
way.
Activists said the woman, whose Kurdish first name is
Jhina, had suffered a fatal blow to the head, a claim denied by officials, who
have announced an investigation.
Some women demonstrators have defiantly taken off
their hijabs and burned them in bonfires or symbolically cut their hair before
cheering crowds, video footage spread on social media has shown.
"No to the headscarf, no to the turban, yes to
freedom and equality!" protesters in Tehran were heard chanting in a rally
that has been echoed by solidarity protests abroad.
Protests filled cities, especially in northern Iran,
for a fifth straight night Wednesday, with activists reporting clashes in
cities including Urmia and Sardasht.
In southern Iran, video footage purportedly from
Wednesday showed demonstrators setting fire to a gigantic picture on the side
of a building of general Qassem Soleimani, the Revolutionary Guards commander
killed in a 2020 US strike in Iraq.
Iranian state media reported that street rallies had
spread to 15 cities, with police using tear gas and making arrests to disperse
crowds of up to 1,000 people.
London-based rights group Article 19 said it was
"deeply concerned by reports of the unlawful use of force by Iranian
police and security forces," including the use of live ammunition.
Demonstrators hurled stones at security forces, set
fire to police vehicles and garbage bins and chanted anti-government slogans,
the official IRNA news agency said.
"Death to the dictator" and "Woman,
life, freedom," protesters could be heard shouting in video footage that
spread beyond Iran, despite online restrictions reported by internet access
monitor Netblocks.
'Double standards'
In his UN address, Raisi pointed to the deaths of
Indigenous women in Canada as well as Israeli actions in the Palestinian
territories and the Islamic State group's "savagery" against women
from religious minority groups.
"So long as we have this double standard, where
attention is solely focused on one side and not all equally, we will not have
true justice and fairness," Raisi said.
He also pushed back on Western terms to revive a 2015
nuclear accord, insisting that Iran "is not seeking to build or obtain
nuclear weapons and such weapons have no place in our doctrine."
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said that
"the Iranian leadership should notice that the people are unhappy with the
direction that they have taken."
"They could abandon their nuclear weapons
aspirations. They could stop the repression of voices within their own country.
They could stop their destabilizing activities," he told AFP at the United
Nations.
"A different path is possible. That is the path
that we want Iran to take and that is the path that will see them with a
stronger economy, a more happy society and a more active part in the
international community."
French President Emmanuel Macron said he asked Raisi
in a meeting Tuesday to show "respect for women's rights."
'Significant shock'
The protests are among the most serious in Iran since
November 2019 unrest over fuel price rises.
The wave of unrest over Amini's death "is a very
significant shock, it is a societal crisis," said Iran expert David
Rigoulet-Roze of the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs.
Demonstrations first erupted Friday in Amini's home
province of Kurdistan, where governor Ismail Zarei Koosha said Tuesday three
people had been killed in "a plot by the enemy."
Kurdistan police commander Ali Azadi on Wednesday
announced the death of another person, according to Tasnim news agency.
Two more protesters "were killed during the
riots" in Kermanshah province, the region's prosecutor Shahram Karami was
quoted as saying by Fars news agency, blaming "counter-revolutionary
agents."
Additionally, Norway-based Kurdish rights group Hengaw
said two protesters, aged 16 and 23, had been killed overnight in West
Azerbaijan province.
An additional 450 people had been wounded and 500
arrested, the group said -- figures that could not be independently verified.
Source: ND TV
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National Council for Women thanks Sisi for appointment
of female judges with courts
September 21, 2022
The National Council for Women, headed by Maya
Morsy, prepared a statement thanking
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, President of the Republic and head of the Supreme Council
of Judicial Bodies, for appointing 73 female judges to the courts of first
instance.
The statement thanked also the Supreme Judicial
Council, and Minister of Justice Omar Marawan.
“Congratulations to the fourth batch of Egypt’s female
judges…73 female judges,” Morsy wrote, on her personal page on Facebook.
She continued: “On Sunday, the Abdel Aziz Pasha Fahmy
Hall in the High Court of Justice witnessed the swearing-in ceremony for a new
fourth batch of Egyptian female judges, which included 73 female judges, after
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ratified their appointment as judges with courts
of first instance.”
Morsy said the last batch of female judges was
appointed in the courts in 2015, describing the era as “a golden age for
Egyptian women.”
The Official Gazette published Sisi’s decree No. 338
of 2022, which stipulated the appointment of 73 female members of the
Administrative Prosecution and the State Lawsuits Authority with the courts of
first instance.
Source: Egypt Independent
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