Uber Reports A 50 Percent Year-On-Year Increase in Female Drivers in Saudi Arabia
New
Age Islam News Bureau
05
October 2021
•
More Saudi Women Bypassing Legal Guardian Approval for Marriage
•
Defying Taliban, Kabul Women Return To Work, School and the Streets
•
Protests Get Harder For Afghan Women Amid Risks, Red Tape
•
In A First after 2 Years, Iran Allows Female Fans to Enter Stadium for Match
•
A Fourth-Grade Girl Moves Peshawar HC against Expulsion by Private School after
Severe Corporal Punishment and Humiliation
•
COVID-19 Left Women Delaying Vital Breast Cancer Screening, Treatment: UAE
Experts
•
Canada Was Warned By Afghan Women of Taliban Atrocities in June
•
Indonesian Women in Australia Hold On To Faith, Community amid COVID-19
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/uber-saudi-women-drivers-female/d/125516
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Uber
Reports A 50 Percent Year-On-Year Increase in Female Drivers in Saudi Arabia
October
04, 2021
The company’s 'Women Preferred View' means female
drivers in the country are able to select women-only riders. Supplied
-------
RIYADH:
Uber has revealed a 50 percent year-on-year increase in female drivers in Saudi
Arabia working for the ride-hailing company.
The
global firm has introduced country-specific policies to the Kingdom to
encourage Saudi female drivers and female passengers to use the platform.
The
company’s “Women Preferred View” means female drivers in the country are able
to select women-only riders.
The
initiative, rolled out in 2020, not only saw a rise in women drivers, but also
sparked a 79 percent year-on-year increase in the average weekly female trips
taken in the Kingdom.
Mohammed
Gazzaz, Uber’s general manager in Saudi Arabia, hailed the success of the
policy, and said: “We invested in months of research and focus groups to
establish what really mattered to women in relation to transport and driving
with confidence, and to help devise initiatives that would make a substantial
difference to women’s lives.”
He
added: “We support the goal of increasing female participation in the workforce
by providing flexible economic opportunities and offering women affordable
transport solutions to get to their places of work.”
The
company also launched another initiative, Masaruky, to support the ongoing
government drive to empower Saudi women and help them contribute toward the
development of the national economy.
Masaruky
was launched with a SR1 million ($266,667) pledge, in partnership with Al-Nahda
Foundation and the Saudi Driving School, to support women who wanted to obtain
their driver’s license but who lacked the means.
The
program aims to increase female participation in the workforce through access
to affordable transportation, in addition to increasing women’s access to
flexible economic opportunities through Uber technology, which more than
200,000 Saudis currently benefit from.
The
main findings from an Uber-commissioned Ipsos poll found that 31 percent of
those surveyed were interested in driving as an earnings opportunity, while 74
percent said they only wanted to carry women riders.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1941251/business-economy
--------
More
Saudi Women Bypassing Legal Guardian Approval for Marriage
Nada
AlTaher
Oct
5, 2021
Saudi families arrive outside a stadium to attend
an event in the capital Riyadh for national day celebrations, Saudi Arabia. AFP
-----
Automatic
legal services are allowing hundreds of women in Saudi Arabia to file, argue
and win court proceedings that grant them a judge's approval to bypass their
guardian's consent for marriage.
“This
is a transformation in what was a previously gruelling and stressful task for
women whose fathers or brothers had unjustly objected to a potential spouse,”
Saudi lawyer Hazim Al Madani told The National.
"The
court's new e-filing system allows women to make their case and get a ruling in
a matter of months and sometimes a few days."
Although
the Ministry of Justice does not publish exact figures on the number of cases
involving bypassing guardian consent for a woman to marry, Mr Al Madani
estimates hundreds of cases were filed electronically in the past year.
“Cases
like these caused a great deal of psychological pressure on the women involved
along the way because in the old system, it was up to them to inform a brother,
father or legal guardian of the legal action being taken against them.”
With
new automation measures that notify defendants of summons or rulings, women no
longer have to deliver the news, he said.
Saudi
paper Okaz reported that nine cases were filed in courts across Jeddah, Makkah,
Al Taif and Al Laith in the past 60 days.
Of
those, three cases were settled and six were referred to court, taking an
average of one or two sessions before a ruling was issued.
The
coronavirus pandemic has also prompted hearings to be conducted virtually, allowing
defendants and plaintiffs to make their legal arguments from home, without the
need to be physically present at court.
Mr
Al Madani says that while guardianship approval is a prerequisite for women's
marriage in Islam, some guardians abuse the powers granted to them by the law.
“I
had a 40-year-old Saudi client who wanted to get married to a non-Saudi
dentist," he said. "Her family did not consent to that marriage
simply because of the suitor’s nationality. The religious text in this matter
is clear in that the requirements for a good suitor should be based on
religiosity and morals, no more.”
In
2018, Saudi Arabia granted women the ability to work without getting permission
from a legal guardian. This has given them the freedom to keep personal issues protected
from scrutiny and abuse.
“Some
fathers, brothers and even husbands demanded a portion or all the wages earned
by the working women in their households and used that to maintain leverage
over the women in their lives,” Mr Al Madani said.
“Now
that women are free to take decisions of employment into their own hands, they
do not feel as obligated to divulge how much they earn or other details about
their lives which could be held against them.”
Under
previous guardianship restrictions, a woman could find herself redundant
because her guardian no longer approved of her employment.
“Imagine
a surgeon or a professor being told she can no longer perform her duties
because her father or brother informed the company that he does not want her
working there anymore,” Mr Al Madani said.
Increasingly,
cases where a guardianship is stripped or bypassed for the unlawful obstruction
of marriage have been making headlines in Saudi press.
Mr
Al Madani said the select number of court proceedings published by the ministry
on its website encourage women in similar situations to tackle their own issues
through the legal system.
Source:
The National News
--------
Defying
Taliban, Kabul women return to work, school and the streets
October
05, 2021
KABUL
-- A terrorist attack didn't stop Atifa Watanyar from teaching, but she worries
the Taliban will.
A
CNN field report says even before the militant group marched into Kabul, the
English teacher felt intense uncertainty and heartache.
In
early May, she was at the entrance of the Sayed Al-Shuhada school on the
outskirts of the capital and saw an explosion in front of the main gate. As her
students rushed past her, trying to escape onto the dusty yard below, a second
and then a third bomb detonated, killing at least 85 people -- many of them
teenage girls.
Just
months later, Watanyar is standing at the very same entrance before her lesson
begins. Young female students pour into the hallway, their voices echoing off a
wall painted with a mural claiming "the future is brighter."
"What
should we say? Every day I see Taliban in the streets. I'm afraid. I fear from
these people a lot," she said.
In
August, weeks after the school reopened, the Taliban swept to power and once
again claimed Afghanistan as their Islamic Emirate.
A
month later, the group effectively banned female students from secondary
education, by ordering high schools to re-open only for boys. The group said it
needed to set up a "secure transportation system," before girls
grades six through twelve could return. But the Taliban gave a similar excuse
when it came to power in 1996. Female students never went back to class during
its five-year rule.
No
longer able to teach her older students, Watanyar now focuses on the younger
girls, making sure inside her classroom at least, there is still room to dream.
"What
should we do, what should we do? It's just the thing that we can do for our
children, for our daughters, for our girls," she said.
Sanam
Bahnia, 16, who was injured in the terror attack, was brave enough to return to
class.
"One
of my classmates, who was killed, was someone who really worked hard in her
studies -- when I heard that she was martyred, I felt that I must go back and
study, for the peace of her soul, I must study and build my country, so that I
can make their wishes and dreams come true," she said.
But
Bahnia's ability to fulfill that pledge is in serious doubt. Now, prevented
from attending school by the Taliban, she reads her textbook in the corner of
her home. Her favorite subject is biology, but she says she no longer lets
herself dream of becoming a dentist.
Her
defiance in the face of multiple attacks on her future is taking its toll.
Her
voice wavers as she begins to cry, saying: "The Taliban are the reason for
my current state. My spirit is gone, my dreams are buried."
The
Taliban's continued assault on women is visible across this city. Militants
have in some instances ordered women to leave their workplaces, and when a
group of women protested the announcement of the all-male government in Kabul,
Taliban fighters beat them with whips and sticks.
On
the streets of the Khair Khana neighborhood, in northwest Kabul, the
consequences of a recent women's protest remain. At almost every beauty salon,
images of women's faces have been defaced. Some were quickly spray painted
black, others whitewashed completely.
Inside
one of the salons, the women are too afraid to give their names. They say that
the Taliban drove away the protesters, before telling them to remove the images
of women, put on burqas and stay home.
Still,
despite remarkable odds, Kabul's female activists continue to organize and
demonstrate.
Last
Thursday, just a handful of female protestors were met by an entire Taliban
unit. Right as the women held up signs declaring, "Education is human
identity" and "Do not burn our books, do not close our schools,"
military pickup trucks descended on their protest corner.
Taliban
fighters ripped the signs out of their hands, as a mounted machine gun fired
off a warning burst that sent spectators and journalists running.
The
Taliban's head of intelligence services in Kabul, Mawlavi Nasratullah, said
that the women didn't have permission to protest.
When
asked by CNN's Clarissa Ward why a small group of women asking for their rights
to be educated threatened him so much, Nasratullah responded: "I respect
women, I respect women's rights. If I didn't support women's rights, you
wouldn't be standing here."
But
the violence repeated at other protests tells a different story.
"When
you leave your house for a struggle, you consider everything," protest
leader Sahar Sahil Nabizada said, adding that she's been threatened repeatedly
but refuses to leave the country or stop organizing.
"It's
possible that I die, it's possible I get wounded, and it's also possible I
return home alive. However, if I, or two or three other women die or get
injured, basically we accept risks in order to pave way for the generations to
come, at least they will be proud of us," Nabizada said.
Most
acts of daily defiance are smaller and less public, but just as important,
activists say. More and more women are returning to Kabul's public spaces after
staying inside during the initial first few uncertain weeks of Taliban rule.
Arzo
Khaliqyar is one of those women who went back to work. The mother of five says
she was forced to become a taxi driver when her husband was murdered a year
ago. She says he left behind his white Toyota Corolla, a common car in Kabul,
but little else.
But
in the weeks since the Taliban came to power, driving has become increasingly
difficult and she says she is routinely threatened. She's adapted by sticking
to neighborhoods she knows and picking up mostly women and families.
"I
know [the risks] very clearly but I have no other option," she said.
"I have no other way. In some places where I see Taliban checkpoints, I
will change my route. But I've accepted this risk for the sake of my
children."
Source:
Saudi Gazette
--------
Protests
Get Harder For Afghan Women Amid Risks, Red Tape
October
04, 2021
Women
in Afghanistan who object to what the Taliban have said and done since
returning to power are finding it harder to protest, now that impromptu
demonstrations have been banned and previous rallies were broken up by gunfire
and beatings.
Resistance
within families and concerns over sharing information over social media that
could identify people involved are also acting as deterrents, according to six
female protesters Reuters spoke to across the country.
Sporadic
demonstrations by women demanding that the Taliban respect their civil freedoms
have been captured on social media, as have the sometimes violent responses,
drawing the world's attention to issues of equality and human rights.
The
last time the Taliban ruled in the 1990s, they banned women from work and girls
from school, allowed women to leave their homes only when accompanied by a male
relative and insisted that women wore all-enveloping burqas.
Those
who broke the rules were sometimes whipped in public by the Islamist terrorists
' "moral police".
This
time the Taliban are promising greater freedom for women, including in
education and employment, in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic
law.
Yet
older girls are still not back at school, there are no women in senior
positions in the new government, the Women's Ministry in Kabul has been shut
and the Taliban have said women will only be allowed to work in a small number
of jobs.
Women
wanting to express their anger publicly are struggling to do so. Six who took
part in demonstrations after the Taliban stormed to power on Aug. 15 said they
had not done so since early September.
"We
have a lot of plans to stage more protests, but unfortunately due to security
concerns, we are not going out much right now," said Nasima Bakhtiary, a
former commerce ministry worker in Kabul.
"We
have seen so much harassment ... regarding our protests ... we have to be
careful."
Earlier
this month, the Taliban said protests were not banned, but that those wanting
to hold demonstrations needed to seek prior permission and provide details of
place, timings and slogans that would be chanted.
Taliban
spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment for this story.
PROTESTS
FADE
Based
on interviews with organisers, social media posts and advocacy groups, Reuters
counted seven significant women-led protests between Aug. 15, when the Taliban
came to power, and Sept 8. when they made permission necessary.
Since
Sept. 8, Reuters has counted one, on Sept. 19 outside the women's ministry
building in Kabul after it was shut down. The sign outside has been switched to
that of the Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice - the moral
police.
Maryam
Sadat, a 23-year-old law student and protest organiser in Kabul, said she and a
small number of others had tried to stage a demonstration on Sept. 30, but it
was dispersed by members of the Taliban.
Women
have also been involved in broader protests, some of which have involved
hundreds of people. Several people have been killed, some demonstrators have
been beaten and the Taliban have fired warning shots in the air to disperse
crowds.
The
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights last month condemned the violence against
protesters, including women.
"As
Afghan women and men take to the streets during this time of great uncertainty
in their country to press peacefully for their human rights to be respected ...
it is crucial that those in power listen to their voices," it said.
Women
like Taranom Seyedi said they were scared to continue to demonstrate.
The
34-year-old women's rights activist in Kabul who helped organise some of the
protests there said she had received letters saying the Taliban had made a list
of all the women who protested and would conduct house searches for them.
She
does not know who sent the letters, but has erased protest-related content from
her social media accounts as a precaution, and said others had done so too.
Sadat
went further.
"Since
my participation in the protest, I've had to relocate twice ... My family is
terrified, and even my neighbours are concerned and urging me not to
join."
Others
spoke of pushback from those close to them, including Zulaikha Akrami, a
24-year-old international relations graduate who worked at a foreign non-profit
organisation in the northeastern province of Badakhshan.
"My
mother tried to threaten me not to go and said if you go, don't call me
mother," said Akrami, referring to a demonstration she attended in
Badakhshan on Sept. 8.
She
said she recalled her younger brother telling her: "If they beat you to
death, I won't be there to pick up your body off the street."
Source:
ND TV
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/protests-get-harder-for-afghan-women-amid-risks-red-tape-2563582
--------
In
a first after 2 years, Iran allows female fans to enter stadium for match
Oct
04, 2021
Iran
has permitted its women nationals to enter a stadium for the first time in two
years to watch the national football team take on South Korea in a World Cup
2022 qualifier. “The presence of women has been authorized for the match
between the national football teams of Iran and South Korea,” AFP reported on
Monday, citing the state-TV-linked Young Journalists Club. The match will be
held at Azadi stadium on October 12.
The
last time Iranian women were allowed to attend a football match was in 2019
when Iran won a match against Cambodia with a score of 14-0. As many as 3,500
women were able to watch the match in 2019 in the 80,000-seat Azadi stadium.
There
has been a year-long prohibition on supporters’ attendance at stadiums
regardless of gender due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19).
However, female audiences have always been capped by the country’s government,
AFP reported.
In
2019 when Iranian women took to the Azadi stadium as supporters, it was a scene
of exuberance with visuals showing elated fans cheering for their national
team.
The
ban on women supporters was imposed in 1979 after Iran’s Islamic revolution
wherein Muslim clerics stated that women must be protected from masculine
environment, inappropriate male behaviour and images of semi-robed men.
However, it is not written into law or regulations, according to FP.
On
the road to the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar – the first time the event is
being held in an Arab nation, FIFA has reportedly come down heavily on Iran for
its hardline conservative views. This was presumably the reason behind the
country allowing female fans to attend the Iran versus Cambodia match in 2019,
although the Iran government dismissed the report. The government had instead
stated that the decision was triggered due to “internal social demands and
government’s support of those demands,” AFP had reported.
Source:
Hindustan Times
--------
A
Fourth-Grade Girl Moves Peshawar HC against Expulsion by Private School after
Severe Corporal Punishment and Humiliation
October
5, 2021
PESHAWAR:
A fourth-grade girl has moved the Peshawar High Court against her expulsion by
a private school in Mardan district after allegedly subjecting her to severe
corporal punishment and humiliation by a senior teacher there.
The
petition filed on behalf of schoolgirl Ansa Khan by her mother, Seema Gul,
requested the court to declare her expulsion by the Mardan Model School and
College illegal and order her re-enrolment.
The
petitioner said her daughter, an orphan, shouldn’tbe victimised.
She
also requested the court to grant the girl the interim relief of re-enrolment
in that school until the disposal of the petition.
Also
complains about corporal punishment
The
respondents in the petition are the principal of the Mardan Model School and
College, its coordinator and senior teacher Sobia, provincial education
secretary, and managing director of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Private Schools
Regulatory Authority.
The
petition filed through lawyer Salim Shah Hoti said the girl was enrolled in
fourth gradeat the said school and her notebooks weren’t checked for several
days, so her mother requested senior teacher Sobia first on Sept 17, 2021, and
later on Sept 21 for the checking of the notebooks, but to no avail.
The
petitioner said that the senior teacher got so infuriated over the requests
that when her daughter went to the school on Sept 24, she was slapped, pulled
by hair, and dragged across the floor, and was not even allowed to sit in the
class.
She
said that she visited the school next morning to complain about the incident,
but the senior teacher, instead of repenting her act, began shouting at her,
and misbehaved.
The
petitioner said that the teacher pulled her daughter by hair and dragged her
yet again.
She
added that the teacher also called the principal and both of them misbehaved in
front of staff members, both men and women.
The
woman claimed that she had deposited her daughter’s tuition fee for the month
of Sept but even then, the latter was verbally informed by the administration
about her expulsion from the school.
She
said that she and her daughter were driven out of the school by a guard and
weren’t allowed to enter the campus afterwards.
The
petitioner contended that corporal punishment had been banned by the government
in educational institutions, but even then, the senior teacher and principal of
the private school subjected her daughter to it.
She
contended that getting education was the fundamental right of the people in
line with the Constitution, so her daughter should not be deprived of that
right.
Source:
Dawn
https://www.dawn.com/news/1650139/girl-moves-phc-against-expulsion-by-private-school
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COVID-19
left women delaying vital breast cancer screening, treatment: UAE experts
05
October ,2021
Women
across the United Arab Emirates delayed vital breast cancer screening during
the COVID-19 pandemic in a “concerning phenomenon” that led to a spike in cases
across the country, doctors have said.
October
marks the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and experts are reminding that
early detection brings a higher chance of recovery.
Breast
cancer has four stages and catching it at the first stage means the chance of
survival is between 95 and 100 percent.
However,
doctors in the UAE said screening is well below pre-pandemic levels as women missed
routine appointments and avoided health settings over the fear of COVID-19
meaning they missed vital lifesaving treatment.
Prof.
Humaid al-Shamsi, a consultant in oncology and medical oncology director at VPS
Healthcare, has noticed an increase in breast cancer cases across the UAE as a
result.
“October,
also known as Pink Month, is the month to increase awareness about breast
cancer, which is one of the most common cancers worldwide,” he told Al Arabiya
English.
“Since
the pandemic, we are noticing an increase in the number of patients presenting
with breast cancer. This means they are delaying their visit to the doctor over
fears about COVID-19.
“We
are very concerned about this phenomenon.”
The
doctor said he wants to highlight the importance of being aware of any symptoms
like new lumps in the breast, changes to the nipples, and pain in the breast
area.
Signs,
symptoms
“All
women should be aware of these symptoms. It is also important to note that
breast cancer can affect around one percent of males, especially those who are
advanced in age. If you have any symptoms, like lumps or masses, please go to
the doctor and get it checked. ”
According
to the World Health Organization, close to 2.3 million women were diagnosed
with breast cancer and over 685,000 died worldwide in 2020.
Dr.
Mehdi Afrit, a medical oncologist specialist at Burjeel Specialty Hospital in
Sharjah, said breast cancer is a frequent and serious form of cancer.
Early
screening
“While
prevention is difficult, we have reliable and efficient screening methods like
mammography and breast ultrasonography.”
“Screening
programs and population-based awareness programs together with treatment
contribute to mortality reduction in breast cancer patients.”
Screening
campaigns aim to sensitize, inform, and educate women about breast cancer and
techniques like breast self-exams, he said.
“Women
need to do breast self-examinations regularly. Breast awareness may help you
understand the changes that your breasts undergo and identify any unusual
symptoms. If you find any such symptom, do meet a specialist in breast diseases
or an oncologist. COVID-19 caused screening delays
Dr.
Ghodratollah Nowrasteh, a consultant in general surgery at Medcare Hospital in
Al Safa, also noticed women delaying vital breast cancer screening over the
past 18 months.
“The
COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many elective procedures being put on hold,
and this has led to a substantial decline in cancer screening,” the doctor told
Al Arabiya English. “The COVID-19 pandemic affects mortality and morbidity,
with disruptions expected to continue for some time, with access to timely
cancer-related services a concern. For breast cancer, early detection and
treatment is key to improved survival and longer-term quality of life.”
“Health
services generally have been strained and in many settings with population
breast mammography screening, efforts to diagnose and treat breast cancers
earlier have been paused or have had reduced capacity. The resulting delays to
diagnosis and treatment may lead to more intensive treatment requirements and,
potentially, increased mortality.”
Dr
Nowrasteh said the goal of screening is to detect cancers in very early stage.
“Early-stage
detected and diagnosed cancers have very good prognosis and higher survival rate.
In other words, routine screening can reduce mortality and the intensity of
treatment required.”
Most
common cancer among women
Breast
cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide.
In
the UAE, breast cancer is the most frequent malignancy among women, accounting
for approximately one-third of all cancers.
“For
screening purposes, a woman is considered to be at average risk if she doesn’t
have a personal history of breast cancer, a strong family history of breast
cancer, or a genetic mutation known to increase risk of breast cancer (such as
in a BRCA gene), and has not had chest radiation therapy before the age of 30,”
said Dr Nowrasteh.
“Women
between 40 and 44 have the option to start screening with a mammogram every
year.”
“Screening
should continue as long as a woman is in good health and is expected to live at
least 10 more years. For high-risk populations, screening starts earlier.”
Research
shows that lifestyle changes can decrease the risk of breast cancer, even in
women at high risk, including maintaining a healthy weight and being physically
active.
Dr
Sokiyna Alameer, a breast surgeon at NMC Royal Khalifa City A, also spoke to Al
Arabiya English about the importance of screening.
“Early
detection of breast cancer is important as it is associated with an increased
number of available treatment options, increased survival, and improved quality
of life.
“While
there is no definitive method of preventing breast cancer, early detection
provides the best chance of effective treatment and help improve outcomes
especially in women with a strong family history of breast cancer.”
Dr
Alameer said she too noticed that COVID-19 significantly impacted health
services for other diseases such as in patients with cancer.
“Service
disruptions are widespread, reassignment of staff and postponing of diagnostics
and screening. Also, patients are apprehensive to go to health facilities for
the fear of getting COVID19 infection.”
Dr
Sader al-Rawi, head of oncology services at VPS Healthcare, said surgery is an
important part of breast cancer treatment.
“These
days, resection is not the only procedure that is performed. The standard of
care is oncoplastic breast surgery, through which the breast can be reshaped.”
“There
are other modalities of breast surgery including nipple-sparing and
skin-sparing, which are done to add an implant or tissue expander after
surgery. Finally, there is the reconstruction that includes muscle or tissue
transfer.”
”It
is very important to be meticulous with breast surgery to avoid any complications
including infection, lymphedema, and recurrence of the tumor.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
--------
Canada
was warned by Afghan women of Taliban atrocities in June
By
Marie Woolf
Afghan
women ministers made pleas to Canadian politicians for help — and shared
warnings about atrocities and the erosion of women’s rights — two months before
the Taliban took control of Kabul.
In
June, female Afghan ministers begged Canada to “do something for us” as the
Taliban advanced, says a Canadian senator who took part in a videoconference
between Canadian and Afghan politicians.
The
desperate request was made during a Zoom meeting of the Canada-Afghanistan
Parliamentary Friendship Group, attended by Canadian ministers, MPs and
senators.
In
July, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Canada briefed the group about brutalities,
including targeted killings and moves to oppress women, as the Taliban took
over more of the country.
Ambassador
Hassan Soroosh gave a graphic account of the Taliban as it advanced, killing
women and clerics who did not agree with their interpretation of Islam, said
Sen. Salma Ataullahjan, co-chair of the parliamentary friendship group.
Ataullahjan
said Soroosh also told of how the Taliban issued statements ordering local
religious leaders to draw up lists of unmarried girls over the age of 15 and
widows under 45, so they could be wed to Taliban leaders.
Ataullahjan,
who attended both meetings, described how Afghan female ministers “kept telling
us: ‘do something for us.’”
She
said the June meeting — where Canadian cabinet ministers were present — rang
alarm bells, and she argued that Canada should have acted sooner to evacuate
vulnerable Afghans.
The
senator said she plans to make a statement in Parliament when it returns and
press the Liberal government to explain why it did not taken more urgent steps.
She
says although the Taliban’s actions were not a surprise, the meetings showed
the "urgency" of the situation.
“The
June one was the most significant because the women (ministers) were very
concerned — you could see. There was an urgency. We were hearing that they were
worried they would lose everything — all this progress (on women’s rights).
They said ‘do something for us.' There was that sense of desperation. I was
really, really concerned,” the senator said.
“At
the meeting with the ambassador in July we got a very, very comprehensive
brief. The ambassador outlined the executions that were taking place, of
(people) being targeted,” she added.
The
ambassador was unavailable for comment.
By
June, the Taliban were in control of almost one-third of Afghanistan and
advancing swiftly. It seized control of Kabul, the capital, on Aug. 15. U.S.
forces withdrew from Afghanistan, after two decades, on Aug. 30.
Canada
has been criticized for not doing enough to assist Afghans, and Canadians based
in the country, who wanted to leave.
In
July, Canada drew up plans to evacuate interpreters who assisted Canadian
Forces. In all, the Canadian military helped remove than 3,700 people from
Kabul over a period of weeks before pulling out at the end of August. The
Liberal government has also pledged to resettle 40,000 Afghan refugees.
Ataullahjan,
a Pashtun who was brought up in Pakistan but used to visit Kabul as a girl,
said more should have been done after the warnings were heard.
The
June 14 meeting of the friendship group was also attended by Maryam Monsef,
then minister for women, and Deborah Schulte, minister of seniors at the time,
as well as MPs and senators, according to Ataullahjan and her parliamentary
assistant, Ayah Stretch.
At
the July 29 meeting — just weeks before the Taliban took Kabul — Afghanistan's
ambassador gave “horrific reports of what was happening” as the Taliban
advanced, according to Stretch. She provided The Canadian Press with her notes
of the July meeting, and said the June meeting demonstrated just how serious
the situation was becoming for Afghans.
"Afghan
women ministers in our Zoom call were telling us a crisis was going to
happen," she said in an interview.
"They
were telling us how bad the situation was. That was the red flag. We knew back
then that we needed to act quickly. We knew what the Taliban were doing years
ago — it was disappointing to hear they were doing this again."
Global
Affairs Canada spokesman John Babcock said Ottawa "remains committed to
Afghanistan and the Afghan people and we will continue to do all that we can to
support them."
Canada
has no plans to recognize the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan, he
added.
"The
Taliban remain a listed terrorist entity under Canadian law. If the Taliban
choose to ignore fundamental human rights — the rights of women, girls and
minority groups — they should expect international isolation.
"We
recognize that Afghan women have fought hard to realize their rights, and that
they deserve the international community’s ongoing support."
This
report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2021.
Source:
National Observer
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Indonesian
women in Australia hold on to faith, community amid COVID-19
SHAYMA
ABDELLATIF
October
5, 2021
Indah
is an Indonesian nurse who relocated with her husband from Sydney to Melbourne,
Australia, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Going through her first
pregnancy under a series of lockdowns was challenging, as none of her family or
friends lived in Melbourne.
On
top of that, COVID-19 had hit her family hard back in Jakarta. Soon after her
mother contracted COVID-19, her father also tested positive, and her mother’s
condition deteriorated as hospitals remained beyond capacity. Indah relied on
the assistance of a young relative who was able to tend to her mother and
deliver supplies while wearing full protective gear.
“It
was very difficult. I broke down a lot. I felt very helpless not knowing what
to do from here,” she said.
She
was able to obtain oxygen tanks – sold for five times the usual price – thanks
to her cousins and uncle, who did not hesitate to scour pharmacies in search of
the tanks.
“I
felt grateful that we still had access to [oxygen] and could afford it,” said
Indah.
Daily
video calls were important for the family throughout the ordeal, especially
during the three weeks her mother was eventually hospitalized.
“The
only thing that would cheer her up was seeing my son, her grandson,” she said.
Melbourne
has been under six lockdowns over the past 18 months, and more than 24,000
people have tested positive for the virus in the state of Victoria since
January 2020.
Indah
felt isolated and often helpless in her new city, as she was not able to build
friendships or connect with the Indonesian community. She said faith was her
refuge, providing the comfort and confidence that she needed to overcome the
isolation and distance from her family.
“We
just had to be patient and pray because, without that, I would have been a
mess,” said Indah.
Indah
is not the only Indonesian in Australia who has struggled during COVID-19. Many
others have had similar experiences, relying on online shopping or networks of
family and friends in Indonesia to support their families struggling with COVID-19
throughout the archipelago. WhatsApp was a principal source of updates, as
breaths were held with each notification for fear of unwanted news.
Like
Indah, a group of Indonesian women in Sydney’s diverse western suburbs have
turned to faith during the crisis, something they say gives them purpose and
comfort. What began as a weekly religion class eventually became a safe space
for a group of Indonesian women to offer support to each other and to connect
with Indonesia.
The
sisters in faith often lent a helping hand to people less fortunate than them
in Indonesia. Their initiatives provided relief for many families and for some
of the members of the group. After this initial success, the group formed a
more organized charity to bolster fundraising and outreach.
Majlis
Indonesian Sisters Sydney (MISS), the organization they founded, aims to reduce
poverty and promote education in Indonesia. Funi Suhrani, known as Ustadha
Funi, the founder of MISS and the group’s Islamic studies teacher, said the
Indonesian community in Australia was at the core of the charity’s operations.
“We
feel like a family, not like an organization, and we all know each other.
They’re also not hesitant to say, ‘In my area it’s like this. Can you start a
fundraiser for us?” she said.
MISS
relies heavily on volunteers from the local community in Sydney and went from
20 volunteers to more than 60 after the organization was formalized last year.
Tasks are distributed among volunteers, who utilize their social networks in
Indonesia to reach families in need.
While
their donations are mainly directed toward projects such as building wells and
sponsoring orphanages, the gravity of the COVID-19 crisis has called for
immediate action.
Through
MISS, the women have been able to support more than 300 families in different
parts of Indonesia since June 2020. The group’s COVID-19 aid packages consist
of essential food items and monetary support.
Efhila
Gabriela Melisa, who is responsible for COVID-19 aid distribution in West
Sumatra, said the support had been welcomed by families, especially knowing it
was from their Indonesian sisters in Australia.
She
added that most people in her village, located next to Bukittinggi, had lost
their livelihoods during the crisis, as most worked in the informal sector, mainly
as street vendors or drivers. With the spread of COVID-19 and the imposition of
mobility restrictions severely reducing the number of people in public spaces,
the families have struggled.
According
to the International Labor Organization (ILO), more than half of Indonesia’s
workforce is in the informal sector, meaning they work without contractual
employment arrangements, which excludes them from employment benefits such as
pensions and sick leave.
Far
from home
COVID-19
has postponed many travel plans, and for many Indonesians living in Australia,
this meant annual trips to visit family back home were not possible. Many were
left in distress as they endured repeated lockdowns in major Australian cities,
in addition to worrying about the safety of their families in Indonesia.
Before
the pandemic, Ustadha Funi and her family looked forward to visiting Indonesia
at least once or twice a year. The uncertainties of the changing situation and
border closures have left her distraught after losing her mother last year.
“When
my mother passed away, I couldn’t see her or even see her grave,” said Funi.
For
one of Ustadha Funi’s students, Faradilah Bahweres Muhammad, the MISS community
has provided a way to cope with the anxiety of being separated from family and
of lockdowns in Sydney.
“I
haven’t seen my mum for more than two years. I usually go to Indonesia every
year. I am worried that if something happens to her and I can’t see her… I don’t even want to imagine that,” she said.
Most
of her family in Surabaya contracted COVID-19, some winning their battles with
the virus and others departing from their loved ones. Although the situation
has improved, Faradilah recalled receiving up to ten messages of condolence
every day in family and friend WhatsApp groups.
After
relocating to Australia five years ago, Faradilah stumbled upon the group of
women that would later form MISS during her search for an Indonesian community
in her new home.
“It
means a lot to me, this community. We’re not there only to learn about Islam,
we’re also there as family and friends, and we help each other,” she said.
Connection
in separation
Although
the women’s weekly lessons have moved to video calls, they are determined keep
going because it helps ease the stress of lockdowns. Sydney has been under
lockdown since June, with the daily COVID-19 case count surpassing 1,000 and
breaking new records. The weekly virtual gatherings are important to the women
as they find reassurance in faith and community.
Source:
The Jakarta Post
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