Over 47,000 pregnant women in shelter camps across Pakistan's Sindh
New
Age Islam News Bureau
05 September 2022
A woman wears a protective mask while
walking along a road in Karachi, Pakistan. ANI
------------
•
Jamaat’s women’s wing seeks President’s intervention in BilkisBano convicts’
remission
•
A 19-year-old Egyptian girl shot dead by man for refusing engagement proposal
•
Syrian jihadist group HTS blocks married women in Idlib from studying
•
Riyadh police arrest 8 persons including a Saudi women for committing crimes
•
Over 6,000 athletes to participate in Saudi Games 2022
•
Saudi-Indonesian integration system for migrant workers will improve relations,
say officials
•
Iranian authorities plan to use facial recognition to enforce new hijab law
•
Fatwa against Muslim woman in Aligarh for installing Ganpati idol at her home
•
Is the rise of Arab female gamers triggering demand for dedicated content,
platforms?
•
Revival of wetlands by women, local communities
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
--------
Over
47,000 pregnant women in shelter camps across Pakistan's Sindh
Sep
04, 2022
More
than 47,000 pregnant women affected by the floods in Pakistan are in shelter
camps across Sindh province, local media citing the provincial health minister
reported on Sunday.
Sindh
Health Minister AzraPechuho has shared statistics of women affected by the
flood. She said hundreds of thousands of people have contracted various
diseases after the floods.
"More
than 1.34 lakh cases of diarrhoea and 44,000 cases of malaria have been
reported in the province," she added, as quoted by Dawn.
On
August 30, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), a sexual and
reproductive health agency, said that at least 6.5 lakh pregnant women, of whom
73,000 were expected to deliver this month across the country, in the
flood-affected areas were in dire need of maternal health service.
Pechuho
further said over a lakh skin-related diseases, 101 snake bites and 500 dog
bites have been reported so far among flood affectees, Dawn newspaper reported.
The
UN agency had also warned that many women and girls were at an increased risk
of gender-based violence as almost one million houses were damaged in the
floods that spelled suffering for millions across Pakistan.
"Up
to 73,000 women expected to deliver in September will need skilled birth
attendants, newborn care, and support," the agency had said as quoted by
Dawn.
It
added that pregnancies and childbirth cannot wait for emergencies or natural
disasters to be over as this is when a woman and baby are vulnerable and need
the most care.
Pakistan,
this year has faced unprecedented floods, which have affected nearly 33 million
people in the country and left tens of thousands of people displaced. Due to
internal displacement, more than 5 lakh people are currently living in relief
camps across Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Punjab.
Source:TribuneIndia
--------
Jamaat’s
women’s wing seeks President’s intervention in BilkisBano convicts’ remission
Ziya
Us Salam
SEPTEMBER
04, 2022
A
placard held by a protester during a protest against remission of the sentence
given to the convicts of Bilkis Bano’s case by Gujarat government, at Jantar
Mantar in New Delhi, on Aug. 30, 2022. | Photo Credit: PTI
-----------
They
have urged her to call an urgent meeting of the Prime Minister, Governor of
Gujarat and other legal experts
BilkisBano
has got some belated support from Muslim women’s bodies. The Jamaat-e-Islami
Hind’s women’s wing has sought President’s “intervention” in the remission of
the 11 convicts in the BilkisBano gang rape case and murder of 14 of her family
members. Demanding that the convicts recently released be sent back to jail at
the earliest, the women’s wing has written to President DroupadiMurmu,
requesting her to intervene in the matter by calling “an urgent meeting of the
Prime Minister, Governor of Gujarat and other legal experts”. The support of
the Muslim body’s women’s wing comes on the heels of many secular women’s
bodies criticising the remission.
Speaking
to The Hindu, AtiyaSiddiqua, national secretary, JIH women’s wing, said the
move to grant remission is aimed at garnering electoral dividends in the
forthcoming elections in Gujarat. “The release of her tormentors on August 15
makes a mockery of the Prime Minister’s assurance to the nation regarding
protecting the dignity of women. Releasing the rape convicts is an attempt to
appease members of a particular community. It is meant to reap political
dividends, and is highly objectionable. At a time when the Prime Minister talks
of BetiBachao, BetiPadhao, what signal does it send to other women fighting for
justice after a crime? And what signal does it send to Ms. Bilkis who has shown
immense faith and fortitude in fighting for justice since 2002?”
She
disclosed that the body has sent a letter to the President, requesting her to
give “directions to the Gujarat Government through the Prime Minister and the
Home Minister to reverse the decision”.
“Madam
President, as a woman, you can understand the pain and trauma that BilkisBano
underwent when she was gang-raped and members of her family were killed before
her eyes. The premature and unjustified release of her tormentors destroys any
semblance of justice. We appeal to you to intervene in the matter by calling an
urgent meeting of the Prime Minister, Governor of Gujarat and other legal
experts to see how this grave injustice can be stopped,” the letter stated.
With
the vice-president of JIH, Salim Engineer by her side, Ms. Siddiqua hoped that
the Supreme Court where a petition has been filed will “reverse the grave
injustice carried out under the guise of official government policy”. “The
remission policy should be applied to those languishing in jails for petty
crimes, not for heinous ones like gang rape and mass murder,” she stated,
adding, “The move is bound to embolden criminals as they would be confident of
being bailed out sooner rather than later even for heinous crimes. It is bound
to shake a woman’s faith in the system.”
The
women’s wing also lambasted the felicitation and garlanding of the convicts,
calling it “reprehensible”. The women asked, “What kind of people treat rapists
to sweets? What kind of society welcomes murderers with garlands? ”The Jamaat’s
women have also sought a meeting with the President to press for cancellation
of remission.”
Earlier,
the Jamaat also expressed concern over the Supreme Court closing all the
proceedings arising out of the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the 2002
Godhra anti-Muslim riot cases. A Supreme Court Bench said that it was
unfortunate that the contempt petition pertaining to the Babri Masjid
demolition was not taken up. Prof. Engineer asked who was responsible for not
hearing these cases. “Now the Supreme Court says that much time has passed and
hence, there is no need to hear them. Whose job is it to hear the cases in the
court? The judicial system is failing to deliver justice to the people. People
are losing faith in the judiciary,” he rued.
Source:TheHindu
--------
A
19-year-old Egyptian girl shot dead by man for refusing engagement proposal
04
September, 2022
Amani
Abdul-Karim al-Gazzar, 19, was shot dead by a man after she refused to get
engaged to him, September 4, 2022. (Twitter)
-----------
A
19-year-old Egyptian girl was shot dead in the Menofia Governorate Saturday by
a man after she reportedly refused to get engaged to him, Al Arabiya reported,
in another occurrence of such incidents to have rocked Egypt.
Ahmad
FathiAmeirah, 29, killed Amani Abdul-Karim al-Gazzar in TukhTanbisha village
after she and her family rejected his proposal to get engaged to her. Al-Gazzar
was reportedly a student at the Faculty of Physical Education.
The
suspect was reportedly infuriated by the rejection and shot al-Gazzar “in the
back in front of her family home and fled afterwards,” residents from the
village told Al Arabiya.
They
said that she rejected Ameirah for his bad behavior, adding that she was an
excellent student.
Al-Gazzar’s
body was taken to the hospital and attempts to resurrect her failed. The police
were dispatched to the crime scene and search teams were instructed to find and
bring the suspect into custody, according to Egyptian daily al-Masry al-Youm.
A
video shared on social media following the incident showed residents in a state
of panic and terror. Screams were heard as the residents gathered around the
crime scene.
Al-Gazzar’s
death comes after a series of crimes against women, with mainly the same
reasons behind the killings. Within the last couple of months, 21-year-old
Egyptian student Naiyera Ashraf was killed by a man whose marriage proposal she
rejected and Salma Bahjat, 21, was killed by a man for breaking up with him.
The
first trial session Bahjat’s murder began at the Zagazig Criminal Court Sunday,
Al Arabiya said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
--------
Syrian
jihadist group HTS blocks married women in Idlib from studying
MounebTaim
September
3, 2022
Syrian
students from "Aleppo University in Liberated Areas," controlled by
the pro-Turkey opposition, sit with microscopes at a laboratory facility,
Marea, northern countryside of Aleppo province, Syria, Nov. 26, 2020. - Bakr
Alkasem/AFP via Getty Images
----------
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. On Aug.
15, the Education Directorate of the Salvation Government, HTS’ civilian arm,
issued a decision banning married female students from attending public schools
and universities.
The
decision deprived 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 decision 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 MaarratMisrin, 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 refused to reveal her name and the name of the school, said that
the decision was not in writing, but it was verbally mentioned to her.
She
said that 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
--------
Riyadh
police arrest 8 persons including a Saudi women for committing crimes
September
03, 2022
RIYADH
— The Riyadh police has announced that it had arrested 7 persons and a Saudi
woman for committing several criminal incidents.
Riyadh
police stated that the criminal incidents represented robbing of houses, the
theft of jewelry, electronic devices and several other belongings.
The
investigation showed that 5 of the detainees are Yemeni residents, and a
resident of Burkinabe, in addition to a Burundian domestic worker violating the
residency law and registered as absent from work (Huroob), as well as a Saudi
woman.
Riyadh
police said that half of the stolen items were returned, noting that they have
referred the detainees to the Public Prosecution, and have taken legal measures
against them.
Source:
Saudi Gazette
https://www.saudigazette.com.sa/article/624561
--------
Over
6,000 athletes to participate in Saudi Games 2022
September
04, 2022
RIYADH
— A huge number of male and female athletes are set to compete in various games
to qualify for the Saudi Games 2022.
More
than 6,000 athletes representing 200 clubs and competing in 45 Olympic sport
would participate at the biggest national sport event in Saudi Arabia to be
held in Riyadh from Oct. 27 till Nov. 7.
During
the past few days, several qualifying rounds were held for men in Jeddah,
Riyadh, Dammam in Karting and Billiards, while qualifiers for women were held
in Bowling, Badminton, Squash and Fencing.
Fifteen
athletes have officially qualified to the first version of the Saudi Games in
the Karting qualifying round, with one place remaining to be nominated by the
organizing committee.
Additionally,
15 athletes taking part in Billiards have qualified, while 28 athletes from
both sexes have qualified to the tournament finals in Bowling.
In
Badminton, the 30 qualifiers, both men and women, have reached the finals, as
well as 15 athletes qualified to the Squash's finals, and 40 women athletes
have qualified in the Fencing in the finals of the Saber, Épée, and Foil
weapons.
The
pre qualifying rounds will continue till Sept. 10 with the chess competition
qualifiers taking place in Dammam and Riyadh. The e-games competitions will be
held remotely with Darts qualifiers in Jeddah; Sailing in Jubail and the Padel
and Taekwondo events in Riyadh.
Additionally,
the qualifying stages will also include Billiards for women in Jeddah; Baloot
in Riyadh, Indoor Rowing in Jubail and Al-Khobar; as well as Triathlon in
Jeddah, Riyadh, and Al-Khobar; Athletics in Riyadh; Tennis in Riyadh and
Al-Khobar; Thai Boxing (Muay Thai) in Riyadh; Weightlifting in Jeddah; Table
Tennis (Ping Pong) in Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah.
The
first stage of the Saudi Games 2022 has begun via athletes' registering in the
sports that requires them to achieve the qualifying standards set by the organizers.
These are 23 sports: e-sports; Padel; Taekwondo; Indoor Rowing; Tennis; Cycling
(Road Racing); Bowling; Triathlon; Karting; Weightlifting; Wrestling; Darts;
Badminton; Skateboarding; Thai Boxing (Muay Thai); Table Tennis (Pong Pong);
Billiards; Chess; Squash; Baloot; Sailing; Climbing; and Athletics.
Source:
Saudi Gazette
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/624580
--------
Saudi-Indonesian
integration system for migrant workers will improve relations, say officials
September
03, 2022
JAKARTA:
The integration of a placement system for Indonesian migrant workers in Saudi
Arabia will help lift a ban by Jakarta, improve protection of the group, and
boost bilateral relations, officials from the Southeast Asian country have
said.
Indonesian
and Saudi officials have been working on establishing an integrated placement
system between the two countries and renewed a technical arrangement agreement
last month to speed up this process.
Jakarta
had placed a permanent ban on sending new domestic helpers to the Middle East
in 2015 following a temporary suspension, although hundreds of workers still
left for jobs in the wealthier region in the years since.
Eko
Hartono, Indonesia’s consul general in Jeddah, told Arab News that the
one-channel system would help to lift the moratorium while also boosting
relations between the archipelago nation and the Kingdom.
“This
will definitely elevate relations, especially labor relations,” Hartono said.
“The system integration is important because it will guarantee the fulfillment
of the rights of Indonesian migrant workers working in Saudi Arabia. Once the
system integration is complete and done, it can pave the way to lift the
moratorium.”
Suhartono,
a director general at Indonesia’s Manpower Ministry, told Arab News that
officials were expecting the integration process to conclude before the end of
this year.
“We
estimate (it will be ready) by November 2022 at the latest,” Suhartono said.
“The system is one of the instruments for both governments to monitor and
evaluate, while also controlling recruitment, placement, and protection of
Indonesian migrant workers to Saudi Arabia.”
Indonesia
is also hoping to increase the placement of Indonesian migrant workers in the formal
sector, Suhartono added, while also improving relations in other aspects of
labor such as training, mutual recognition arrangements, and joint labor
inspection.
Jakarta-based
advocacy group Migrant Care said the Indonesian government should ensure a
thorough evaluation of existing arrangements between Jakarta and Riyadh. It
also called for a renewal of bilateral agreements related to migrant workers.
“The
moratorium has been in place for quite some time,” Migrant Care director
AnisHidayah told Arab News.
“We
have new laws, Saudi also has new regulations and new political context, which
will serve as context between our two countries and affect what we want to push
for. The most important thing is to have a thorough evaluation.”
Source:ArabNews
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2155596/world
--------
Iranian
authorities plan to use facial recognition to enforce new hijab law
WeronikaStrzyżyńska
Mon
5 Sep 2022
The
Iranian government is planning to use facial recognition technology on public
transport to identify women who are not complying with a strict new law on
wearing the hijab, as the regime continues its increasingly punitive crackdown
on women’s dress.
The
secretary of Iran’s Headquarters for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice,
Mohammad Saleh HashemiGolpayegani, announced in a recent interview that the
government was planning to use surveillance technology against women in public
places following a new decree signed by the country’s hardline president,
EbrahimRaisi, on restricting women’s clothing.
The
decree was signed on 15 August, a month after the 12 July national “Hijab and
Chastity Day”, which sparked countrywide protests by women who posted videos of
themselves on social media with their heads uncovered on streets and on buses
and trains. In recent weeks, the Iranian authorities have responded with a
spate of arrests, detentions and forced confessions on television.
“The
Iranian government has long played with the idea of using facial recognition to
identify people who violate the law,” said AzadehAkbari, a researcher at the
University of Twente, in the Netherlands. “The regime combines violent
‘old-fashioned’ forms of totalitarian control dressed up in new technologies.”
The
hijab, a head-covering worn by Muslim women, became mandatory after Iran’s
revolution in 1979. Yet, over the decades since, women have pushed the limits
of the stipulated dress code.
Some
of the women arrested for defying the new decree were identified after videos
were posted online of them being harassed on public transport for not wearing
the hijab properly. One, 28-year-old SepidehRashno, was arrested after a video
circulated on social media of her being berated for “improper dress” by a
fellow passenger, who was then forced off the vehicle by bystanders intervening
on Rashno’s behalf. According to the human rights group Hrana, Rashno was
beaten after her arrest and subsequently forced to apologise on television to
the passenger who harassed her.
Rashno
is not the first person to suffer violent repression as a result of going viral
on the internet. In 2014, six Iranians – three men and three women – were
sentenced to one year in prison and 91 lashes after a video of them dancing in
Tehran to Pharrell Williams’s song Happy had more than 150,000 views.
Since
2015, the Iranian government has been phasing in biometric identity cards,
which include a chip that stores data such as iris scans, fingerprints and
facial images. Researchers worry that this information will now be used with
facial recognition technology to identify people who violate the mandated dress
code, both in the streets and cyberspace.
“A
large chunk of the Iranian population is now in this national biometric data
bank, as many public services are becoming dependent on biometric IDs,” said
Akbari. “So the government has access to all the faces; they know where people
come from and they can easily find them. A person in a viral video can be
identified in seconds.”
She
added: “By doing that, the government proves a point: ‘Don’t think that a small
thing happening on a bus somewhere is going to be forgotten. We know who you
are and we will find you and then you will have to suffer the consequences.’”
“EbrahimRaisi
is a real ideologue,” said Annabelle Sreberny, professor emeritus at the Centre
for Iranian Studies at Soas University of London. “There are terrible economic
and environmental problems facing Iran. The inflation rate may now be reaching
50%, but the government is choosing to focus on women’s rights.”
Sreberny
added: “I think it is part and parcel of a failing government that is simply
not dealing with these massive infrastructural, economic and environmental
issues. And women are seen to be a soft target.”
Thank
you for joining us from India.
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--------
Fatwa
against Muslim woman in Aligarh for installing Ganpati idol at her home
Siraj
Qureshi
Agra
September
4, 2022
A
Muslim woman, Ruby Khan, in Aligarh installed a Ganpati idol at her home on
Ganesh Chaturthi. Infuriated with this act, Islamic fundamentalists raised this
issue before the religious leaders at the DarulUloom (Islamic Court) at
Deoband. The Muslim clerics issued a 'fatwa' against the woman.
Consequently,
today the Fatwa Mobile Service chairman of Deoband, Maulana Arshad Farooqi
released a video, threatening that anyone who acts against the religion, will
face the same punishment that is written in Islam for such a person.
Reacting
to the Maulana's statement, social activist Ruby Khan told India Today that she
considers such Fatwa-toting Maulanas as 'jehadis' and 'terrorists'.
Aligarh
Muslim University's former head of the Sunni Theology department said that Ruby
Khan could not be a Muslim if she doesn't know that by worshipping a statue,
she has committed 'shirk' in the eyes of Allah.
All
India QuomiTanzeem state vice-president M Jamal Khan said that Ruby Khan claims
to be a social activist, but she is a BJP leader and she does what the BJP
wants her to do. Right now, Ruby wanted to remain in the media highlights to
please her political masters, so she placed a Ganpati idol at her home.
Rashtriya
Muslim VikasParishad chairman Sami Aghai ridiculed Ruby Khan's attempt to make
a place for herself in the BJP by establishing a statue of Ganpati at her home.
He said that Ruby Khan may go up to any extent, including denouncing her own
religion to please the BJP, but the BJP will never give importance to a Muslim
in its organization. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, ShahnawazHussain, and other Muslim
BJP leaders are prime examples of this.
Social
activist Sameer claimed that Ruby Khan was not the first Muslim to worship
Ganpati, in fact, the 'Khans of Bollywood' are glaring examples of how Ganpati
worship has started transcending religious boundaries in the Indian culture. In
fact, Salman Khan just recently released a video of himself worshipping Ganpati
at his sister Arpita's home.
However,
he said, Ruby Khan should have kept this fact in mind that while Ganpati
worship by a Muslim celebrity may be acceptable in Maharashtra, it could be
hardly tolerated in a state like Uttar Pradesh which is the home to several
different Muslim sects, including both Deoband and Barelvi.
Source:IndiaToday
--------
Is
the rise of Arab female gamers triggering demand for dedicated content,
platforms?
September
04, 2022
Abdulla
Rasheed
Dubai:
Female gamers have historically been underserved by the gaming community but a
new wave of women gamers and dedicated platforms for them is bucking the trend
in the region, a leading industry expert has said.
In
an exclusive interview with Gulf News, Matt Pickering, CEO of Power League
Gaming (PLG), said the female gaming segment has crossed the 40 per cent mark
of the Middle East and North African (MENA) gaming audiences.
“Through
our insight that this segment was historically underserved by both brands,
content, and experiences, we took the early step to develop IPs that
specifically cater to female gamers... Our first step into developing
specialised female gaming platforms was the development of Miss eSports, the
region’s leading incubator and accelerator program for female gaming and
eSports talent, which then expanded into the development of ‘female only’
eSports leagues,” added Pickering.
“We
have also recently launched a Saudi-focused female gaming platform, Saudi Girl
Gamer, which will provide gaming content, experiences, and competitions to the
Saudi female gaming community – a community that has behavioural
characteristics which are mildly different from the wider MENA audiences.”
PLG
describes itself as “Arabic First, meaning we actively seek to engage Arabic
audiences”.
‘Most
UAE youth are gamers’
According
to research cited by Pickering, in the UAE, the majority (76 per cent) of youth
(14 to 24 age range) identify themselves as gamers. “Engagement within this
segment is consistently far more than the industry benchmark when compared to
more traditional forms of entertainment and content, such as film or music,”
the CEO added.
“The
UAE is also one of the fastest growing countries for gaming in the world, with
the rapid adoption of new tech and mobile penetration. The ecosystem for the
youth of the UAE is prime in terms of accelerated growth potential, behaviour,
and infrastructure.”
Pickering
said this rising community has spawned the constant need for upskilling in the
fast-changing gaming technology. He added: “We are also heavily invested in
directly upskilling the next generation of UAE gaming content creators and
eSports professionals. We do this through our education platforms which we
deliver through our education partners and education platforms...”
About
Matt Pickering
Beginning
his career in Europe and moving to Dubai later in 2008, Matt Pickering, CEO of
Power League Gaming (PLG), comes from a career background having worked for Red
Bull, TBWA and launching his own digital media agency, Air Media. In March
2020, Matt joined PLG as CEO and Partner, making the following 12 months PLG’s
fastest period of growth, almost doubling the size of the business.
Source:GulfNews
--------
Revival
of wetlands by women, local communities
September
4, 2022
For
many years, the DOE has tried to elicit the participation of women and
establish effective communication with local communities to preserve and revive
the natural reserves, ArezooAshrafizadeh said.
In
this regard, the Marine Environment and Wetlands Affairs, in the form of Iran's
Wetlands Protection Plan, has set a pattern for people's participation in the
restoration of Urmia Lake, she noted.
A
significant part of these measures, which started in 2013, was to pay attention
to sustainable livelihoods in rural and nomadic areas, and
"diversification to livelihoods compatible with wetland resources" in
two categories of "agricultural jobs" and "non-agricultural
jobs".
The
goal of implementing this project is to create and develop livelihoods
compatible with wetland resources, reduce the pressure on natural resources,
establish a sustainable agriculture program for wetlands, build the capacity of
regional stakeholder networks, participate in local communities and manage
sustainable agriculture.
It
was planned to use the local capacities, especially the capacity of women in 54
villages in the four provinces of West Azarbaijan, East Azarbaijan, Fars, and
Khuzestan, to preserve wetlands. It showed that women and locals are the most
cooperative in preserving the environment and wetlands.
Women
and the environment are the beating hearts of countries, but unfortunately,
they have been neglected for many years, and perhaps now is the best
opportunity to compensate for the past, considering the country's environmental
conditions.
So,
investing to empower women is an indirect investment to preserve the
environment, as well as the education and training of locals.
Ashrafizadeh
considered the participation of 76 percent of women in specialized training
workshops and the participation of 66.5 percent of women in environmental
information workshops in pilot villages as part of the achievements of the DOE.
Wetlands'
importance
Wetlands
are indispensable for the countless benefits or “ecosystem services” that they
provide humanity, ranging from freshwater supply, food and building materials,
and biodiversity, to flood control, groundwater recharge, and climate change
mitigation.
Yet
study after study demonstrates that wetland area and quality continue to
decline in most regions of the world. As a result, the ecosystem services that
wetlands provide to people are compromised.
Managing
wetlands is a global challenge and the Convention presently counts 172
countries as Contracting Parties, which recognize the value of having one
international treaty dedicated to a single ecosystem.
The
Ramsar Convention uses a broad definition of wetlands. This includes all lakes
and rivers, underground aquifers, swamps and marshes, wet grasslands,
peatlands, oases, estuaries, deltas, tidal flats, mangroves, and other coastal
areas, coral reefs, and all human-made sites such as fish ponds, rice paddies,
reservoirs, and salt pans.
The
Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the
framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
It
was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975.
Since then, almost 90% of UN member states, from all the world’s geographic
regions, have acceded to becoming “Contracting Parties”.
In
Iran, 141 wetlands with ecological value with an area of over 3 million
hectares have been identified, of which 25 wetlands are designated as wetlands
of international importance (registered in the Ramsar Convention) covering more
than 1.4 million hectares and four sites are biosphere reserves.
Some
43 percent of the country’s wetlands have the potential to become a source of
sand and dust storms (SDSs), SediqehModarres, an official with the DOE, stated.
Source:
Tehran Times
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/476386/Revival-of-wetlands-by-women-local-communities
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URL:
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