Meet the Anonymous Woman Journalist Reporting Inside Taliban-Run Afghanistan
New Age Islam News Bureau
27 November 2024
· Meet the Anonymous Woman Journalist Reporting Inside Taliban-Run Afghanistan
· Former First Lady, Bushra Bibi, Of “Hijacks” PTI’s Decision-Making, “Orchestrating Violence” By Protesters
· Malala Yousafzai, Jennifer Lawrence Hope Their New Documentary ‘Bread And Roses’ Puts Afghan Women’s Rights At The Top Of The Global Agenda
· UAE’s Vice President attends opening of Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2024
· Private Sector Companies In The UAE Pledge To Make 30% Of Management Roles Occupied By Women
· Ministry Of Vice And Virtue Secures Fundamental Rights For 20,000 Women In Three Years
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/woman-journalist-taliban-run-afghanistan/d/133838
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Meet the Anonymous Woman Journalist Reporting Inside Taliban-Run Afghanistan
NOVEMBER 26, 2024
By MEGHNAD BOSE
AP Photo / Illustration by Katie Kosma
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On Monday evening, media figures gathered at the Sheraton Grand in London for the annual awards of the Foreign Press Association. Among the nominees for one of the categories, the Thomson Foundation Young Journalist of the Year, which recognizes reporters under the age of thirty, were two female Pakistani investigative journalists—and the eventual winner, an Afghan reporter, whose work is so dangerous that she couldn’t be identified at all.
Maryam, which is not the reporter’s real name, is one of the few female journalists left in Afghanistan who report primarily on women’s issues. She told CJR that she works anonymously for her own protection and that of her subjects. She rarely meets with sources in public, and sometimes doesn’t even reveal her true identity to the people she interviews. To keep her identity a secret, she did not attend the awards ceremony. (When she was announced as the winner, the association replaced its live broadcast with a message on the screen noting that she was not being named “because of the restrictions on women imposed by the Taliban.”)
Life in Afghanistan has become increasingly difficult for women in the years since 2021, when the Taliban came back into power after two decades of American military control. The group banned women from attending university and required them to fully cover their bodies and faces when out on the streets. This August, the Taliban announced that it would ban women’s voices from being heard in public. Journalists have also faced a crackdown, including a prohibition on live broadcasts of political shows and criticism of the regime—Afghanistan is currently the third-lowest-ranked country in the World Press Freedom Index.
Despite the dangers, Maryam has continued to shine a spotlight on the plight of women living under Taliban rule. “My goal is to raise the voices of women,” she said. “This is not just a job for me, it is a responsibility. And for that reason, I am not scared of doing my job.” When Afghanistan experienced flash floods, in May, Maryam spoke to women in stricken regions who were struggling to access sanitary products; her article, published at the Afghan Times, an online news site that includes a special focus on the stories of Afghan women, noted that some of them felt uncomfortable talking about their periods with aid workers and local authorities who could be Taliban-linked. In July, she reported on the forced closure of women-only restaurants, describing them as one of the “few safe places left for Afghan women workers.”
By necessity, Maryam’s reporting process is far from typical—she takes great pains to keep the authorities from knowing who she is, and has to work with a male family member to secure interviews. Sometimes, the process of scheduling an in-person meeting can resemble a game of telephone: she asks her brother to call a male relative of the potential subject to make the arrangements. When she wants to meet with a source in person, she must bring along a man to chaperone. She’ll also ask around to assess if the person she’s supposed to meet can be trusted to keep her identity a secret. “It’s really hard for me,” she said.
Once the piece is ready to be published, Maryam removes all traces of her reporting from her devices, including deleting every email and call log, except for contacts with her immediate family. “If the Taliban checks my phone [and finds something], it will not be good for me. So, I delete everything,” she said. She only publishes the article after she has confirmed again that her subjects are comfortable with everything they’re quoted as saying. “It’s my job to keep her safe,” she said.
Maryam decided she wanted to be a journalist when she was studying at university, at the time the Taliban regime banned higher education for women. “I cried for five days,” she said. And then she got to work. “I wanted to be a voice of women, share their problems, and work on women’s rights in the Afghan community.”
But working anonymously also carries a cost—to her career and her pride. “It’s terrible for me that my classmates, relatives, and friends don’t know that I am a journalist working for women’s rights,” she said. “I wish I could tell them about my work. I wish I could work freely like women journalists in other countries who are doing their job openly. I wish to be a free journalist. But I can’t—I have to hide myself, hide my name, and hide my personality.”
Source: cjr.org
https://www.cjr.org/world/afghanistan-anonymous-thomson-foundation-young-journalist.php
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Former First Lady, Bushra Bibi, Of “Hijacks” PTI’s Decision-Making, “Orchestrating Violence” By Protesters
Ismail Khan
November 27, 2024
KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur, Bushra Bibi and Opposition Leader in NA Omar Ayub are seen atop a container during the protest in Islamabad.—Reuters
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• Barrister Saif reveals what transpired during late-night meetings at Adiala jail
• Sources say Bushra is asserting herself, putting CM Gandapur in a bind
PESHAWAR: Physical and technological obstacles, coupled with the intransigence of former first lady Bushra Bibi, foiled last ditch efforts to peacefully resolve the issue of PTI’s protest march towards Islamabad’s D-Chowk, credible sources familiar with behind-the-scenes efforts told Dawn.
The government also blames her for “sabotaging” the negotiations for an alternate protest venue and “orchestrating” violence by the party’s supporters.
Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, the KP chief minister’s aide and spokesperson, confirmed that efforts had begun in earnest on Monday night to persuade the PTI leadership to stop short of Islamabad and divert to Sangjani — located on the outskirts of the capital.
He also confirmed that the party chairman had reluctantly agreed to pass on this message to KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
“Khan sahib was extremely agitated and annoyed at the treatment being meted out to him in his prison cell, but after a lot of discussions that also covered the Islamabad High Court ruling, he reluctantly agreed to stop the march at the city limits,” he told Dawn.
“He (Imran) said he would leave it to party leaders to decide what to do, provided it led to solid negotiations with the government that would result in his release and the withdrawal of cases against him and other party leaders including Dr Yasmin Rashid and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed and others.”
“We made a lot of efforts to find a peaceful way to resolve the issue. Both sides have toughened their positions. It has now entered into a critical and very sensitive phase. One wrong move and we will have a very serious situation at hand,” Saif said.
A source privy to these developments confided that there were a lot of intense efforts to broker a compromise.
“Efforts were made to arrange a telephone call between the jailed party chairman and Gandapur,” the source said, adding, “There were signal issues but the message was conveyed”.
“By the time efforts were made to re-establish contact with Ali Amin and others, the rally had already entered Islamabad. It was too late by then,” Barrister Saif told Dawn when asked about the sequence of events.
Bushra Bibi “was aggressive. She was defiant”, the source said, adding that she refused to listen to CM Gandapur, instead demanding that the party chairman speak to her directly through a video call, but this was not possible due to technical and other issues.
Originally, the sources said, Bushra Bibi was supposed to stay back in Peshawar, but the dynamics changed completely when she suddenly decided to hop on the truck and lead the protest herself.
“It made matters more complicated”, the source said, adding: “Workers were charged and they were no longer listening to Ali Amin.”
According to the insider, “[Bushra] is now calling the shots and [CM Gandapur] is playing second fiddle.”
The situation became more volatile when a vehicle mowed down Rangers personnel, the source said.
“There is literally an eye-ball-to-eye ball situation at D-Chowk”, the source said. “Ali Amin is under pressure. He is stuck between a rock and a hard place.”
This impression is lent credence by Bushra Bibi’s actions on Tuesday evening.
In a speech to charged protesters camped out a few kilometres from the high-security Red Zone, she urged them to move towards D-Chowk and extolled them to take Ali Amin Gandapur along with them.
While the federal government is nervously waiting for the protesters’ next move, party leaders are scrambling to figure out how to avoid the situation from further escalation, Barrister Saif said.
According to sources, the party is now “trying to figure out what the Plan-B is”.
Ministers blame Bushra
In back-to-back press conferences on Tuesday, federal ministers accused the PTI of reneging on the agreement to hold their demonstration at Sangjani, on the outskirts of Islamabad and not enter the Red Zone.
“[T]here is a secret leadership controlling things in the background; the entire [frontline] leadership is [powerless] in front of them,” Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said, without naming Ms Bibi.
The PTI leadership wanted to talk, but “that one secret leader” sabotaged the process.
In another press conference later in the day with Information Minister Atta Tarar, Naqvi blamed “a woman” for the loss of life and property during the past two days.
Tarar said the former PM’s wife was trailing behind in the protest while “sending children and labourers to the front lines”, who he claimed were throwing tear gas at the police.
Imran’s tweet
Meanwhile, a post on Imran Khan’s official X (formerly Twitter) account again triggered a debate about who was running his social media account during his incarceration.
In contrast to the claims put forward by Barrister Saif, the tweet from Khan’s account seemed to back Bushra Bibi’s initiative and urged people to reach D-Chowk.
“My message for my team is to fight until the last ball is bowled. We will not back down until our demands are met!”
The post also revealed that overseas Pakistanis have been funding for the march and Khan also thanked them for holding protests in different countries.
“My thanks go to overseas Pakistanis around the globe, who are not only mobilising Pakistanis and contributing funds, but also holding historic protests in their respective countries,” the tweet said.
It also called on “those who haven’t yet joined the protest” to also head to D-Chowk. “All Pakistanis participating in the protest must remain peaceful, stay united, and stand firm until our demands are met,” the tweet said.
Iftikhar A. Khan and Ikram Junaidi in Islamabad also contributed to this report
Source: dawn.com
https://www.dawn.com/news/1875002
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Malala Yousafzai, Jennifer Lawrence hope their new documentary ‘Bread and Roses’ puts Afghan women’s rights at the top of the global agenda
November 26, 2024
Malala Yousafzai at the premiere of "Bread and Roses."
LEON BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES
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– Still fighting. The new documentary Bread and Roses, which premiered on Apple TV on Friday, has a powerhouse producing team behind it: activist Malala Yousafzai, actor Jennifer Lawrence, and director Sahra Mani.
The film follows women in Afghanistan after the takeover of the Taliban in 2021. The women fight for their freedom, with their efforts captured in guerilla-style footage, often shot on phone cameras. “This documentary is a form of solidarity for Afghan women and girls, and it’s also a form of resistance against the Taliban, which is trying to make Afghan women invisible and erase them,” Yousafzai told me in a Zoom interview.
Since Mani started making the film in 2021, the situation for Afghan women hasn’t gotten better. In fact, it’s gotten worse. “If I wanted to make this film at this moment, it wouldn’t be possible,” Mani says. At the start of this stretch of the Taliban’s rule, women couldn’t work or attend school; now, they can’t leave the house without a chaperone, Mani says.
For Yousafzai, the moment that stands out in the film is when dentist Zahra Mohammadi converts her office into a place for women to organize. “All she wanted to do was be a dentist, but she could no longer do that. That’s a moment that I can personally connect to,” says Yousafzai, who became a public figure after she was shot in the head by the Taliban for advocating for girls’ education at age 15.
Lawrence recalls a moment in Bread and Roses when SharifaMovahidzedeh, who finds it oppressive to go from a career as a government employee to life as a housewife, escapes to a roof to listen to a song she loves, “just to find some peace.”
The actor joined as a producer on the film, adding to a growing portfolio of work in support of women’s rights. Lawrence also served as a producer on Zurawski v Texas, the documentary about Texas’s abortion ban and the women who fought it in a landmark lawsuit. Her passion for both projects, she says, came from being an American, for Zurawski v Texas, and “a human” for Bread and Roses.
Yousafzai hopes that the film puts Afghan women’s rights back at the top of the global agenda, part of the conversation about women’s rights worldwide. She urges nations not to normalize relations with the Taliban, which she says codifies gender apartheid. “We need more unity and sisterhood to protect women’s rights in Afghanistan, but also globally,” she says. “It’s about protection for women everywhere.”
The Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter is Fortune’s daily briefing for and about the women leading the business world. Today’s edition was curated by Nina Ajemian. Subscribe here.
ALSO IN THE HEADLINES
- Cabinet choices. Donald Trump made several more cabinet picks, including Dr. Janette Nesheiwat for surgeon general, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR) for labor secretary, and Brooke Rollins for agriculture secretary. Also, his aide Natalie Harp is expected to follow Trump to office, acting as his source of information and "human printer."
- Texas abortion bans. A third woman has died under abortion bans in Texas; 35-year-old Porsha Ngumezi’s death was preventable, according to a dozen doctors. She is the fifth woman to die after not receiving a necessary dilation and curettage, or D&C. ProPublica
- What's next? According to Vice President Kamala Harris’s inner circle, Harris is “staying in the fight” and keeping options for her next political position open; potential next moves could include running for president in 2028 or running to be the governor of California. Now, she is working with her team to decide how she will speak out against Donald Trump. Politico
- Billionaire breakdown. Thirteen percent of the world’s 3,323 billionaires are women, according to new data. Three-quarters of these 431 women inherited part of their fortunes, while the remaining billionaires are self-made. In comparison, 5% of male billionaires inherited their wealth and 66% are self-made. CNBC
Roll back. Walmart is the largest company to roll back its DEI policies. The retail giant won’t renew a commitment to a racial equity center and will no longer prioritize race or gender when choosing suppliers. Fortune
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
CommunifyFincentric, a market and client data unification company, named Jennie Wang chief client solutions officer. Most recently, she was chief experience officer at InvestCloud.
Inspira Health, a healthcare nonprofit, named Julie Ellis senior vice president and chief human resources officer, succeeding AnnelieseMcMenamin. Ellis was previously the company’s VP of human resources.
Kroger, a grocery store chain, named Mary Ellen Adcock chief merchandising and marketing officer. Most recently, she was the company’s SVP of operations.
Neighborly, a home services company, appointed Stacy Lynn Bourgeois as CMO. She most recently served as global head of product, quality, and operations for renewed at Amazon.
Nasdaq Private Market, a secondary liquidity solutions provider, appointed Parul Dubey as managing director and head of the private client group. Previously, she was general manager of the capital markets division.
Fanatics, a sports gear company and digital sports platform, named Jeremi Gorman senior advisor. Previously, she was president of worldwide advertising at Netflix.
Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation, consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton’s parent company, appointed Debra Dial to its board of directors. She was previously SVP, chief accounting officer, and controller at AT&T.
Source: fortune.com
https://fortune.com/2024/11/26/malala-yousafzai-jennifer-lawrence-hope-their-new-documentary-bread-and-roses-puts-afghan-womens-rights-at-the-top-of-the-global-agenda/
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UAE’s Vice President attends opening of Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2024
27.11.2024
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, attended the opening of the third edition of the Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2024, which commenced Tuesday in Dubai, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.
Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance; and Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, attended the opening of the event which has brought together more than 6,000 participants including prominent international figures, ministers, senior officials, and representatives from international institutions and the private sector, all dedicated to advancing women's empowerment and promoting gender balance.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum welcomed the forum’s participants, highlighting the forum's significance as a platform to advance dialogue on empowering women, and ensuring equitable opportunities.
His Highness commended international initiatives supporting women's empowerment and reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to advancing gender balance globally, guided by the visionary leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
His Highness also highlighted the significant local and international contributions of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF).
Expressing pride in the UAE's progress in the areas of women’s empowerment and gender balance, His Highness emphasised the nation’s unwavering belief in the potential of women and its commitment to providing support that empowers them to excel across all vital sectors. He reaffirmed their role as equal partners in shaping the future, driven by talent and meaningful contributions.
The opening ceremony was also attended by Emine Erdogan, First Lady of the Republic of Türkiye; Asifa Bhutto Zardari, First Lady of Pakistan; and Louise Araneta Marcos, First Lady of the Philippines.
The opening session of the Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2024 was also attended by H.H. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council; H.H. Sheikha Latifabint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority; SaqrGhobash, Speaker of the Federal National Council; along with ministers, senior officials, representatives of international organisations and institutions, department heads, and dignitaries.
On the occasion of the launch of the third edition of the Global Women’s Forum Dubai, H.H. Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, President of the Dubai Women Establishment, and wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, expressed her gratitude for the support of the UAE’s leadership, acknowledging that the global dialogue at the forum would not have been possible without their encouragement. She emphasised the UAE's leadership role across all sectors and its strong position in advancing gender balance.
H.H. Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed also emphasised that the forum was driven by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who believed in women’s potential to take on pivotal roles and responsibilities in advancing sustainable, inclusive development.
Sheikha Manal highlighted the UAE's efforts to forge impactful international partnerships, with the forum serving as a key platform for success. She further reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to working closely with global partners to turn agreements into concrete outcomes, empowering women to shape their communities' future and contribute to the nation’s growth.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid also attended a keynote address by Emine Erdogan, First Lady of the Republic of Türkiye; in which she said that empowering women across the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and AI is imperative to support and reinforce gender equality in a world changing at an unprecedented pace thanks to advanced technology.
“As we move rapidly towards an uncertain future, we need a common road map more than ever. At this point, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations for 2030 serve as a guide. The basis of the goals lies in the following principle: Leaving No One Behind,” she said.
However, women who make up half of the world’s population, were still left behind with their share in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) at around 30 percent, and in the case of Artificial Intelligence (AI), at only 26 percent. Men and women are like the right and left feet of a body and one cannot progress without the other, the First Lady said, adding that “technologies in which women are not involved in the design and production processes cannot lead us to a better future.”
In this context she said that the comprehensive work of the Dubai Women Establishment is exemplary for the whole world.
“Emirati women are following in the footsteps of a visionary leader who paved the way for them years ago. Sheikha Fatima was one of the pioneers of her time, an exemplary figure who has proven how women can transform the world, starting from their own societies,” she said.
Calling the UAE as one of the most important cultural intersections in the world, she said the institutions founded by its visionary leaders, and the impact of the work they carried out have changed the lives of countless women today and become a source of courage and hope.
“Each of us has different traditions, beliefs, ideologies. Our countries have different agendas. Despite all these distinctions, we are aware of this fact, as humanity, we are all on the same ship, heading towards a common future,” she added.
Source: azertag.az
https://azertag.az/en/xeber/uaes_vice_president_attends_opening_of_global_womens_forum_dubai_2024-3304508
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Private sector companies in the UAE pledge to make 30% of management roles occupied by women
27.11.2024
Private sector companies in the UAE have pledged to work towards putting more women in senior leadership roles.
The companies are working towards putting more women in senior leadership positions and are aiming to make sure 30 per cent of middle and senior management roles go to women.
In a powerful demonstration of commitment to gender equality in the workplace, the UAE Gender Balance Council hosted the signing of the Gender Equality Acceleration Pledge on the first day of the Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2024.
Women in management in UAE
This pioneering initiative brings together leaders from some of the UAE’s most influential organisations to accelerate the representation of women in leadership roles and champion equality at all levels of decision-making.
Representatives of seven prominent organisations signed the pledge;
The Gender Equality Acceleration Pledge underscores the UAE’s unwavering commitment to advancing gender equality as a national priority.
The signatories have pledged to work towards ensuring that 30 percent of middle and senior management roles are occupied by women by 2028.
This target aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 5 which calls for the full and effective participation of women in leadership positions globally.
YaserAlmazrouei, Executive Director, People, Commercial & Corporate Support at ADNOC, said: “As a proud signatory of the UN SDG 5 Pledge, ADNOC is committed to driving greater gender diversity across our organisation. This commitment is not just an ethical imperative but also a strategic priority that helps future-proof our business while fostering a more inclusive and sustainable future for the energy industry.”
Vinod Jayan, Managing Director, Al-Futtaim IKEA, UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Oman, said: “At Al-Futtaim IKEA, equality is at the core of who we are and how we grow. We are honoured to join the UAE Gender Balance Council in the second phase of the SDG 5 Pledge, reflecting our commitment to advancing gender equality in the UAE.
“With 31 per cent of our workforce being women and 24 per cent in senior leadership roles, we take pride in fostering an inclusive culture where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. This pledge is a significant step towards achieving 30 per cent women’s representation in senior roles by 2028, and we are proud to contribute to this important milestone.”
UAE
The pledge focuses on actionable steps, including equal pay initiatives, gender-equitable recruitment practices, mentorship programmes, and the elimination of unconscious bias.
Companies must transparently report their progress to the UAE Gender Balance Council annually, reinforcing accountability and driving measurable change.
Mona Al Marri, Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, emphasised the transformative impact of such initiatives.
She said: “The Gender Equality Acceleration Pledge exemplifies the UAE’s leadership in fostering a future where women’s potential is fully realised. True gender equality is not just a goal but a cornerstone of sustainable development, innovation, and progress. Together, we pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable future.”
The pledge builds on the UAE’s 2018 Equal Pay law and the nation’s efforts to promote gender equality in alignment with international best practices.
Source: arabianbusiness.com
https://www.arabianbusiness.com/culture-society/private-sector-companies-in-the-uae-pledge-to-make-30-of-management-roles-occupied-by-women
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Ministry of Vice and Virtue Secures Fundamental Rights for 20,000 Women in Three Years
2024-11-26
KABUL (BNA): The spokesman for the Ministry of Vice and Virtue, and Hearing Complaints has stated that over the past three years, the ministry has ensured the basic rights of approximately 20,000 women.
Mawlawi Saif-al-Islam Khaibar, spokesman for the Ministry, published a brief report on the ministry’s achievements regarding the prevention of violence against women and the fulfillment of their basic rights.
He wrote on his X account that in the past three years, the inheritance, dowry, and other basic rights of about 20,000 women, which were taken from them due to incorrect cultural practices and baseless honor-based beliefs, have been ensured.
Mawlawi Khaibar also added that in the past six months alone, 1,000 cases have been registered and resolved.
He further mentioned that in this period, 5,000 forced marriages have been prevented, where women were either compelled to marry against their will or were forced into marriage in exchange for money, or young girls were married off to elderly men. In the past six months, 500 such incidents have been recorded and prevented.
The spokesperson also noted that efforts to prevent domestic violence against women, including degrading attitudes, mental and physical abuse, deprivation of religious rights, and the prevention of humiliating behaviors based on incorrect customs, have been the result of the ministry’s ongoing efforts. In the past six months, 1,000 such cases have been registered and resolved.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/ministry-of-vice-and-virtue-secures-fundamental-rights-for-20000-women-in-three-years/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/woman-journalist-taliban-run-afghanistan/d/133838