Before a joint session of the People's Assembly and Shura Council to mark the opening of parliament President Hosni Mubarak vowed in a keynote speech that neither the current global financial crisis nor local economic conditions would stand in the way of reform. "We have travelled a long way on the road of political and socio-economic reform but must still introduce a further package of serious reforms to complete the modernisation of our legislative and constitutional structure," Mubarak said.
He told parliamentarians that a new list of draft reform laws were ready to be discussed in the new session, including legislative amendments aimed at increasing the number of women serving in parliament. Only nine seats in the 454-seat People's Assembly are currently held by women, four of them elected and five appointed by the president. The 264-seat Shura Council has 21 women members, 20 presidential appointees and a single elected member.
Minister of State for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Moufid Shehab told Al-Ahram Weekly that three amendments will be introduced to help increase the number of women parliamentarians.
"We will have to amend the 1956 law on the exercise of political rights, the 1972 law regulating the People's Assembly and the 1980 law governing the Shura Council."
"A ministerial legislative group," Shehab continued, "is currently discussing the necessary amendments, probing the possibility of creating up to 56 new electoral districts."
President Mubarak's announcement that the number of female lawmakers is to be increased provoked mixed reactions.
Leading Al-Ahram columnist Salama Ahmed Salama pointed out that increasing women's representation hardly tops the political reform agenda. "Other priorities," he said, "include amending the parties law in order to enhance competition in political life and revoking the emergency law to curtail the intimidation of independent and opposition political activists."
Under the current electoral laws, says Salama, there is little doubt that most, if not all, new female lawmakers will belong to the NDP.
Shehab also informed the Weekly that amendments to the electoral law are being appraised. "There are a lot of opinions, some in favour and some against changing the current individual candidacy system," said Shehab, adding that "the NDP prefers that this critical issue become a matter of dialogue with all political forces ahead of parliamentary elections in 2010."
President Mubarak went on to tell both houses of parliament to expect changes to the 1993 law regulating elections to professional syndicates. "The amendment," says Shehab, "will provide greater facilities for voting and guarantee that the boards of syndicates are elected in a democratic way."
The current law, drafted by the NDP in 1993, was conceived to prevent the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood from infiltrating civil society organisations, especially professional syndicates. Brotherhood members, however, have been able to control the boards of the Lawyers' and Doctors' Syndicates while the Engineers' Syndicate, bogged down in legal disputes, has long been placed under judicial sequestration.
President Mubarak revealed that he has given instructions that parliament should draft new regulations covering nuclear activities "as part of the strategic decision taken last year to launch an ambitious nuclear programme". Mubarak devoted a large part of his speech to reviewing the impact of the global financial crisis on Egypt. "The first quarter of the current fiscal year registered a growth rate of 5.8 per cent, compared to a high 6.5 per cent during the first quarter of last year," Mubarak said. He urged the government to act to ensure that the burdens of the crisis do not fall on the shoulders of the poor.
"I have asked the government to increase investment spending and to increase the budget deficit slightly, a shortfall that we will recover from in the coming year without placing additional burdens on citizens."
As part of a new financial package regulating the stock market, insurance and real estate markets is to be tightened. "The measures will unify regulators in a single authority in order to better confront crises and attract local and international investments," Mubarak said.
He vowed that the global credit crunch would not deflect the government from pursuing economic reform, saying "the need to provide the private sector with greater incentives in the two areas of investment and exports is more pressing than ever". He did not, however, make any reference to the controversial scheme to distribute shares in government-owned companies to the public free of charged. The programme was officially announced by Gamal Mubarak, the chairman of the NDP's powerful Policies Committee, and Minister of Investment Mahmoud Mohieldin, on 10 November.
Gamal Mubarak, in a meeting with leading NDP members of the board of the General Federation of Egyptian Trade Unions (GFETU) on Monday, argued that "privatisation is not an end in itself but a means of raising the efficiency of public sector companies." He also indicated that a wide-ranging dialogue between the NDP and leaders of civil society organisations is likely ahead of the programme being implemented, and expressed his willingness "to meet with leaders of workers in Cairo and other governorates to address their concerns about the scheme".
In a bid to contain criticism Gamal Mubarak revealed that draft legislation will veto the sale of government stakes in strategic companies, including pharmaceuticals, iron and steel and textiles, and in public assets such as the Suez Canal. He also refuted allegations that the new programme ultimately aimed to cut subsidies and eliminate free public services.
President Mubarak emphasised that moving ahead with the liberal economic reform programme will not come at the expense of social justice and revealed that amendments are in the pipeline to laws governing personal status healthcare, including mental health, insurance and pensions. A new law covering organ transplants will also be presented to parliament.
Mubarak expressed pleasure that parliament has begun discussing a new bill designed to create civil, non-profit universities. "These aim to provide high-quality education to graduates of secondary schools who do not have a place in state universities," he said. The bill was approved by the Shura Council on Monday and is expected to be presented to the People's Assembly next week.
Mubarak concluded with hopes that the new parliamentary round will also witness the passing of another package of laws protecting antiquities and the environment, establishing a new agency for food safety, stamping out illiteracy, ensuring the safety of vessels and the rights of the handicapped.
"A lot of bills will be on the agenda and I hope your debates will be constructive and in the interests of the people," he said.
By Gamal Essam El-Din, Al Ahram Weekly
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Algeria: Violence against Women: Tunisian Laws to Protect Algerians?
The President of the National Consultative Commission for the Promotion and the Protection of Human Rights (CNCPPDH), Farouk Ksentini, foresees a more “severe” legislation guarding against violence against women in Algeria. He has proposed a law allowing the start of judicial processes on the simple testimony of a neighbor. Ksentini’s call comes two days before the International Day for Eliminating Violence Against Women, the 25 of November annually. Ksentini believes that “violence against women should be considered with an aggravating circumstance as it is the case in Tunisia.”
-- Le Quotidien d’Oran
-- Le Quotidien d’Oran
Middle East: Ensuring women get their say
The first ladies of several Arab countries recently called for greater empowerment of women in the Arab world, so that women could play a role in building their countries and communities. They also stressed the need for promoting dialogue, between Arab countries on the one hand and Arabs and the international community on the other, to boost cooperation in the service of humanity.
Urging the empowerment of women is crucial to our region. We need to work harder to create a consensus in the Arab world to support women in leadership positions. The more we see women in power, the more people will get used to the fact that women are capable leaders. However, recruiting women to run for a local office is still a real challenge for our region. In the United States, there are many organizations that give women the support they need to reach decision-making positions. Emily’s List, Emerge, The White House Project and The League of Women Voters are among the national organizations that pursue this goal. Emily’s List is a group that helps young women to become successful candidates for political office. It trains women so they improve eligibility and qualification for public office. There is a lot that we can learn from these organizations, and there are a lot of strategies that we can adopt in order to succeed in empowering women to run for public office.
The early concept of Emily’s List was to raise money to gain political clout. They have come a long way from the 1960s when they witnessed the women’s social movement and in the 1970s when they supported the women’s political movement. The idea began with the intention to form an organization for women by collecting checks of $100 from intending members. Indeed, Emily is an acronym for “Early Money Is Like Yeast,” which implies that chances for success improve with proper initial funding. Contributors were provided with the names of leading women, and they would decide on whom to give the check. Eventually, the group became prestigious, and it was a sign of support for other women.
Members then were asked to send a letter to other women they know across the country and ask them to join. It was an outreach to all women. The founders traveled across the country to identify potential women leaders and invited them to join and learn more about the concept. This is how the network began to identify candidates.
In 1986, Emily supported the only two women running for the US Senate. People began to take notice and the victory of one was a ground-breaking achievement. Obviously money was not enough, so Emily began to create campaign managers and media training when sufficient money was raised to hire staff. The plan was to help women at the local level, so when opportunities arose at the state level they would be ready. Over the years, the organization became more popular, and it is now a prestigious political action committee. The Emerge Foundation too works on empowering women and getting them elected to office. The role of the foundation is to create a diverse constituency of women who are under-represented in the country. It studies the demographic and geographic situation of citizens. The foundation’s strategy is to recruit young women to run for office at the local level, for city councils and for judicial positions.
The foundation identifies women who have potential and asks them if they would like to take up positions. It reaches out to teachers interested in playing a greater role in shaping public education in the state. Potential candidates would pay a $250 fee to train and qualify. In the first class, women are asked to choose a position they would like to hold. They are then asked to research the positions they seek. They also are taught how to develop a campaign, how to raise the money, how to deal with the media and how to shape a message. The participants attend classes and discuss relevant issues. The course ends with a graduation in the Senate chambers with an assignment on how to move a bill and how to deal with lobbying. They then debate the bill and are guided by members of the state legislatures. Family members are invited to attend the Senate training, and they also are given lessons on how to deal with the pleasures and difficulties of being family members of senators and government officials. This year, a woman suffering from hearing loss plans to run for office to address the needs of the disabled.
Another equally effective organization is The League of Women Voters. The role of the league is to educate women on issues that affect their lives and to provide training on how to lobby for legislation. The league’s goal is to create an informed and active voting public to increase the understanding of policy issues. The league formulates positions on the election process, state and local government level and social policy issues, such as health care, education, family, the environment and fiscal matters. It also can adopt positions on foreign policy, such as arms control or military advocacy. In this way it plays a role in shaping the agendas and in providing information to help women voters make intelligent decisions.
The White House Project is another initiative that can provide Arab women’s organizations with many tips on ways to train women to run for office. The project focuses on researching and identifying women with potential as well as building a network of support to allow women reach decision-making positions. The project is a means to bring women into full participation in policymaking, from serving as chief executives to legislators, judges and leaders of NGOs. It also prepares them for active roles in development enterprises and social movements. There is a lot that we can learn from the experience of such organizations. Arab women need to reach out to international organizations and work together to build a better future for their children. Studies have shown that women tend to identify more with the social needs of the community, and they bond together for the common good. Even women who do not plan to run for office are inspired to support the ones who run. The concerns of health care, education and the economy are some of modern-day issues that affect all women, and they need to have a say on the way government addresses these concerns. Speaking at the Second Arab Women’s conference, under the theme: “Women and Human Security: An Arab and International Perspective,” Queen Rania of Jordon said: “Though the future is bright in the Arab world as women’s presence has increased in Parliaments over the last eight years, we need 20 more years to bring this to 30 percent and another 20 years to reach the percentage recommended by the Beijing conference. The road is long but we are moving toward realizing our goals.”
I wonder if this statement describing the future of Arab women includes Saudi women, or are we to remain bystanders in the progress of our region?
— Samar Fatany is a Saudi radio journalist.
Urging the empowerment of women is crucial to our region. We need to work harder to create a consensus in the Arab world to support women in leadership positions. The more we see women in power, the more people will get used to the fact that women are capable leaders. However, recruiting women to run for a local office is still a real challenge for our region. In the United States, there are many organizations that give women the support they need to reach decision-making positions. Emily’s List, Emerge, The White House Project and The League of Women Voters are among the national organizations that pursue this goal. Emily’s List is a group that helps young women to become successful candidates for political office. It trains women so they improve eligibility and qualification for public office. There is a lot that we can learn from these organizations, and there are a lot of strategies that we can adopt in order to succeed in empowering women to run for public office.
The early concept of Emily’s List was to raise money to gain political clout. They have come a long way from the 1960s when they witnessed the women’s social movement and in the 1970s when they supported the women’s political movement. The idea began with the intention to form an organization for women by collecting checks of $100 from intending members. Indeed, Emily is an acronym for “Early Money Is Like Yeast,” which implies that chances for success improve with proper initial funding. Contributors were provided with the names of leading women, and they would decide on whom to give the check. Eventually, the group became prestigious, and it was a sign of support for other women.
Members then were asked to send a letter to other women they know across the country and ask them to join. It was an outreach to all women. The founders traveled across the country to identify potential women leaders and invited them to join and learn more about the concept. This is how the network began to identify candidates.
In 1986, Emily supported the only two women running for the US Senate. People began to take notice and the victory of one was a ground-breaking achievement. Obviously money was not enough, so Emily began to create campaign managers and media training when sufficient money was raised to hire staff. The plan was to help women at the local level, so when opportunities arose at the state level they would be ready. Over the years, the organization became more popular, and it is now a prestigious political action committee. The Emerge Foundation too works on empowering women and getting them elected to office. The role of the foundation is to create a diverse constituency of women who are under-represented in the country. It studies the demographic and geographic situation of citizens. The foundation’s strategy is to recruit young women to run for office at the local level, for city councils and for judicial positions.
The foundation identifies women who have potential and asks them if they would like to take up positions. It reaches out to teachers interested in playing a greater role in shaping public education in the state. Potential candidates would pay a $250 fee to train and qualify. In the first class, women are asked to choose a position they would like to hold. They are then asked to research the positions they seek. They also are taught how to develop a campaign, how to raise the money, how to deal with the media and how to shape a message. The participants attend classes and discuss relevant issues. The course ends with a graduation in the Senate chambers with an assignment on how to move a bill and how to deal with lobbying. They then debate the bill and are guided by members of the state legislatures. Family members are invited to attend the Senate training, and they also are given lessons on how to deal with the pleasures and difficulties of being family members of senators and government officials. This year, a woman suffering from hearing loss plans to run for office to address the needs of the disabled.
Another equally effective organization is The League of Women Voters. The role of the league is to educate women on issues that affect their lives and to provide training on how to lobby for legislation. The league’s goal is to create an informed and active voting public to increase the understanding of policy issues. The league formulates positions on the election process, state and local government level and social policy issues, such as health care, education, family, the environment and fiscal matters. It also can adopt positions on foreign policy, such as arms control or military advocacy. In this way it plays a role in shaping the agendas and in providing information to help women voters make intelligent decisions.
The White House Project is another initiative that can provide Arab women’s organizations with many tips on ways to train women to run for office. The project focuses on researching and identifying women with potential as well as building a network of support to allow women reach decision-making positions. The project is a means to bring women into full participation in policymaking, from serving as chief executives to legislators, judges and leaders of NGOs. It also prepares them for active roles in development enterprises and social movements. There is a lot that we can learn from the experience of such organizations. Arab women need to reach out to international organizations and work together to build a better future for their children. Studies have shown that women tend to identify more with the social needs of the community, and they bond together for the common good. Even women who do not plan to run for office are inspired to support the ones who run. The concerns of health care, education and the economy are some of modern-day issues that affect all women, and they need to have a say on the way government addresses these concerns. Speaking at the Second Arab Women’s conference, under the theme: “Women and Human Security: An Arab and International Perspective,” Queen Rania of Jordon said: “Though the future is bright in the Arab world as women’s presence has increased in Parliaments over the last eight years, we need 20 more years to bring this to 30 percent and another 20 years to reach the percentage recommended by the Beijing conference. The road is long but we are moving toward realizing our goals.”
I wonder if this statement describing the future of Arab women includes Saudi women, or are we to remain bystanders in the progress of our region?
— Samar Fatany is a Saudi radio journalist.
Oman: Women Get Equal Rights to Own Land
MUSCAT - New Amendments to Oman’s Land Law give women equal rights as men to own residential plots, according to Housing Minister Shaikh Saif bin Mohammed Al Shabibi.
The changes, effected through a royal decree, reflect the importance given by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to the role played by woman as a “partner in the development process,” he said. The amendments also specify the age for land entitlement, which has been reduced to 23 years from 24 if the individual is not married, and 21 years if married.
“As per the amendment to the Government Land Entitlement Law, priority will be given to those who have not got a government plot or who do not own land at the time of submitting the application, whether by purchase, inheritance or grants,” Shaikh Saif was quoted as saying by the Oman News Agency.
-- Khaleej Times
The changes, effected through a royal decree, reflect the importance given by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to the role played by woman as a “partner in the development process,” he said. The amendments also specify the age for land entitlement, which has been reduced to 23 years from 24 if the individual is not married, and 21 years if married.
“As per the amendment to the Government Land Entitlement Law, priority will be given to those who have not got a government plot or who do not own land at the time of submitting the application, whether by purchase, inheritance or grants,” Shaikh Saif was quoted as saying by the Oman News Agency.
-- Khaleej Times
Saudi Arabai: As Taboos Ease, Saudi Girl Group Dares to Rock
JIDDA, Saudi Arabia — They cannot perform in public. They cannot pose for album cover photographs. Even their jam sessions are secret, for fear of offending the religious authorities in this ultraconservative kingdom.
But the members of Saudi Arabia’s first all-girl rock band, the Accolade, are clearly not afraid of taboos.
The band’s first single, “Pinocchio,” has become an underground hit here, with hundreds of young Saudis downloading the song from the group’s Web site. Now, the pioneering foursome, all of them college students, want to start playing regular gigs — inside private compounds, of course — and recording an album.
“In Saudi, yes, it’s a challenge,” said the group’s lead singer, Lamia, who has piercings on her left eyebrow and beneath her bottom lip. (Like other band members, she gave only her first name.) “Maybe we’re crazy. But we wanted to do something different.”
In a country where women are not allowed to drive and rarely appear in public without their faces covered, the band is very different. The prospect of female rockers clutching guitars and belting out angry lyrics about a failed relationship — the theme of “Pinocchio” — would once have been unimaginable here.
But this country’s harsh code of public morals has slowly thawed, especially in Jidda, by far the kingdom’s most cosmopolitan city. A decade ago the cane-wielding religious police terrorized women who were not dressed according to their standards. Young men with long hair were sometimes bundled off to police stations to have their heads shaved, or worse.
Today, there is a growing rock scene with dozens of bands, some of them even selling tickets to their performances. Hip-hop is also popular. The religious police — strictly speaking, the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice — have largely retreated from the streets of Jidda and are somewhat less aggressive even in the kingdom’s desert heartland.
The change has been especially noticeable since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when the Saudis confronted the effects of extremism both outside and inside the kingdom. More than 60 percent of Saudi Arabia’s population is under 25, and many of the young are pressing for greater freedoms.
“The upcoming generation is different from the one before,” said Dina, the Accolade’s 21-year-old guitarist and founder. “Everything is changing. Maybe in 10 years it’s going to be O.K. to have a band with live performances.”
Dina said she first dreamed of starting a band three years ago. In September, she and her sister Dareen, 19, who plays bass, teamed up with Lamia and Amjad, the keyboardist.
They were already iconoclasts: Dina and Dareen wear their hair teased into thick manes and have pierced eyebrows. During an interview at a Starbucks here, they wore black abayas — the flowing gown that is standard attire for women — but the gowns were open, showing their jeans and T-shirts, and their hair and faces were uncovered. Women are more apt to go uncovered in Jidda than in most other parts of the country, though it is still uncommon.
“People always stare at us,” Dareen said, giggling. She and her sister are also avid ice skaters, another unusual habit in Saudi Arabia’s desert.
The band gets together to practice every weekend at the sisters’ house, where their younger brother sometimes fills in on drums. In early November, Dina, who studies art at King Abdulaziz University, began writing a song based on one of her favorite paintings, “The Accolade,” by the English pre-Raphaelite painter Edmund Blair Leighton. The painting depicts a long-haired noblewoman knighting a young warrior with a sword.
“I liked the painting because it shows a woman who is satisfied with a man,” Dina said.
She had thought of writing a song based on “Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci but decided that doing so would be taking controversy too far. In Saudi Arabia, churches are not allowed, and Muslims who convert to Christianity can be executed.
Dina held out her cellphone to show a video of the band practicing at home. It looked like a garage-band jam session anywhere in the world, with the sisters hunching over their instruments, their brother blasting away at the drums and Lamia clutching a microphone.
“We’re looking for a drummer,” Lamia said. “Five guys have offered, but we really want the band to be all female.”
Although they know they are doing something unusual, in person the band members seem more playful than provocative. Unlike some of the wealthier Saudi youth who have lived abroad and tasted Western life, they are middle class and have never left their country.
“What we’re doing — it’s not something wrong, it’s art, and we’re doing it in a good way,” Dina said. “We respect our traditions.”
All the members are quick to add that they disapprove of smoking, drinking and drugs.
“You destroy yourself with that,” Lamia said.
Yet rock and roll itself is suspect in Saudi Arabia in part because of its association with decadent lifestyles. Most of the bands here play heavy metal, which has only added to the stigma because of the way some Western heavy metal bands use images linked to satanism or witchcraft. In Saudi Arabia, people are sometimes imprisoned and even executed on charges of practicing witchcraft.
The first rock bands appeared here about 20 years ago, according to Hassan Hatrash, 34, a journalist and bass player who was one of the pioneers, and their numbers gradually grew. Then in 1995, the police raided a performance in the basement of a restaurant in Jidda, hauling about 300 young men off to jail, including Mr. Hatrash. They were released a few days later without being charged. There is no actual law against playing rock music or performing publicly.
“After that, the scene kind of died,” he said.
Mr. Hatrash, who has graying shoulder-length hair, recalled how the religious police used to harass young men who advertised their interest in rock and roll. He once had his head shaved by the police.
In recent years, with the religious police on the defensive, bands have begun to play concerts, and a few have recorded albums. Occasionally young men bring their guitars and play outside the cafes on Tahlia Street in Jidda, where young people tend to congregate in the evenings.
Although the music is mostly familiar to heavy metal fans anywhere — thrashing guitars and howling vocals — some of the lyrics reflect the special challenges of life and love in this puritanical country.
“And I Don’t Know Why,” a song by Mr. Hatrash’s band, Most of Us, has these lyrics:
Why is it always so hard to get to you
When it’s something we both want to do
Every time we have to create an alibi
So that we can meet and love or at least try...
As the Saudi rock scene grew, Dina gathered the courage to start her own band. It plans to move slowly, she said, with “jams for ladies only” at first. The band members’ parents support them, though they have asked them to keep things low-key. Eventually, Dina said, they hope to play real concerts, perhaps in Dubai.
“It’s important for them to see what we’re capable of,” she said.
-- By ROBERT F. WORTH, New York Times
But the members of Saudi Arabia’s first all-girl rock band, the Accolade, are clearly not afraid of taboos.
The band’s first single, “Pinocchio,” has become an underground hit here, with hundreds of young Saudis downloading the song from the group’s Web site. Now, the pioneering foursome, all of them college students, want to start playing regular gigs — inside private compounds, of course — and recording an album.
“In Saudi, yes, it’s a challenge,” said the group’s lead singer, Lamia, who has piercings on her left eyebrow and beneath her bottom lip. (Like other band members, she gave only her first name.) “Maybe we’re crazy. But we wanted to do something different.”
In a country where women are not allowed to drive and rarely appear in public without their faces covered, the band is very different. The prospect of female rockers clutching guitars and belting out angry lyrics about a failed relationship — the theme of “Pinocchio” — would once have been unimaginable here.
But this country’s harsh code of public morals has slowly thawed, especially in Jidda, by far the kingdom’s most cosmopolitan city. A decade ago the cane-wielding religious police terrorized women who were not dressed according to their standards. Young men with long hair were sometimes bundled off to police stations to have their heads shaved, or worse.
Today, there is a growing rock scene with dozens of bands, some of them even selling tickets to their performances. Hip-hop is also popular. The religious police — strictly speaking, the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice — have largely retreated from the streets of Jidda and are somewhat less aggressive even in the kingdom’s desert heartland.
The change has been especially noticeable since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when the Saudis confronted the effects of extremism both outside and inside the kingdom. More than 60 percent of Saudi Arabia’s population is under 25, and many of the young are pressing for greater freedoms.
“The upcoming generation is different from the one before,” said Dina, the Accolade’s 21-year-old guitarist and founder. “Everything is changing. Maybe in 10 years it’s going to be O.K. to have a band with live performances.”
Dina said she first dreamed of starting a band three years ago. In September, she and her sister Dareen, 19, who plays bass, teamed up with Lamia and Amjad, the keyboardist.
They were already iconoclasts: Dina and Dareen wear their hair teased into thick manes and have pierced eyebrows. During an interview at a Starbucks here, they wore black abayas — the flowing gown that is standard attire for women — but the gowns were open, showing their jeans and T-shirts, and their hair and faces were uncovered. Women are more apt to go uncovered in Jidda than in most other parts of the country, though it is still uncommon.
“People always stare at us,” Dareen said, giggling. She and her sister are also avid ice skaters, another unusual habit in Saudi Arabia’s desert.
The band gets together to practice every weekend at the sisters’ house, where their younger brother sometimes fills in on drums. In early November, Dina, who studies art at King Abdulaziz University, began writing a song based on one of her favorite paintings, “The Accolade,” by the English pre-Raphaelite painter Edmund Blair Leighton. The painting depicts a long-haired noblewoman knighting a young warrior with a sword.
“I liked the painting because it shows a woman who is satisfied with a man,” Dina said.
She had thought of writing a song based on “Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci but decided that doing so would be taking controversy too far. In Saudi Arabia, churches are not allowed, and Muslims who convert to Christianity can be executed.
Dina held out her cellphone to show a video of the band practicing at home. It looked like a garage-band jam session anywhere in the world, with the sisters hunching over their instruments, their brother blasting away at the drums and Lamia clutching a microphone.
“We’re looking for a drummer,” Lamia said. “Five guys have offered, but we really want the band to be all female.”
Although they know they are doing something unusual, in person the band members seem more playful than provocative. Unlike some of the wealthier Saudi youth who have lived abroad and tasted Western life, they are middle class and have never left their country.
“What we’re doing — it’s not something wrong, it’s art, and we’re doing it in a good way,” Dina said. “We respect our traditions.”
All the members are quick to add that they disapprove of smoking, drinking and drugs.
“You destroy yourself with that,” Lamia said.
Yet rock and roll itself is suspect in Saudi Arabia in part because of its association with decadent lifestyles. Most of the bands here play heavy metal, which has only added to the stigma because of the way some Western heavy metal bands use images linked to satanism or witchcraft. In Saudi Arabia, people are sometimes imprisoned and even executed on charges of practicing witchcraft.
The first rock bands appeared here about 20 years ago, according to Hassan Hatrash, 34, a journalist and bass player who was one of the pioneers, and their numbers gradually grew. Then in 1995, the police raided a performance in the basement of a restaurant in Jidda, hauling about 300 young men off to jail, including Mr. Hatrash. They were released a few days later without being charged. There is no actual law against playing rock music or performing publicly.
“After that, the scene kind of died,” he said.
Mr. Hatrash, who has graying shoulder-length hair, recalled how the religious police used to harass young men who advertised their interest in rock and roll. He once had his head shaved by the police.
In recent years, with the religious police on the defensive, bands have begun to play concerts, and a few have recorded albums. Occasionally young men bring their guitars and play outside the cafes on Tahlia Street in Jidda, where young people tend to congregate in the evenings.
Although the music is mostly familiar to heavy metal fans anywhere — thrashing guitars and howling vocals — some of the lyrics reflect the special challenges of life and love in this puritanical country.
“And I Don’t Know Why,” a song by Mr. Hatrash’s band, Most of Us, has these lyrics:
Why is it always so hard to get to you
When it’s something we both want to do
Every time we have to create an alibi
So that we can meet and love or at least try...
As the Saudi rock scene grew, Dina gathered the courage to start her own band. It plans to move slowly, she said, with “jams for ladies only” at first. The band members’ parents support them, though they have asked them to keep things low-key. Eventually, Dina said, they hope to play real concerts, perhaps in Dubai.
“It’s important for them to see what we’re capable of,” she said.
-- By ROBERT F. WORTH, New York Times
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Egypt: President: Increase seats for women
The Associated Press
CAIRO, Egypt: Egypt's longtime president vowed on Sunday to increase the number of women serving in parliament, saying women must have a more active voice in the country's male-dominated government.
Women currently hold only nine seats in parliament's 454-member lower house — the lawmaking chamber — including five that are appointed by the president. The other four are elected.
Speaking during Sunday's opening sessions of both houses of parliament, President Hosni Mubarak urged members to approve laws guaranteeing an increase in the number of women lawmakers.
He did not provide details, but members of his ruling party have said Mubarak wants the number of female lawmakers to reach at least 56 in the lower chamber, with representation from all of the Egypt's governates.
Though parliament must first approve any new election laws, there was little doubt lawmakers — who overwhelmingly belong to the ruling party — would pass Mubarak's proposal.
"I will present to the parliament's two houses important legislative amendments that affirm the society's recognition of the women's role," Mubarak said.
A leading Egyptian women's rights activist said the move to increase the number of women in parliament is an important step — but not a "complete step."
"The current electoral system feeds corruption and not a healthy public life that will guarantee good women's political participation," said Nehad Aboul-Qomsan, the head of the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights.
She said she expected only women from Mubarak's party would be allowed to run and win the women-designated seats. While many would be good candidates, she said not all would have experience in areas of public reform and activism.
"If we had a system where proportional representation and real competition existed, we could benefit from the new seats for women," said Aboul-Qomsan.
Rights groups have long complained that Egypt's elections are flawed and accuse the government of vote rigging to sway the polls in the ruling party's favor.
In the most recent elections in 2007 for parliament's upper chamber — which serves as an advisory body — rights groups reported extensive ballot box stuffing and police blockades of polling sites to prevent opposition supporters from casting ballots.
The Egyptian government insisted the vote was clean, and official results showed a near-sweep by candidates from Mubarak's party.
CAIRO, Egypt: Egypt's longtime president vowed on Sunday to increase the number of women serving in parliament, saying women must have a more active voice in the country's male-dominated government.
Women currently hold only nine seats in parliament's 454-member lower house — the lawmaking chamber — including five that are appointed by the president. The other four are elected.
Speaking during Sunday's opening sessions of both houses of parliament, President Hosni Mubarak urged members to approve laws guaranteeing an increase in the number of women lawmakers.
He did not provide details, but members of his ruling party have said Mubarak wants the number of female lawmakers to reach at least 56 in the lower chamber, with representation from all of the Egypt's governates.
Though parliament must first approve any new election laws, there was little doubt lawmakers — who overwhelmingly belong to the ruling party — would pass Mubarak's proposal.
"I will present to the parliament's two houses important legislative amendments that affirm the society's recognition of the women's role," Mubarak said.
A leading Egyptian women's rights activist said the move to increase the number of women in parliament is an important step — but not a "complete step."
"The current electoral system feeds corruption and not a healthy public life that will guarantee good women's political participation," said Nehad Aboul-Qomsan, the head of the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights.
She said she expected only women from Mubarak's party would be allowed to run and win the women-designated seats. While many would be good candidates, she said not all would have experience in areas of public reform and activism.
"If we had a system where proportional representation and real competition existed, we could benefit from the new seats for women," said Aboul-Qomsan.
Rights groups have long complained that Egypt's elections are flawed and accuse the government of vote rigging to sway the polls in the ruling party's favor.
In the most recent elections in 2007 for parliament's upper chamber — which serves as an advisory body — rights groups reported extensive ballot box stuffing and police blockades of polling sites to prevent opposition supporters from casting ballots.
The Egyptian government insisted the vote was clean, and official results showed a near-sweep by candidates from Mubarak's party.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Women’s sections open in factories
DAMMAM – The Ministry of Labor has permitted 40 factories and companies in the Eastern Province to open women’s sections in which Saudi women can be employed. The companies include meat factories, marine companies and general contracting firms.
Muhammad Al-Hamdan, Director of the Labor Office in the province, said the companies had appointed more than 1,500 Saudi women with salaries of up to SR3,000 and contracts meeting Saudi labor system regulations.
Al-Hamdan said the office had appealed to all companies in need of labor to open women’s sections and that they had shown a positive response. – Okaz/SG
Muhammad Al-Hamdan, Director of the Labor Office in the province, said the companies had appointed more than 1,500 Saudi women with salaries of up to SR3,000 and contracts meeting Saudi labor system regulations.
Al-Hamdan said the office had appealed to all companies in need of labor to open women’s sections and that they had shown a positive response. – Okaz/SG
Yemen: Empowering women in political participation
By: Shuaib Al-Mosawa For the Yemen Times
SANA'A, Nov. 21 — One hundred and sixty six female political activists from around the republic have been chosen for empowerment training for women in the political domain. The training was launched last week in a public event organized by the Supreme Commission for Election and Referendum (SCER) and funded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the European Commission. The training is a component of a wider program to last until 2010 to support women's political participation with a special focus on the electoral process, especially the upcoming parliamentary elections in April 2009.
The International Federation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is also a key player in this program which is considered to be the first of its kind because it directs women's participation as candidates in the parliamentary elections with full support of the official organizations such as the elections’ commission and the GPC ruling party. In fact, the GPC had already spread banners across the main cities advocating for women's empowerment and their political rights.
Khaled Abdulwahab Al-Sharif, Chairman of the SCER, said that political illiteracy, the influence of social and cultural practices, and the novelty of the democratic experience are the main obstacles preventing women from obtaining their political rights. Al-Sharif pointed out that, despite the increased number of registered women in the voters records in 2006 compared to 1993, the individual achievements of women are declining and in need of more popular campaigning programs, such as a media strategy for the political empowerment of women.
The campaign will be formulated in a way that the media’s message reaches the public directly and is accepted by them. There will be strong emphasis on religion to support women's rights and to correct some of the traditional concepts that hinder women's political participation. The campaign plans to include a number of television, radio and print media interviews with respectable religious scholars in Yemen and in the Arab world who will vouch for women's political participation and clarify the position of Islam in this regard.
The media campaign will also target men and women in younger age groups, such as high school and university students, because youth are the potential change makers and future participants in the electoral process.
Moreover, according to the strategy's concept paper, there will be educational sessions on the laws and regulations that promote women's participation in the elections, as an example of the political participation of women in general.
Director of the SCER general department for women affairs Dr. Elham Abdulwahab explained that, in addition to the official and non-official media, there will be large mobile screens in the main streets presenting short documentaries and drama sketches to promote women's political participation.
Al-Sharif hoped that government institutions, political parties, and civil society organizations would have a responsibility to enhance women’s political participation in order for them to reach a reasonable percentage in both the parliament and local councils.
Pratibha Mehta, UNDP Resident Representative and UN Resident Coordinator, said, "It is indeed very commendable that SCER in Yemen has a separate department focusing on women's participation, something that many countries don’t have".
Mehta regretted that over the past three elections, there had been a decline in the number of successful women contesting in the elections, but stressed the importance of creating programs such as the ones organized by the commission’s women’s department to build the capacity of women to contest and participate in the next elections.
Michael Dorsaw, Charge d'Affaires of the European Union, said, "Actually, if gender were not such a big problem in Yemen, we would not be here today. Facts talk by themselves. Yemen has the worst gender indicators in the world. This must change; we must give a voice to 50 percent of the population."
He added that the EU had observed the local councils elections in 2006 and produced recommendations to enhance women’s participation in the election process. He described the fact of having only one elected women in Parliament as shocking, adding "this should change not for [women], but for Yemen."
He also said that they should kick off the process in the next days and weeks, and further stressed the importance of education, calling on political parties and civil society organizations to enhance the current situation of women.
IFES manager Peter Williams commented on the issue: "The parties have dialogued over the women's quota but no action is being made to make it happen". He pointed out that the international community is supporting Yemeni women because Yemeni men who are in position to do something about women's rights have do not do anything.
He added, "The parties like to talk about women’s rights because they think their words will look good, [but] words without actions are empty". He concluded his speech by exhorting those who have the power to take action: "Stop talking and do something constructive to make all your fine words a reality for Yemeni women."
Mehta recommended married women seek family support to actively participate in the electoral process, and stated that financial support could be a major obstacle to women’s running in the election. Mr. Williams, agreed with Mehta on the funding issue, commenting, "The political parties are given campaign funding but those who control the money are men; women do not receive any support like this.”
SANA'A, Nov. 21 — One hundred and sixty six female political activists from around the republic have been chosen for empowerment training for women in the political domain. The training was launched last week in a public event organized by the Supreme Commission for Election and Referendum (SCER) and funded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the European Commission. The training is a component of a wider program to last until 2010 to support women's political participation with a special focus on the electoral process, especially the upcoming parliamentary elections in April 2009.
The International Federation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is also a key player in this program which is considered to be the first of its kind because it directs women's participation as candidates in the parliamentary elections with full support of the official organizations such as the elections’ commission and the GPC ruling party. In fact, the GPC had already spread banners across the main cities advocating for women's empowerment and their political rights.
Khaled Abdulwahab Al-Sharif, Chairman of the SCER, said that political illiteracy, the influence of social and cultural practices, and the novelty of the democratic experience are the main obstacles preventing women from obtaining their political rights. Al-Sharif pointed out that, despite the increased number of registered women in the voters records in 2006 compared to 1993, the individual achievements of women are declining and in need of more popular campaigning programs, such as a media strategy for the political empowerment of women.
The campaign will be formulated in a way that the media’s message reaches the public directly and is accepted by them. There will be strong emphasis on religion to support women's rights and to correct some of the traditional concepts that hinder women's political participation. The campaign plans to include a number of television, radio and print media interviews with respectable religious scholars in Yemen and in the Arab world who will vouch for women's political participation and clarify the position of Islam in this regard.
The media campaign will also target men and women in younger age groups, such as high school and university students, because youth are the potential change makers and future participants in the electoral process.
Moreover, according to the strategy's concept paper, there will be educational sessions on the laws and regulations that promote women's participation in the elections, as an example of the political participation of women in general.
Director of the SCER general department for women affairs Dr. Elham Abdulwahab explained that, in addition to the official and non-official media, there will be large mobile screens in the main streets presenting short documentaries and drama sketches to promote women's political participation.
Al-Sharif hoped that government institutions, political parties, and civil society organizations would have a responsibility to enhance women’s political participation in order for them to reach a reasonable percentage in both the parliament and local councils.
Pratibha Mehta, UNDP Resident Representative and UN Resident Coordinator, said, "It is indeed very commendable that SCER in Yemen has a separate department focusing on women's participation, something that many countries don’t have".
Mehta regretted that over the past three elections, there had been a decline in the number of successful women contesting in the elections, but stressed the importance of creating programs such as the ones organized by the commission’s women’s department to build the capacity of women to contest and participate in the next elections.
Michael Dorsaw, Charge d'Affaires of the European Union, said, "Actually, if gender were not such a big problem in Yemen, we would not be here today. Facts talk by themselves. Yemen has the worst gender indicators in the world. This must change; we must give a voice to 50 percent of the population."
He added that the EU had observed the local councils elections in 2006 and produced recommendations to enhance women’s participation in the election process. He described the fact of having only one elected women in Parliament as shocking, adding "this should change not for [women], but for Yemen."
He also said that they should kick off the process in the next days and weeks, and further stressed the importance of education, calling on political parties and civil society organizations to enhance the current situation of women.
IFES manager Peter Williams commented on the issue: "The parties have dialogued over the women's quota but no action is being made to make it happen". He pointed out that the international community is supporting Yemeni women because Yemeni men who are in position to do something about women's rights have do not do anything.
He added, "The parties like to talk about women’s rights because they think their words will look good, [but] words without actions are empty". He concluded his speech by exhorting those who have the power to take action: "Stop talking and do something constructive to make all your fine words a reality for Yemeni women."
Mehta recommended married women seek family support to actively participate in the electoral process, and stated that financial support could be a major obstacle to women’s running in the election. Mr. Williams, agreed with Mehta on the funding issue, commenting, "The political parties are given campaign funding but those who control the money are men; women do not receive any support like this.”
Qatar: Awareness can end abuse against women
Source ::: The Peninsula
Doha: A major change in the mindset of humanity alone can help to curb the violence against women (VAW) around the world according to speakers at the two-day international seminar on violence against women which concluded yesterday. The colloquium, Impact of Violence against Women on the Family, was organised by Doha International Institute for Family Studies and Development (DIIFSD) and the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA).
Despite number of rulings and legislations passed by different countries and organisations like United Nations, violence and discrimination against women has not been brought under control. The major reason for this is lack of awareness. World Health Organisation’s study on VAW has found that many women believe violence is normal, it’s a way the partner is supposed to behave. In many parts of the world women are expected to be submissive to their husbands at all times and violence is seen as a way to discipline a woman.
“WHO study has shown that 19 to 76 percent of women are abused in different parts of the world,” said Heriette Jansen from National Research on VAW in Turkey. “We found that among women who reported abuse by anyone, 80 percent of women reported being abused by a partner. While the popular understanding is often that women should stay home because the streets is dangerous, for many women it is actually her own home that is not safe, the place where she should be protected and loved!”
“The beliefs, values and discourses which support violence should be changed to overcome VAW. The patriarchal power which sustain and are sustained by violence should be challenged,” said Gihan Abou Zeid, an expert in Women Rights and Development in the Arab Region from Cairo.
The patriarchal power in some areas is so deep rooted that even social workers and close family give little or no attention to it. Due to this, a vast majority of 55 to 95 percent of abused women never contact formal support agency or person in authority. The response women get from their closest support system, family, when such problems are reported, makes them feel more isolated and guilty.
“For controlling this violence, education alone is not enough,” said Justice Majida Rizvi, Chair person, National Commission on the Status of Women, Pakistan. “In order to bring reform in the underlying cultural values of society, the structure supporting patriarchal violence against women and children efforts must be made to change the mind-set of the people. This includes women who often learn to accept their low status as normal due to unrelenting socialisation, and at cultural institutions such as schools, family, mosques, government and law enforcement agencies. It entails changing gender roles and social norms, opening economic opportunities to women and improving self respect for children and women’s status by dismantling patriarchal structures,” she said.
Doha: A major change in the mindset of humanity alone can help to curb the violence against women (VAW) around the world according to speakers at the two-day international seminar on violence against women which concluded yesterday. The colloquium, Impact of Violence against Women on the Family, was organised by Doha International Institute for Family Studies and Development (DIIFSD) and the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA).
Despite number of rulings and legislations passed by different countries and organisations like United Nations, violence and discrimination against women has not been brought under control. The major reason for this is lack of awareness. World Health Organisation’s study on VAW has found that many women believe violence is normal, it’s a way the partner is supposed to behave. In many parts of the world women are expected to be submissive to their husbands at all times and violence is seen as a way to discipline a woman.
“WHO study has shown that 19 to 76 percent of women are abused in different parts of the world,” said Heriette Jansen from National Research on VAW in Turkey. “We found that among women who reported abuse by anyone, 80 percent of women reported being abused by a partner. While the popular understanding is often that women should stay home because the streets is dangerous, for many women it is actually her own home that is not safe, the place where she should be protected and loved!”
“The beliefs, values and discourses which support violence should be changed to overcome VAW. The patriarchal power which sustain and are sustained by violence should be challenged,” said Gihan Abou Zeid, an expert in Women Rights and Development in the Arab Region from Cairo.
The patriarchal power in some areas is so deep rooted that even social workers and close family give little or no attention to it. Due to this, a vast majority of 55 to 95 percent of abused women never contact formal support agency or person in authority. The response women get from their closest support system, family, when such problems are reported, makes them feel more isolated and guilty.
“For controlling this violence, education alone is not enough,” said Justice Majida Rizvi, Chair person, National Commission on the Status of Women, Pakistan. “In order to bring reform in the underlying cultural values of society, the structure supporting patriarchal violence against women and children efforts must be made to change the mind-set of the people. This includes women who often learn to accept their low status as normal due to unrelenting socialisation, and at cultural institutions such as schools, family, mosques, government and law enforcement agencies. It entails changing gender roles and social norms, opening economic opportunities to women and improving self respect for children and women’s status by dismantling patriarchal structures,” she said.
Saudi Arabia: Women find refuge from domestic violence
By Asma Alsharif
JEDDAH – Shattered, burned and bruised, Azza went to the police four times before the authorities allowed her to leave her abusive husband and move into a shelter.
In their 12 years together, her husband had beaten her with metal rods, chained her up and poured boiling water on her.
But police usually sent her back home after her husband signed a pledge to stop mistreating his wife.
“When I went back home the beatings gradually got worse,” said Azza, now divorced and living in the recently-opened Abdulaziz Shelter in Jeddah. “The violence escalated even more and he started chaining me so that I could not run away. He blocked all the windows.”
She finally escaped four years ago through the bathroom window, though she broke bones in her pelvis in the process. She obtained a divorce on grounds her husband was schizophrenic.
Domestic violence came dramatically into the media spotlight in 2004 when TV presenter Rania Al-Baz went public over a savage beating from her husband in which she suffered 13 facial fractures, leading to divorce at her instigation.
An official human rights body was set up in 2004. A total of 978 reports have been sent to the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) since then concerning physical and mental abuse, divorce and inheritance rights and even the right to education.
The National Family Safety Program (NFSP) was launched last year to create awareness about safe community and defend individuals’ rights and helps the victims of domestic violence. The aim of this unique program is to establish a safe, collaborative, and cooperative environment that resists domestic violence through activation of national culture which respects the rights of individuals, especially the most vulnerable such as women, children, the elderly and people with special needs.
A number of shelters have been set up by volunteers with Ministry of Social Affairs approval.
According to reports, currently around 3,000 Saudi women officially registered as runaways.
The rise in runaways has led to fears of the breakdown of the Saudi family and the inroads of Western values that seem to put more emphasis on individual desires than family duty.
“We used to be a closed society and now we are opening up,” said Enaam Al-Raboei, head of the Family Protection Committee which thinks the spread of the Internet and satellite television has Westernised Saudi youth attitudes.
Al-Raboei said that girls who report abuse are often in fact rebelling against social tradition and refusing their parent’s right to discipline their children.
“We try to explain to them that what they are going through is not abuse,” she said, referring to some cases where no physical violence is involved.
Social worker Sameera Al-Ghamdi said there was a compromise to be reached that included the idea of basic rights for women.
“When we are confronted with a society that assigns a certain sacred status to its culture and specific traditions, we start by demanding basic rights,” she said. “People in this society have grown up to believe it is the father’s right to strike his wife and children and prevent them from certain liberties if he wants to.”
– Reuters
JEDDAH – Shattered, burned and bruised, Azza went to the police four times before the authorities allowed her to leave her abusive husband and move into a shelter.
In their 12 years together, her husband had beaten her with metal rods, chained her up and poured boiling water on her.
But police usually sent her back home after her husband signed a pledge to stop mistreating his wife.
“When I went back home the beatings gradually got worse,” said Azza, now divorced and living in the recently-opened Abdulaziz Shelter in Jeddah. “The violence escalated even more and he started chaining me so that I could not run away. He blocked all the windows.”
She finally escaped four years ago through the bathroom window, though she broke bones in her pelvis in the process. She obtained a divorce on grounds her husband was schizophrenic.
Domestic violence came dramatically into the media spotlight in 2004 when TV presenter Rania Al-Baz went public over a savage beating from her husband in which she suffered 13 facial fractures, leading to divorce at her instigation.
An official human rights body was set up in 2004. A total of 978 reports have been sent to the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) since then concerning physical and mental abuse, divorce and inheritance rights and even the right to education.
The National Family Safety Program (NFSP) was launched last year to create awareness about safe community and defend individuals’ rights and helps the victims of domestic violence. The aim of this unique program is to establish a safe, collaborative, and cooperative environment that resists domestic violence through activation of national culture which respects the rights of individuals, especially the most vulnerable such as women, children, the elderly and people with special needs.
A number of shelters have been set up by volunteers with Ministry of Social Affairs approval.
According to reports, currently around 3,000 Saudi women officially registered as runaways.
The rise in runaways has led to fears of the breakdown of the Saudi family and the inroads of Western values that seem to put more emphasis on individual desires than family duty.
“We used to be a closed society and now we are opening up,” said Enaam Al-Raboei, head of the Family Protection Committee which thinks the spread of the Internet and satellite television has Westernised Saudi youth attitudes.
Al-Raboei said that girls who report abuse are often in fact rebelling against social tradition and refusing their parent’s right to discipline their children.
“We try to explain to them that what they are going through is not abuse,” she said, referring to some cases where no physical violence is involved.
Social worker Sameera Al-Ghamdi said there was a compromise to be reached that included the idea of basic rights for women.
“When we are confronted with a society that assigns a certain sacred status to its culture and specific traditions, we start by demanding basic rights,” she said. “People in this society have grown up to believe it is the father’s right to strike his wife and children and prevent them from certain liberties if he wants to.”
– Reuters
Saudi Arabia: Women social workers speak of field issues
Fatima Sidiya | Arab News
JEDDAH: Social workers complain about difficulties they face while touring around residential neighborhoods in search of families that need help.
According to two social workers interviewed by Arab News, the places these social workers — many of whom are women — must travel are faraway and sometimes dangerous.
“In some cases we have to walk for long distances,” said one social worker, who did not want her name published in the press. “In addition, many areas that we go to are extremely dangerous and it is risky to be there.”
The job entails investigating social assistance claims by individuals or families that have sought help from various charity organizations.
These investigators often interview applicants; women are sent to interview women.
There have been cases where young women hide details of their assignments as social workers from others because the idea of a woman traveling around doing this type of work would be frowned upon by society. Many of these women are volunteers, who might have been married or have jobs.
One woman doing this work said it would be helpful for volunteers to have some kind of official document that would “protect us in any dangerous situation and in case we are questioned by the police.”
She added that some kind of official document would help because when they arrive in remote villages, it tends to attract a lot of attention from the locals.
She also said some security details would help, too.
JEDDAH: Social workers complain about difficulties they face while touring around residential neighborhoods in search of families that need help.
According to two social workers interviewed by Arab News, the places these social workers — many of whom are women — must travel are faraway and sometimes dangerous.
“In some cases we have to walk for long distances,” said one social worker, who did not want her name published in the press. “In addition, many areas that we go to are extremely dangerous and it is risky to be there.”
The job entails investigating social assistance claims by individuals or families that have sought help from various charity organizations.
These investigators often interview applicants; women are sent to interview women.
There have been cases where young women hide details of their assignments as social workers from others because the idea of a woman traveling around doing this type of work would be frowned upon by society. Many of these women are volunteers, who might have been married or have jobs.
One woman doing this work said it would be helpful for volunteers to have some kind of official document that would “protect us in any dangerous situation and in case we are questioned by the police.”
She added that some kind of official document would help because when they arrive in remote villages, it tends to attract a lot of attention from the locals.
She also said some security details would help, too.
Middle East: MEPI Election Exchange News Coverage
MBC/Al Arabiya October news coverage of MEPI's Election Exchange program.
Middle East Looking Ahead: The Future of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI)
Friday November 14, 12:00-1:15, Russell Senate Office Building, Room 188
On Friday, the Project on Middle East Democracy held a lunch briefing for Congressional staff entitled “Looking Ahead: The Future of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI).” The two featured speakers were Scott Carpenter, Keston Family fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and previously Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and head of the Middle East Partnership Initiative from 2004 to 2007; and Les Campbell, Senior Associate at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) and regional director for NDI’s programs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA); the discussion was moderated by Stephen McInerney, Director of Advocacy at the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED).
Scott Carpenter organized his presentation around four key questions: Why is MEPI needed? Why was it placed in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA)? How is it different than other institutions such as the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) or the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)? And, where will it go from here?
On the first question, he began by saying after 9/11 the Bush Administration examined its relationship with countries in the Middle East and realized the need to move past issues of security and energy concerns. The idea for MEPI existed prior to 9/11, but was given higher priority after that time. The Arab Human Development Report also came out at the same time, declaring that “the pathologies that affected the region” could no longer be ignored, from the economy to the state of education. This confluence of factors led to a conscious decision to change foreign policy in the Arab world.
Existing organizations for moving forward in the Middle East were hampered by various factors: the NED did not cover educational programs or female empowerment, while USAID operated only through bilateral government-to-government relationships and only in six of the region’s 22 countries: Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen, Morocco, West Bank/Gaza, Jordan; it does not work at all in places like Saudi Arabia, Algeria, or Kuwait.
Hence Carpenter cited a gap, requiring a new conversation - a “partnership” - with the region focusing on empowering civil society. Hence the creation of MEPI, to fill that gap, and founded with four “pillars” of focus: democracy, economy, education, and women’s empowerment.
Moving to the second question, he noted that the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA) had always operated with a narrow vision of security and energy, and was in 2002 the smallest regional bureau in the State Department, in terms of staff and resources. As Carpenter put it, the State Department didn’t need a huge staff in order to interact with the Middle East, because we only had to deal with a few people in each country – the dictator and his deputies. The traditional role of NEA, and the State Department more broadly, in the Middle East was to maintain bilateral relationships with autocratic regimes. Secretary of State Colin Powell was initially opposed to the idea of MEPI, thinking it would irritate governments in the region, undermining our diplomatic efforts there. However, following 9/11 and the broader recognition of the need for a shift on U.S. policy in the region, Powell and the State Department became more supportive.
Conventional wisdom might have put MEPI under the supervision of the Under Secretary for Global Affairs, at the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), a bureau created by Congress, without the same direct ties to the embassies as the regional bureaus. However, the administration was not interested in merely developing another series of programs, but impacting policy toward the region, largely formulated within NEA. What were our ambassadors actually saying in foreign offices? Because of its location in NEA, MEPI has foreign service officers working on the ground in each embassy.
USAID, on the other hand, is very different. USAID has bilateral programs which are negotiated with foreign governments. These tend to be large infrastructure programs or financial sector reform projects that do not engage civil society or involve political work on the grassroots level. USAID also does not operate in every country in the Middle East, and by definition, cannot function on a regional level or carry out multination projects either.
MEPI began without a clear strategy, only an initial framework based on the four “pillars,” but it gradually improved its effectiveness as it developed a staff and resources, shifted grant-making from Washington to its two offices in the region, and increasingly moved to erode the bureaucratic approach of treating each country as a separate entity, replacing it with a transcendent, regional vision on issues of relevance.
Funding for MEPI has gone up and down since its inception, making it hard to have a consistent set of objectives, but it is starting to have a clear impact in the region, and is seen as a positive force for change. Carpenter noted that less than 1% of what is spent in Iraq is spent on democracy promotion annually around the world. At the critical time of transition to a new administration, he concluded by declaring that MEPI should not only continue, but given a “steroid injection,” since “we have Al-Qaeda on the run.” He urged Congress to “double down” on MEPI and its critical role in the “war of ideas” in the Middle East, asserting that MEPI uniquely gives policymakers the tools they need to spur real change in the region.
Les Campbell provided the perspective of a nongovernmental recipient of funding for democracy programs from MEPI, and asserted that his organization, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), has thrived in its work with MEPI. He noted that some are surprised by this, because of the perception of MEPI as a partisan Bush administration initiative originally headed by Liz Cheney, while NDI is loosely affiliated with the Democratic Party. But he stressed that NDI’s working relationship with MEPI has been extremely productive, contrary to this perception.
He acknowledged skepticism in approaching an initial meeting with Liz Cheney, but they quickly reached agreement on a project for women across the region who were running for political office, which led to a variety of women’s training programs in the region run by NDI. Starting from the success of the Moroccan reforms in 2004, to Kuwaiti women obtaining the right to vote, and the strengthening of Jordanian women in parliament, Campbell said a direct line could be drawn back to MEPI on each of these reforms.
Campbell also discussed how MEPI greatly facilitated the process by which NDI could receive U.S. government support and funding for NDI’s democracy programs. Previously, NDI had to befriend the ambassador to the particular country in question, then the deputy assistant secretary, and pitch their ideas to them, often unsuccessfully. The only other option was the daunting task of “cracking the USAID vault.” USAID’s programs, however, are submitted to the foreign government for approval, invariably leading programs on serious political reform to be rejected.
Additionally Campbell said dialogue with MEPI was easier and more flexible than other agencies such as USAID. They were more engaged in the process and more willing to work with new ideas. USAID bundles huge contracts together, thus matching priorities is difficult, and oftentimes a large solicitation takes 18 months from beginning to end. He also noted that they at NDI “see a very clear differentiation” between the role of various funding sources such as USAID, the NED, DRL, and MEPI, arguing that MEPI fills a valuable niche. He agreed that MEPI has unique advantages situated within NEA, and also urged that it remain intact.
Campbell concluded with some key examples of programs that would not exist without MEPI: 1) Women’s regional schools, providing candidate training for female leadership and spurring women’s political participation and activism; 2) Palestinian Party Reform, strengthening the political organizing capacity of non-HAMAS parties in the Palestinian territories; 3) promoting democracy in Libya through support of local democracy activists through NDI and other programs over the past 18 months 4) election monitoring in Egypt by independent Egyptian organizations, which recently forced the Egyptian regime to acknowledge that turnout to vote for President Mubarak was only 23%, whereas it had previously claimed turnout in excess of 90% 5) funding reform in the Gulf, where sources of funding other than the local government are extremely limited (e.g. Kuwait, Saudi Arabia).
On Friday, the Project on Middle East Democracy held a lunch briefing for Congressional staff entitled “Looking Ahead: The Future of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI).” The two featured speakers were Scott Carpenter, Keston Family fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and previously Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and head of the Middle East Partnership Initiative from 2004 to 2007; and Les Campbell, Senior Associate at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) and regional director for NDI’s programs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA); the discussion was moderated by Stephen McInerney, Director of Advocacy at the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED).
Scott Carpenter organized his presentation around four key questions: Why is MEPI needed? Why was it placed in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA)? How is it different than other institutions such as the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) or the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)? And, where will it go from here?
On the first question, he began by saying after 9/11 the Bush Administration examined its relationship with countries in the Middle East and realized the need to move past issues of security and energy concerns. The idea for MEPI existed prior to 9/11, but was given higher priority after that time. The Arab Human Development Report also came out at the same time, declaring that “the pathologies that affected the region” could no longer be ignored, from the economy to the state of education. This confluence of factors led to a conscious decision to change foreign policy in the Arab world.
Existing organizations for moving forward in the Middle East were hampered by various factors: the NED did not cover educational programs or female empowerment, while USAID operated only through bilateral government-to-government relationships and only in six of the region’s 22 countries: Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen, Morocco, West Bank/Gaza, Jordan; it does not work at all in places like Saudi Arabia, Algeria, or Kuwait.
Hence Carpenter cited a gap, requiring a new conversation - a “partnership” - with the region focusing on empowering civil society. Hence the creation of MEPI, to fill that gap, and founded with four “pillars” of focus: democracy, economy, education, and women’s empowerment.
Moving to the second question, he noted that the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA) had always operated with a narrow vision of security and energy, and was in 2002 the smallest regional bureau in the State Department, in terms of staff and resources. As Carpenter put it, the State Department didn’t need a huge staff in order to interact with the Middle East, because we only had to deal with a few people in each country – the dictator and his deputies. The traditional role of NEA, and the State Department more broadly, in the Middle East was to maintain bilateral relationships with autocratic regimes. Secretary of State Colin Powell was initially opposed to the idea of MEPI, thinking it would irritate governments in the region, undermining our diplomatic efforts there. However, following 9/11 and the broader recognition of the need for a shift on U.S. policy in the region, Powell and the State Department became more supportive.
Conventional wisdom might have put MEPI under the supervision of the Under Secretary for Global Affairs, at the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), a bureau created by Congress, without the same direct ties to the embassies as the regional bureaus. However, the administration was not interested in merely developing another series of programs, but impacting policy toward the region, largely formulated within NEA. What were our ambassadors actually saying in foreign offices? Because of its location in NEA, MEPI has foreign service officers working on the ground in each embassy.
USAID, on the other hand, is very different. USAID has bilateral programs which are negotiated with foreign governments. These tend to be large infrastructure programs or financial sector reform projects that do not engage civil society or involve political work on the grassroots level. USAID also does not operate in every country in the Middle East, and by definition, cannot function on a regional level or carry out multination projects either.
MEPI began without a clear strategy, only an initial framework based on the four “pillars,” but it gradually improved its effectiveness as it developed a staff and resources, shifted grant-making from Washington to its two offices in the region, and increasingly moved to erode the bureaucratic approach of treating each country as a separate entity, replacing it with a transcendent, regional vision on issues of relevance.
Funding for MEPI has gone up and down since its inception, making it hard to have a consistent set of objectives, but it is starting to have a clear impact in the region, and is seen as a positive force for change. Carpenter noted that less than 1% of what is spent in Iraq is spent on democracy promotion annually around the world. At the critical time of transition to a new administration, he concluded by declaring that MEPI should not only continue, but given a “steroid injection,” since “we have Al-Qaeda on the run.” He urged Congress to “double down” on MEPI and its critical role in the “war of ideas” in the Middle East, asserting that MEPI uniquely gives policymakers the tools they need to spur real change in the region.
Les Campbell provided the perspective of a nongovernmental recipient of funding for democracy programs from MEPI, and asserted that his organization, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), has thrived in its work with MEPI. He noted that some are surprised by this, because of the perception of MEPI as a partisan Bush administration initiative originally headed by Liz Cheney, while NDI is loosely affiliated with the Democratic Party. But he stressed that NDI’s working relationship with MEPI has been extremely productive, contrary to this perception.
He acknowledged skepticism in approaching an initial meeting with Liz Cheney, but they quickly reached agreement on a project for women across the region who were running for political office, which led to a variety of women’s training programs in the region run by NDI. Starting from the success of the Moroccan reforms in 2004, to Kuwaiti women obtaining the right to vote, and the strengthening of Jordanian women in parliament, Campbell said a direct line could be drawn back to MEPI on each of these reforms.
Campbell also discussed how MEPI greatly facilitated the process by which NDI could receive U.S. government support and funding for NDI’s democracy programs. Previously, NDI had to befriend the ambassador to the particular country in question, then the deputy assistant secretary, and pitch their ideas to them, often unsuccessfully. The only other option was the daunting task of “cracking the USAID vault.” USAID’s programs, however, are submitted to the foreign government for approval, invariably leading programs on serious political reform to be rejected.
Additionally Campbell said dialogue with MEPI was easier and more flexible than other agencies such as USAID. They were more engaged in the process and more willing to work with new ideas. USAID bundles huge contracts together, thus matching priorities is difficult, and oftentimes a large solicitation takes 18 months from beginning to end. He also noted that they at NDI “see a very clear differentiation” between the role of various funding sources such as USAID, the NED, DRL, and MEPI, arguing that MEPI fills a valuable niche. He agreed that MEPI has unique advantages situated within NEA, and also urged that it remain intact.
Campbell concluded with some key examples of programs that would not exist without MEPI: 1) Women’s regional schools, providing candidate training for female leadership and spurring women’s political participation and activism; 2) Palestinian Party Reform, strengthening the political organizing capacity of non-HAMAS parties in the Palestinian territories; 3) promoting democracy in Libya through support of local democracy activists through NDI and other programs over the past 18 months 4) election monitoring in Egypt by independent Egyptian organizations, which recently forced the Egyptian regime to acknowledge that turnout to vote for President Mubarak was only 23%, whereas it had previously claimed turnout in excess of 90% 5) funding reform in the Gulf, where sources of funding other than the local government are extremely limited (e.g. Kuwait, Saudi Arabia).
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Lebanon: Sison hosts Lebanese women with political ambitions
By Dalila Mahdawi
Daily Star staff
AWKAR: The US Embassy in Beirut hosted a luncheon on Wednesday for Lebanese participants of a US-sponsored "Election Exchange Program" held from October- November.
Almost 50 women political leaders from the Middle East and North Africa traveled to the US "to learn from the US experience in electoral campaigning," discuss the status of democratic, educational, economic and reform efforts in their home countries and witness the US presidential elections, a US Embassy press release said. All women are intending to stand for political positions in their home countries.
US Ambassador Michele Sison welcomed eight of the 13 Lebanese participants at her residence to discuss their experiences during the program.
Ghada al-Yafi, who plans to run in the 2009 elections as an independent candidate, told The Daily Star she had found the program "very enriching, especially for formulating ideas on how to promote democracy and learning tools to bring about change." She, like many other participants, expressed her optimism that women could help bring about political reform in Lebanon.
According to Ferial Abu-Hamdan, a project manager at the General Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and who served as a municipal council member from 1998-2004, "The main thing that struck me during the program was the time spent planning and managing campaigns, and how involved young people are in political life." Lebanese were not nearly as committed to volunteer work, she said.
The program impressed on her the necessity of educating people about the importance of voting and spreading political awareness. "If you don't vote, you can't complain," she said.
Dunia al-Khoury, president of the Women's Association of Deir al-Ahmar and one-time representative of the Bekaa to the Lebanese government, reiterated the importance of political involvement. "Lebanon is like a puzzle, each citizen should take part."
Although Lebanese women are increasingly taking on leading positions in the private and educational sectors, they face many obstacles entering politics. Women constitute roughly 56 percent of the population, and yet have less than 5 percent representation in government, numbering only five members of Parliament and one minister.
One difficulty faced by Arab women politicians, said Hamdan, is that "women aren't taken seriously. When I was I at the municipality, I had to continuously defend myself and my ideas ... I was in a higher position than others, but still I wasn't taken seriously because I was a woman."
Women activists have long been calling for a 35 percent quota in representation in the Lebanese government. Addressing the possibility of implementing such a quota, Yafi said, "I'm not for quotas because they go against the principle of democracy, but I am for a women's quota at least during the period of candidacy." According to Khoury, a quota would be "a simple way for women to enter politics. The Lebanese mentality cannot envision women as decision makers."
Implementing a woman's quota would be problematic, as Lebanon already has a quota in place for religious groups. "It is important for democracy to be based on secularism," Yafi said, hoping the religious quota would be abolished.
Daily Star staff
AWKAR: The US Embassy in Beirut hosted a luncheon on Wednesday for Lebanese participants of a US-sponsored "Election Exchange Program" held from October- November.
Almost 50 women political leaders from the Middle East and North Africa traveled to the US "to learn from the US experience in electoral campaigning," discuss the status of democratic, educational, economic and reform efforts in their home countries and witness the US presidential elections, a US Embassy press release said. All women are intending to stand for political positions in their home countries.
US Ambassador Michele Sison welcomed eight of the 13 Lebanese participants at her residence to discuss their experiences during the program.
Ghada al-Yafi, who plans to run in the 2009 elections as an independent candidate, told The Daily Star she had found the program "very enriching, especially for formulating ideas on how to promote democracy and learning tools to bring about change." She, like many other participants, expressed her optimism that women could help bring about political reform in Lebanon.
According to Ferial Abu-Hamdan, a project manager at the General Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and who served as a municipal council member from 1998-2004, "The main thing that struck me during the program was the time spent planning and managing campaigns, and how involved young people are in political life." Lebanese were not nearly as committed to volunteer work, she said.
The program impressed on her the necessity of educating people about the importance of voting and spreading political awareness. "If you don't vote, you can't complain," she said.
Dunia al-Khoury, president of the Women's Association of Deir al-Ahmar and one-time representative of the Bekaa to the Lebanese government, reiterated the importance of political involvement. "Lebanon is like a puzzle, each citizen should take part."
Although Lebanese women are increasingly taking on leading positions in the private and educational sectors, they face many obstacles entering politics. Women constitute roughly 56 percent of the population, and yet have less than 5 percent representation in government, numbering only five members of Parliament and one minister.
One difficulty faced by Arab women politicians, said Hamdan, is that "women aren't taken seriously. When I was I at the municipality, I had to continuously defend myself and my ideas ... I was in a higher position than others, but still I wasn't taken seriously because I was a woman."
Women activists have long been calling for a 35 percent quota in representation in the Lebanese government. Addressing the possibility of implementing such a quota, Yafi said, "I'm not for quotas because they go against the principle of democracy, but I am for a women's quota at least during the period of candidacy." According to Khoury, a quota would be "a simple way for women to enter politics. The Lebanese mentality cannot envision women as decision makers."
Implementing a woman's quota would be problematic, as Lebanon already has a quota in place for religious groups. "It is important for democracy to be based on secularism," Yafi said, hoping the religious quota would be abolished.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Bahrain: Obama 'model for poll candidates'
By REBECCA TORR, Gulf Daily News
CANDIDATES for Bahrain's next elections are being advised to follow the example of US President-elect Barack Obama if they are serious about winning a seat in parliament or municipal councils.
Women in particular should try to emulate the way the next leader of the free world started fundraising and drumming up support early, according to former Shura Council member Dr Fakhria Diari.
She said even though Bahrain's next polls are two years away, it is never too soon to start laying the foundations of a successful campaign.
"One woman in parliament is not enough," she told the GDN.
"We lack funding here and we need full time help, we must work hard on fundraising.
"We must go to the private sector and have them participate in the campaign.
"Phone companies can help by giving free calls for their campaign."
Dr Diari, who admitted she was considering running for a municipal council seat, said candidates also needed a large network of volunteers of all ages to help them with their campaign.
She suggested lobby centres similar to those in the US, which teach volunteers how to knock on doors and win over voters.
"We have a lot of youth volunteers, but it would be good to have senior citizens - it helps them feel alive and gives them purpose," she said.
"Volunteers in the US will call up people who haven't voted yet or send them a message or e-mail to remind them and the youth go out knocking doors asking people to vote for their party."
Dr Diari was speaking after taking part in the Election Exchange Programme in the US.
The month-long programme was sponsored by the US Department of State's Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and implemented by the American University, in Washington, DC.
Programme organisers chose 44 female political leaders from the Middle East and North Africa to exchange experiences and points of view on politics, as well as observe the US presidential campaigns.
Participants were mainly focused in Washington, DC, but were also sent to different states to observe the local election process.
Dr Diari, who visited Raleigh, in North Carolina, and Denver, in Colarado, now hopes to bring US experts to Bahrain to conduct workshops on how candidates can structure their campaigns.
She is also recommending workshops, ongoing training and exchange programmes for MPs and Shura Council members.
However, Dr Diari said compared to many other countries in the region, Bahrain was honoured that women had support from the highest level - from His Majesty King Hamad and his wife Her Highness Shaikha Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa.
She said she was hopeful that more women would be elected to parliament in 2010, even though only one woman won a parliamentary seat last time.
"In 2006, 80 women stood for election and it's a hard job to be in parliament, they need to be able to talk in front of thousands of people and the women must have a political background.
Dr Diari said in Denver the group visited a businesswomen's club, which volunteered time to support election campaigns.
"Women's groups here should support women candidates," said Dr Diari.
"If we do what they (the US) are doing, 100 per cent women will be elected into parliament.
"If 51pc of women voted for women, then women would be successful, but some women don't believe in women and give the vote their husband gives.
Dr Diari said during the group's visit to Washington they met with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, but claimed everyone was unhappy with her answers to their questions.
She asked Ms Rice if President George Bush made the right decision by invading Iraq, but said she evaded the question.
The group also met President Bush at another meeting and two questions were taken.
"It was nice to meet them and they received us, but the answers from Bush and Rice were not satisfactory," she said.
"They would not explain and that's why I think Obama is the right person and I hope he will do right."
Dr Diari's visit to Raleigh and Denver was sponsored by Meridian International Centre, which promotes international understanding through the exchange of people, ideas and the arts.
In Denver, Dr Diari visited the office of Obama and the Meridian International Centre.
In Raleigh she visited various places including the First Baptist church and the North Carolina Centre for Voter Education.
"In North Carolina I attended Obama's campaign and I was shocked how hard he worked," she said.
"He gave a beautiful speech. He said: 'We don't need war, we need peace and education for children and we need not see a single tear in a mother's eyes.'
"I spoke to Americans there and they said: 'We have confidence in this president that he will solve our racial problems.'
Dr Diari said in Raleigh she liked that during Halloween the police department invited thousands of children and their families for a celebration where they were given sweets and enjoyed face painting.
She said this was a good way for children to learn about police and overcome fear of them.
"Children are always scared of police and I was thinking, I wish we could take children to police during Gargaoon (in Ramadan)," she said.
"The police there have monthly visits for families and for child protection education, it would be nice to do this here."
CANDIDATES for Bahrain's next elections are being advised to follow the example of US President-elect Barack Obama if they are serious about winning a seat in parliament or municipal councils.
Women in particular should try to emulate the way the next leader of the free world started fundraising and drumming up support early, according to former Shura Council member Dr Fakhria Diari.
She said even though Bahrain's next polls are two years away, it is never too soon to start laying the foundations of a successful campaign.
"One woman in parliament is not enough," she told the GDN.
"We lack funding here and we need full time help, we must work hard on fundraising.
"We must go to the private sector and have them participate in the campaign.
"Phone companies can help by giving free calls for their campaign."
Dr Diari, who admitted she was considering running for a municipal council seat, said candidates also needed a large network of volunteers of all ages to help them with their campaign.
She suggested lobby centres similar to those in the US, which teach volunteers how to knock on doors and win over voters.
"We have a lot of youth volunteers, but it would be good to have senior citizens - it helps them feel alive and gives them purpose," she said.
"Volunteers in the US will call up people who haven't voted yet or send them a message or e-mail to remind them and the youth go out knocking doors asking people to vote for their party."
Dr Diari was speaking after taking part in the Election Exchange Programme in the US.
The month-long programme was sponsored by the US Department of State's Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and implemented by the American University, in Washington, DC.
Programme organisers chose 44 female political leaders from the Middle East and North Africa to exchange experiences and points of view on politics, as well as observe the US presidential campaigns.
Participants were mainly focused in Washington, DC, but were also sent to different states to observe the local election process.
Dr Diari, who visited Raleigh, in North Carolina, and Denver, in Colarado, now hopes to bring US experts to Bahrain to conduct workshops on how candidates can structure their campaigns.
She is also recommending workshops, ongoing training and exchange programmes for MPs and Shura Council members.
However, Dr Diari said compared to many other countries in the region, Bahrain was honoured that women had support from the highest level - from His Majesty King Hamad and his wife Her Highness Shaikha Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa.
She said she was hopeful that more women would be elected to parliament in 2010, even though only one woman won a parliamentary seat last time.
"In 2006, 80 women stood for election and it's a hard job to be in parliament, they need to be able to talk in front of thousands of people and the women must have a political background.
Dr Diari said in Denver the group visited a businesswomen's club, which volunteered time to support election campaigns.
"Women's groups here should support women candidates," said Dr Diari.
"If we do what they (the US) are doing, 100 per cent women will be elected into parliament.
"If 51pc of women voted for women, then women would be successful, but some women don't believe in women and give the vote their husband gives.
Dr Diari said during the group's visit to Washington they met with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, but claimed everyone was unhappy with her answers to their questions.
She asked Ms Rice if President George Bush made the right decision by invading Iraq, but said she evaded the question.
The group also met President Bush at another meeting and two questions were taken.
"It was nice to meet them and they received us, but the answers from Bush and Rice were not satisfactory," she said.
"They would not explain and that's why I think Obama is the right person and I hope he will do right."
Dr Diari's visit to Raleigh and Denver was sponsored by Meridian International Centre, which promotes international understanding through the exchange of people, ideas and the arts.
In Denver, Dr Diari visited the office of Obama and the Meridian International Centre.
In Raleigh she visited various places including the First Baptist church and the North Carolina Centre for Voter Education.
"In North Carolina I attended Obama's campaign and I was shocked how hard he worked," she said.
"He gave a beautiful speech. He said: 'We don't need war, we need peace and education for children and we need not see a single tear in a mother's eyes.'
"I spoke to Americans there and they said: 'We have confidence in this president that he will solve our racial problems.'
Dr Diari said in Raleigh she liked that during Halloween the police department invited thousands of children and their families for a celebration where they were given sweets and enjoyed face painting.
She said this was a good way for children to learn about police and overcome fear of them.
"Children are always scared of police and I was thinking, I wish we could take children to police during Gargaoon (in Ramadan)," she said.
"The police there have monthly visits for families and for child protection education, it would be nice to do this here."
Egypt: Muslim woman defies male dominance
Amal Soliman, a 32-year-old Egyptian woman, has endured intimidation and ridicule in the year since she applied for a job as the Muslim world's first mazouna, or female marriage registrar, but she says her victory has been worth the fight.
Amal Soliman was ridiculed for wanting to be a marriage registrar
In late September, Soliman, who holds a Masters degree in Islamic Sharia law, broke into what has until now been an exclusively males-only club.
However, the Committee of Egyptian Mazouns, an all-male organisation, challenged Soliman's application saying the job would be inappropriate for a woman and voiced their opinion in a statement issued by the committee.
A marriage officer presides over a wedding (or divorce) ceremony, recites verses from the Quran and signs the official certificates making the union legally binding.
Al Jazeera recently spoke with Soliman shortly after she conducted her first wedding ceremony on October 25.
Al Jazeera: Why did you decide to apply for a position that has traditionally – and for centuries – been a male vocation?
Soliman: In 2007 one of the two marriage officers of my neighbourhood passed away, leaving behind a job opportunity.
For three months everyone wondered who would be able to replace Al Hajj Abou Mesalam and right before the deadline (October 2007) for applying I rushed over to the civil court in Zagazig, the heart of rural Egypt, to give in my application.
I had been interested in pursuing a doctorate degree in Islamic studies but also maintaining a flexible job that would allow me to spend time with my three children.
Legally, there is no reason why a woman can't do the job, and the Mufti (Islamic scholar and interpreter of Islamic law) said it was religiously acceptable as it is only an administrative position.
In October 2007, my husband and I formally submitted an application to the local family court clerk for the post of marriage officer.
Was your application accepted?
Well, I took my husband with me because I was afraid I would be made fun of, which I was.
When I applied the man at the desk laughed openly at me and said that is was just not possible.
He imagined I would go home and forget about it, but instead I argued and told him that I had studied Sharia Law and I know it is an administrative job.
Though the clerk refused to accept my submission, I turned to Ibrahim Darwish, head of the local magistrate in Zagazig for his opinion.
Darwish was puzzled; he said there was no precedent for this situation so he did not know what to say. I took that as a sign that there was a small window of opportunity.
I then consulted Khaled el-Shalkamy, the head judge of Zagazig's family court.
I told him it was my right to be nominee as I was extremely qualified.
I told him just to accept me and let the other people involved in the selection process do the rest.
Were there no other applicants for the job?
Actually, I was in competition with 10 other candidates, all men, but none of them held post-graduate degrees in Sharia law like I did.
So el-Shalkamy accepted my application.
On February 25, I couldn't hold back my tears as I stood in front of the local court and was appointed as my district's new mazouna.
But the battle was half-won. I would not be able to begin work as a mazouna until Mamdouh Marei, the Egyptian minister of justice, formally signed off and authorised my appointment.
But many males did not accept the idea that a woman could hold what has been a man's job and you were targeted in the media.
The chairman of the Committee of Egyptian Mazouns, Muhammad Abou Ayeeta, said "the Ministry [of Justice] should refuse the appointment, because it is unacceptable that women would work in this occupation."
How did you deal with the backlash?
Well, at first my optimism slowly started to fade as I saw so much opposition. Some
columnists wrote that I was out to destroy tradition, that I was a threat to the religion and should be punished for pursuing the post.
But there were two main reasons for the opposition I faced. Firstly, it is simply rooted in male chauvinism. These people believe the woman's place is firmly in her house.
The other group was comprised of uneducated people who have developed an image of women's role in Islam from television; usually based on the words of a sheikh with a turban on his head.
Arguments made against me claimed that a woman couldn't perform marriages because of menstruation, as religion prevents women from praying or entering a mosque during her monthly cycle.
Others claimed that it was inappropriate for a woman to sit amongst men during the signing of the marriage certificates, which is traditionally predominately a male gathering where the marriage officer sits directly between the groom and his father-in-law.
Did no religious authority or group support you?
Well, four months after contacting the Ministry of Justice and receiving no word, I contacted the National Council for Women for a louder voice and stronger backing.
Both my opponents and proponents were beginning to wonder if I would ever receive the approval of the ministry of justice.
From the first moment that my papers where accepted as a nominee, the national press caught wind of this unusual event.
A journalist in Al Akhbar, one of Egypt's leading newspapers, heard about the situation, and helped launch my cause as a national debate.
Eventually the news went global. I think the media was a catalyst and made my appointment go through faster than it would have.
It made me happy to have so much international coverage … Sometimes when I'm sitting alone I wonder if I'm dreaming. What is going on? Did we really pull this off?
I'm happy not just for me; I had always wanted to show the world Egypt's developments with regards to women rights and gender equality.
But you did not get ministry approval until September 27; why did it take the ministry so long?
Of course I was happy and relieved, but more importantly I regained my confidence when the minister finally signed my appointment. I had slowly started to doubt myself up to that point.
However, I now believe that the minister had to be cautious, as this case was the first of its kind.
But laws are not religion. We can develop them.
On November 14, the United Arab Emirates followed in Egypt's footsteps and appointed Fatima Saeed Obeid Al Awani as a mazouna in the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department.
By Farah El Alfy in Cairo, Egypt, Al Jazeera English
Amal Soliman was ridiculed for wanting to be a marriage registrar
In late September, Soliman, who holds a Masters degree in Islamic Sharia law, broke into what has until now been an exclusively males-only club.
However, the Committee of Egyptian Mazouns, an all-male organisation, challenged Soliman's application saying the job would be inappropriate for a woman and voiced their opinion in a statement issued by the committee.
A marriage officer presides over a wedding (or divorce) ceremony, recites verses from the Quran and signs the official certificates making the union legally binding.
Al Jazeera recently spoke with Soliman shortly after she conducted her first wedding ceremony on October 25.
Al Jazeera: Why did you decide to apply for a position that has traditionally – and for centuries – been a male vocation?
Soliman: In 2007 one of the two marriage officers of my neighbourhood passed away, leaving behind a job opportunity.
For three months everyone wondered who would be able to replace Al Hajj Abou Mesalam and right before the deadline (October 2007) for applying I rushed over to the civil court in Zagazig, the heart of rural Egypt, to give in my application.
I had been interested in pursuing a doctorate degree in Islamic studies but also maintaining a flexible job that would allow me to spend time with my three children.
Legally, there is no reason why a woman can't do the job, and the Mufti (Islamic scholar and interpreter of Islamic law) said it was religiously acceptable as it is only an administrative position.
In October 2007, my husband and I formally submitted an application to the local family court clerk for the post of marriage officer.
Was your application accepted?
Well, I took my husband with me because I was afraid I would be made fun of, which I was.
When I applied the man at the desk laughed openly at me and said that is was just not possible.
He imagined I would go home and forget about it, but instead I argued and told him that I had studied Sharia Law and I know it is an administrative job.
Though the clerk refused to accept my submission, I turned to Ibrahim Darwish, head of the local magistrate in Zagazig for his opinion.
Darwish was puzzled; he said there was no precedent for this situation so he did not know what to say. I took that as a sign that there was a small window of opportunity.
I then consulted Khaled el-Shalkamy, the head judge of Zagazig's family court.
I told him it was my right to be nominee as I was extremely qualified.
I told him just to accept me and let the other people involved in the selection process do the rest.
Were there no other applicants for the job?
Actually, I was in competition with 10 other candidates, all men, but none of them held post-graduate degrees in Sharia law like I did.
So el-Shalkamy accepted my application.
On February 25, I couldn't hold back my tears as I stood in front of the local court and was appointed as my district's new mazouna.
But the battle was half-won. I would not be able to begin work as a mazouna until Mamdouh Marei, the Egyptian minister of justice, formally signed off and authorised my appointment.
But many males did not accept the idea that a woman could hold what has been a man's job and you were targeted in the media.
The chairman of the Committee of Egyptian Mazouns, Muhammad Abou Ayeeta, said "the Ministry [of Justice] should refuse the appointment, because it is unacceptable that women would work in this occupation."
How did you deal with the backlash?
Well, at first my optimism slowly started to fade as I saw so much opposition. Some
columnists wrote that I was out to destroy tradition, that I was a threat to the religion and should be punished for pursuing the post.
But there were two main reasons for the opposition I faced. Firstly, it is simply rooted in male chauvinism. These people believe the woman's place is firmly in her house.
The other group was comprised of uneducated people who have developed an image of women's role in Islam from television; usually based on the words of a sheikh with a turban on his head.
Arguments made against me claimed that a woman couldn't perform marriages because of menstruation, as religion prevents women from praying or entering a mosque during her monthly cycle.
Others claimed that it was inappropriate for a woman to sit amongst men during the signing of the marriage certificates, which is traditionally predominately a male gathering where the marriage officer sits directly between the groom and his father-in-law.
Did no religious authority or group support you?
Well, four months after contacting the Ministry of Justice and receiving no word, I contacted the National Council for Women for a louder voice and stronger backing.
Both my opponents and proponents were beginning to wonder if I would ever receive the approval of the ministry of justice.
From the first moment that my papers where accepted as a nominee, the national press caught wind of this unusual event.
A journalist in Al Akhbar, one of Egypt's leading newspapers, heard about the situation, and helped launch my cause as a national debate.
Eventually the news went global. I think the media was a catalyst and made my appointment go through faster than it would have.
It made me happy to have so much international coverage … Sometimes when I'm sitting alone I wonder if I'm dreaming. What is going on? Did we really pull this off?
I'm happy not just for me; I had always wanted to show the world Egypt's developments with regards to women rights and gender equality.
But you did not get ministry approval until September 27; why did it take the ministry so long?
Of course I was happy and relieved, but more importantly I regained my confidence when the minister finally signed my appointment. I had slowly started to doubt myself up to that point.
However, I now believe that the minister had to be cautious, as this case was the first of its kind.
But laws are not religion. We can develop them.
On November 14, the United Arab Emirates followed in Egypt's footsteps and appointed Fatima Saeed Obeid Al Awani as a mazouna in the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department.
By Farah El Alfy in Cairo, Egypt, Al Jazeera English
Middle East: Statement by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
UNIFEM: “Say No to Violence Against Women” Campaign
One year ago, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) began its global campaign to advocate among publics and governments for an end to violence against women. In the course of the year, we have taken important steps to address this issue.
During its June 2008 Security Council Presidency, the United States focused on actions that would follow from UN Security Council Resolution 1325, on “Women, Peace, and Security.” On June 19, the United States chaired an open Security Council thematic discussion on the topic of violence in situations of armed conflict. The debate culminated in adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1820, which condemns the use of sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations.
Violence against women remains a fact of life in countries worldwide. Like poverty, HIV/AIDS, poor maternal health, and lack of access to education, violence against women is an ill that affects the person, her community, and her nation.
As the campaign to “Say No to Violence against Women” enters its second year, we should dedicate ourselves to creating awareness among individuals and communities of the great damage violence against women inflicts, and commit ourselves to end this atrocity.
One year ago, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) began its global campaign to advocate among publics and governments for an end to violence against women. In the course of the year, we have taken important steps to address this issue.
During its June 2008 Security Council Presidency, the United States focused on actions that would follow from UN Security Council Resolution 1325, on “Women, Peace, and Security.” On June 19, the United States chaired an open Security Council thematic discussion on the topic of violence in situations of armed conflict. The debate culminated in adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1820, which condemns the use of sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations.
Violence against women remains a fact of life in countries worldwide. Like poverty, HIV/AIDS, poor maternal health, and lack of access to education, violence against women is an ill that affects the person, her community, and her nation.
As the campaign to “Say No to Violence against Women” enters its second year, we should dedicate ourselves to creating awareness among individuals and communities of the great damage violence against women inflicts, and commit ourselves to end this atrocity.
Yemen: Speaker affirms right of women in political participation
SANA'A, Nov. 19 (Saba)-Speaker of the Parliament Yahya al-Rae'a affirmed on Wednesday right of women in the political participation and decision making.
During his meeting with the program manager of Madrid Forum Arwa Shabaki and coordinator of the project in Yemen, al-Rae'a urged political organizations and civil society organization to comply with their commitments to support women political empowerment to be active in the democratic process in the nation.
He pointed out to allocate constituencies for women in Sana'a capital and other governorates.
He also welcomed activities of the forum in Yemen.
Shabaki expressed her happiness to visit Yemen and her meetings with the leadership of the parliament and organizations of enhancing democracy in Yemen.
During his meeting with the program manager of Madrid Forum Arwa Shabaki and coordinator of the project in Yemen, al-Rae'a urged political organizations and civil society organization to comply with their commitments to support women political empowerment to be active in the democratic process in the nation.
He pointed out to allocate constituencies for women in Sana'a capital and other governorates.
He also welcomed activities of the forum in Yemen.
Shabaki expressed her happiness to visit Yemen and her meetings with the leadership of the parliament and organizations of enhancing democracy in Yemen.
Yemen: SCER, Madrid Forum discuss supporting woman in elections
SANA'A, Nov. 19 (Saba)- Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Elections and Referendum (SCER) Khaled Al-Sharif discussed on Wednesday with Madrid Forum's Executive Director of Programs enforcing woman's participation in elections.
The two officials discussed also programs the forum can carry out via working with great group of government's representatives and representatives from civil society, female organizations and from political parties for enforcing woman's participation in the elections and political process.
Al-Sharif affirmed that woman gets priority of the political leadership support and enjoys equal roles of man, noting that the committee's efforts are focusing on enhancing woman's participation in the forthcoming parliamentarian elections with support of the United Nation Development Program and European Union Commission.
Wroth mentioning that Madrid Forum is non-governmental organization includes more than 70 members across the world; most of these members are previous presidents and prime ministers supporting democracy.
-- Saba
The two officials discussed also programs the forum can carry out via working with great group of government's representatives and representatives from civil society, female organizations and from political parties for enforcing woman's participation in the elections and political process.
Al-Sharif affirmed that woman gets priority of the political leadership support and enjoys equal roles of man, noting that the committee's efforts are focusing on enhancing woman's participation in the forthcoming parliamentarian elections with support of the United Nation Development Program and European Union Commission.
Wroth mentioning that Madrid Forum is non-governmental organization includes more than 70 members across the world; most of these members are previous presidents and prime ministers supporting democracy.
-- Saba
Saudi Arabia: Ministry simplifies procedures for businesswomen
YANBU: The Ministry of Commerce has issued a decision to allow Saudi women to undertake activities and perform public services in government departments that are dedicated to women.
A circular issued by the ministry to all its branches said the move had been taken to ease procedures and lessen paperwork for women. “Saudi women are now permitted to undertake public service activities and carry out follow up procedures in government departments that have special sections for women,” the circular said.
The circular also contained a number of new regulations confirming the ministry’s decision to allow women to undertake all activities in contracting, maintenance, operation, cleanliness and real estate in women-only offices.
Under the new regulations, women can run their own businesses in locations occupied solely by women. If her office is in a public area, then she is required to appoint a male manager to run her business on her behalf. The regulations also permit women to open new business branches without referring to the ministry.
The circular also authorized the ministry’s branches and offices to transfer the ownership of properties and establishments without the prior approval of the ministry.
The new rules are aimed at simplifying procedures for businesswomen to start their own businesses in accordance with a Cabinet decision to create more work opportunities for women.
Muhammad Al-Sheikh | Arab News
A circular issued by the ministry to all its branches said the move had been taken to ease procedures and lessen paperwork for women. “Saudi women are now permitted to undertake public service activities and carry out follow up procedures in government departments that have special sections for women,” the circular said.
The circular also contained a number of new regulations confirming the ministry’s decision to allow women to undertake all activities in contracting, maintenance, operation, cleanliness and real estate in women-only offices.
Under the new regulations, women can run their own businesses in locations occupied solely by women. If her office is in a public area, then she is required to appoint a male manager to run her business on her behalf. The regulations also permit women to open new business branches without referring to the ministry.
The circular also authorized the ministry’s branches and offices to transfer the ownership of properties and establishments without the prior approval of the ministry.
The new rules are aimed at simplifying procedures for businesswomen to start their own businesses in accordance with a Cabinet decision to create more work opportunities for women.
Muhammad Al-Sheikh | Arab News
Saudi Arabia: SMS campaign forces woman out of YCCI race
YANBU: A chain SMS message has led the only woman candidate contesting elections to the Yanbu Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (YCCI) board of directors to pull out of the race. The SMS, which was widely circulated a few hours before balloting began yesterday, asked voters to elect certain candidates, creating havoc and causing the election to be fought on tribal grounds.
The source of the message, which has had an immense impact, was unknown.
The SMS campaign led to candidates splitting into two groups. Candidates who were not listed in the SMS formed their own panel, including such members as Ibrahim Al-Johani, Ahmed Al-Johani, and Saleh Al-Johani.
The other panel included Faisal Hajji, Ahmed Al-Shaghdali, Ali Al-Masaad and Ali Abu-Mualla.
Candidates whose names appeared in the message denied any previous knowledge of it. The name of the only woman candidate, Alawiyah Abdul Fattah Munqal, was also listed in the SMS.
Munqal said she withdrew her name from the panel when she learned that the Yanbu business community was against women candidates and that the presence of her name would result in other members on her panel losing votes.
She said her panel included people who value the role of businesswomen and are ready to provide them with necessary assistance.
Munqal said the candidates in her panel explained to her that the business community was not in favor of her candidacy, adding that she withdrew her candidature without any grudge. “My name was taken out of the list so that the other candidates would not lose votes. I have willingly accepted their decision and fully support them,” she said.
Nabeel Nighaimish, a candidate whose name appeared in the SMS, denied any hand in the message or any knowledge of its sender. “I explained this to members,” he said.
Meanwhile, a number of voters were prevented from casting their votes because they had not renewed their YCCI membership.
Muhammad Al-Sheikh | Arab News
The source of the message, which has had an immense impact, was unknown.
The SMS campaign led to candidates splitting into two groups. Candidates who were not listed in the SMS formed their own panel, including such members as Ibrahim Al-Johani, Ahmed Al-Johani, and Saleh Al-Johani.
The other panel included Faisal Hajji, Ahmed Al-Shaghdali, Ali Al-Masaad and Ali Abu-Mualla.
Candidates whose names appeared in the message denied any previous knowledge of it. The name of the only woman candidate, Alawiyah Abdul Fattah Munqal, was also listed in the SMS.
Munqal said she withdrew her name from the panel when she learned that the Yanbu business community was against women candidates and that the presence of her name would result in other members on her panel losing votes.
She said her panel included people who value the role of businesswomen and are ready to provide them with necessary assistance.
Munqal said the candidates in her panel explained to her that the business community was not in favor of her candidacy, adding that she withdrew her candidature without any grudge. “My name was taken out of the list so that the other candidates would not lose votes. I have willingly accepted their decision and fully support them,” she said.
Nabeel Nighaimish, a candidate whose name appeared in the SMS, denied any hand in the message or any knowledge of its sender. “I explained this to members,” he said.
Meanwhile, a number of voters were prevented from casting their votes because they had not renewed their YCCI membership.
Muhammad Al-Sheikh | Arab News
Monday, November 17, 2008
Oman: Government sets up human rights commission
Oman has for the first time set up a human rights commission as the United States removed the Sultanate’s name from a list of countries that it said had not done enough to check human-trafficking.
The newly-established ‘National Commission for Human Rights’ will be an autonomous body attached to the State Council, regarded as the upper chamber of Oman’s parliament, according to a decree issued by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.
The commission, to be headquartered in Muscat, will have its own constitution and “be independent in practicing its duties,” the decree said.
Meanwhile, Oman has hailed a decision by the US president to drop its name from a State Department report, published earlier this year, that listed the Gulf state for the second consecutive year among countries across the world that did not make any effort to curb trafficking in humans.
The new move is a “step in the right direction,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman said. The Sultanate had strongly rejected the US State Department report soon after it was released in June. It said the faulty report “doesn’t tell the truth” and demonstrated the “short sightedness of the other party,” also adding that it did not reflect the real situation experienced by Omani citizens and expatriates living in the country.
And in a rare gesture, the Foreign Ministry handed an official protest note to the US Ambassador to Oman rejecting the “misleading information and incorrect allegations” contained in the report.
The report also generated widespread public anger in Oman with both the government and society leaders vehemently rejecting it as biased and unfounded, while the Majlis Ash’shura, the lower house, protested and condemned the State Department’s findings.
On Saturday, US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte received a written message from Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud Al Busaidi, Secretary-General of the Foreign Ministry, welcoming the president’s decision. It was delivered to Negroponte by Oman’s Ambassador in Washington Haneenah bint Sultan Al Mughaireyah.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman said the new US stance was a “step in the right direction” and met the remarks and objections raised by the Sultanate to the report.He pledged the country would continue its “constructive cooperation” with the international community to combat human-trafficking and “shoulder its responsibilities within the framework of international law and UN protocol on prevention, crackdown and punishment of human-trafficking, which was ratified by the Sultanate in 2005.”
Khaleej Times
The newly-established ‘National Commission for Human Rights’ will be an autonomous body attached to the State Council, regarded as the upper chamber of Oman’s parliament, according to a decree issued by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.
The commission, to be headquartered in Muscat, will have its own constitution and “be independent in practicing its duties,” the decree said.
Meanwhile, Oman has hailed a decision by the US president to drop its name from a State Department report, published earlier this year, that listed the Gulf state for the second consecutive year among countries across the world that did not make any effort to curb trafficking in humans.
The new move is a “step in the right direction,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman said. The Sultanate had strongly rejected the US State Department report soon after it was released in June. It said the faulty report “doesn’t tell the truth” and demonstrated the “short sightedness of the other party,” also adding that it did not reflect the real situation experienced by Omani citizens and expatriates living in the country.
And in a rare gesture, the Foreign Ministry handed an official protest note to the US Ambassador to Oman rejecting the “misleading information and incorrect allegations” contained in the report.
The report also generated widespread public anger in Oman with both the government and society leaders vehemently rejecting it as biased and unfounded, while the Majlis Ash’shura, the lower house, protested and condemned the State Department’s findings.
On Saturday, US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte received a written message from Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud Al Busaidi, Secretary-General of the Foreign Ministry, welcoming the president’s decision. It was delivered to Negroponte by Oman’s Ambassador in Washington Haneenah bint Sultan Al Mughaireyah.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman said the new US stance was a “step in the right direction” and met the remarks and objections raised by the Sultanate to the report.He pledged the country would continue its “constructive cooperation” with the international community to combat human-trafficking and “shoulder its responsibilities within the framework of international law and UN protocol on prevention, crackdown and punishment of human-trafficking, which was ratified by the Sultanate in 2005.”
Khaleej Times
Yemen: Women Union declares its strategy until the year 2012
Almotamar.net - Secretary General of the Arab Women Federation, the Chairperson of the Yemen Women Union (YWU) Ramziz al-Eryany said her union struggled for having the women in Yemen leading posts at the level of decision-making and creation of partnership between the union and the society and government as well as the civil society. The aim is to implement and follow up developmental projects and setting up programmes and plans in the short and long-run.
She added that the YWU trained a team for family guidance and raising the society awareness about the importance of the women participation at decision making positions and the local and parliamentary elections.
In the plenary meeting of for he donor organisations for the strategy of YWU and the executive pans for the union branches held by the technical and consultative project , CARE organisation and the executive bureau of the union MS al-Eryany affirmed the Union's strategy defines its future vision on development of the urban and rural woman and supports its institutional capacities as well as her learning of life skills so that to alleviate poverty and to empower her economically, educationally and politically.
On his part the ambassador of the Kingdom of Holland to Yemen asserted continuation of his country in supporting activities of the women union for finding other donors to support and assist this strategy, calling on the donors to support the woman empowerment politically and not to confine the support to the financial aspect alone.
She added that the YWU trained a team for family guidance and raising the society awareness about the importance of the women participation at decision making positions and the local and parliamentary elections.
In the plenary meeting of for he donor organisations for the strategy of YWU and the executive pans for the union branches held by the technical and consultative project , CARE organisation and the executive bureau of the union MS al-Eryany affirmed the Union's strategy defines its future vision on development of the urban and rural woman and supports its institutional capacities as well as her learning of life skills so that to alleviate poverty and to empower her economically, educationally and politically.
On his part the ambassador of the Kingdom of Holland to Yemen asserted continuation of his country in supporting activities of the women union for finding other donors to support and assist this strategy, calling on the donors to support the woman empowerment politically and not to confine the support to the financial aspect alone.
Qatar: Conference on violence against women
The Doha International Institute for Family Studies and Development (DIIFSD) and the Supreme Council for Family Affairs will hold a conference on Impact of Violence Against Women on the Family from November 19.
Violence against Women (VAW) is a universal problem that continues to persist and constitutes a widespread violation of human rights and a real obstacle to peace and development. In February this year, the United Nations Organisation launched a multi-year campaign which runs until 2015 to end violence against women. The campaign hopes to help strengthen political commitments and enhance efforts at all levels.
Source : THE PENINSULA, DOHA
Violence against Women (VAW) is a universal problem that continues to persist and constitutes a widespread violation of human rights and a real obstacle to peace and development. In February this year, the United Nations Organisation launched a multi-year campaign which runs until 2015 to end violence against women. The campaign hopes to help strengthen political commitments and enhance efforts at all levels.
Source : THE PENINSULA, DOHA
Middle East: Women of Jordan join the Women Business Leaders Summit in Bahrain
Women business executives from Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon and Palestine joined together with women business leaders from the US joined to share their experiences and exchange best practices in a variety of panel discussions and fact finding visits around Bahrain and Dubai over the course of the week.
In their meeting with Deputy King Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, his royal highness 'Hailed the role of women in various domains in which they have proved their extraordinary ability to manage different businesses. He also urged them to create contact channels among Arab and US business women', Gulf Daily News.
The Bahrain summit, which builds on the previous success of Washington D.C. summit and the summit held in Jordan last February 2007, addresses the challenges faced by all women in business, and establishes connections on professional levels.
The summit programme included meetings with H.E. Sheikha Mai Al Khalifa and Sheikha Meriam Al Khalifa. Delegates visited the cultural and economic zones of Bahrain and participated in presentations and brainstorm sessions focusing on the exchange of business information and exports and joints ventures, as well as the capitalisation on existing and potential business relationships between the delegates and the organisations they represent.
'The Women Business Leaders Summit has been a unique spot for the Arab business women leaders to exchange their experiences with their business counterparts from the Middle East and the US. The Arab women were historically good merchants and we know that borders frequently visited by traders are seldom in disputes. I would also like to thank the chairman of the Red Cross Ms Bonnie McElveen-Hunter who has inspired the group with her dedicated efforts and focus on business and women leadership. Women from Jordan represented the ICT sector through the participation of ESKADENIA Software and the Information Technology Association of Jordan (int@j), Bidaya Corporate Communications, the Pharmaceutical industry through the participation of Hikma Pharmaceuticals, and Jordan's reputable NGO INJAZ,' said Doha Abdelkhaleq, member of the board of directors of the Information Technology Association of Jordan int@j and Executive Director at ESKADENIA Software.
-- AMEINFO.COM
In their meeting with Deputy King Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, his royal highness 'Hailed the role of women in various domains in which they have proved their extraordinary ability to manage different businesses. He also urged them to create contact channels among Arab and US business women', Gulf Daily News.
The Bahrain summit, which builds on the previous success of Washington D.C. summit and the summit held in Jordan last February 2007, addresses the challenges faced by all women in business, and establishes connections on professional levels.
The summit programme included meetings with H.E. Sheikha Mai Al Khalifa and Sheikha Meriam Al Khalifa. Delegates visited the cultural and economic zones of Bahrain and participated in presentations and brainstorm sessions focusing on the exchange of business information and exports and joints ventures, as well as the capitalisation on existing and potential business relationships between the delegates and the organisations they represent.
'The Women Business Leaders Summit has been a unique spot for the Arab business women leaders to exchange their experiences with their business counterparts from the Middle East and the US. The Arab women were historically good merchants and we know that borders frequently visited by traders are seldom in disputes. I would also like to thank the chairman of the Red Cross Ms Bonnie McElveen-Hunter who has inspired the group with her dedicated efforts and focus on business and women leadership. Women from Jordan represented the ICT sector through the participation of ESKADENIA Software and the Information Technology Association of Jordan (int@j), Bidaya Corporate Communications, the Pharmaceutical industry through the participation of Hikma Pharmaceuticals, and Jordan's reputable NGO INJAZ,' said Doha Abdelkhaleq, member of the board of directors of the Information Technology Association of Jordan int@j and Executive Director at ESKADENIA Software.
-- AMEINFO.COM
Friday, November 14, 2008
UAE: Conservative UAE gets its first female marriage official
A Muslim woman on Thursday became the first ever female allowed to conduct marriages in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates and throughout the conservative Gulf, the official WAM news agency reported.
It said Fatima Saeed Obeid al-Awani, 33, a married mother of two boys, was named to the post in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi by the justice ministry.
Awani's appointment as "maazoun" -- a job traditionally held by men -- is aimed at "bolstering the role of women in society... in line with Emirati laws and without violating sharia" Muslim law, the agency said.
Awani holds a degree in theology from the faculty of law of the University of the Emirates.
She now becomes the first woman to be allowed to write up marriage contracts throughout the conservative Gulf, but she is not the first woman "maazoun" in an Arab state -- Egypt has already broken ground in that area.
In March Abu Dhabi got its first woman judge and in February the number of women in the cabinet was doubled to four. Last year Abu Dhabi got its first female Emirati taxi driver.
Agence France-Presse
It said Fatima Saeed Obeid al-Awani, 33, a married mother of two boys, was named to the post in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi by the justice ministry.
Awani's appointment as "maazoun" -- a job traditionally held by men -- is aimed at "bolstering the role of women in society... in line with Emirati laws and without violating sharia" Muslim law, the agency said.
Awani holds a degree in theology from the faculty of law of the University of the Emirates.
She now becomes the first woman to be allowed to write up marriage contracts throughout the conservative Gulf, but she is not the first woman "maazoun" in an Arab state -- Egypt has already broken ground in that area.
In March Abu Dhabi got its first woman judge and in February the number of women in the cabinet was doubled to four. Last year Abu Dhabi got its first female Emirati taxi driver.
Agence France-Presse
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Yemen: Lifting the Voices of Yemen’s Women and Youth
Internews
(November 12, 2008) In 2007, Yemen ranked last out of the 128 countries considered in the World Economic Forum’s annual Gender Gap Index, signifying the persistence of serious gender-based inequalities.
To address these inequalities and bring women’s voices to the fore, Internews Network is empowering Yemeni youth and media professionals to explore sensitive issues concerning gender, society, and human rights.
In partnership with the Yemeni Women’s Media Forum (YWMF), Internews Network has begun holding a series of town hall meetings across Yemen to address these issues. Young people and professional journalists will be trained in radio production through the project, “Yemeni Voices: Women and Youth in Support of Free Media.” The project will culminate with the production of 15 thirty-minute radio programs, which will be aired on national and mainstream media.
Internews and the Yemeni Women’s Media Forum held the first town hall meeting in Sana’a, the capital of Yemen, on October 22. Over 30 different organizations and NGOs were represented by more than 50 delegates from across Sana'a.
The participants formed three working groups to discuss topics for the radio programs in the areas of education, health, the environment, and human rights. Each group offered 12 to 15 ideas for future production. Suggested program topics ranged from child marriage to the use of weapons in Sana’a neighborhoods.
Participants were universally enthusiastic about the program. "The idea of creating working groups and coming up with results is the best way to show the transparency of the programs, and I hope that at least one of my ideas will be realized with this project through a real radio program," said Radia Khairan, a member of the Hood Organization.
“Yemeni Voices: Women and Youth in Support of Free Media” is supported by a grant from the US Department of State.
(November 12, 2008) In 2007, Yemen ranked last out of the 128 countries considered in the World Economic Forum’s annual Gender Gap Index, signifying the persistence of serious gender-based inequalities.
To address these inequalities and bring women’s voices to the fore, Internews Network is empowering Yemeni youth and media professionals to explore sensitive issues concerning gender, society, and human rights.
In partnership with the Yemeni Women’s Media Forum (YWMF), Internews Network has begun holding a series of town hall meetings across Yemen to address these issues. Young people and professional journalists will be trained in radio production through the project, “Yemeni Voices: Women and Youth in Support of Free Media.” The project will culminate with the production of 15 thirty-minute radio programs, which will be aired on national and mainstream media.
Internews and the Yemeni Women’s Media Forum held the first town hall meeting in Sana’a, the capital of Yemen, on October 22. Over 30 different organizations and NGOs were represented by more than 50 delegates from across Sana'a.
The participants formed three working groups to discuss topics for the radio programs in the areas of education, health, the environment, and human rights. Each group offered 12 to 15 ideas for future production. Suggested program topics ranged from child marriage to the use of weapons in Sana’a neighborhoods.
Participants were universally enthusiastic about the program. "The idea of creating working groups and coming up with results is the best way to show the transparency of the programs, and I hope that at least one of my ideas will be realized with this project through a real radio program," said Radia Khairan, a member of the Hood Organization.
“Yemeni Voices: Women and Youth in Support of Free Media” is supported by a grant from the US Department of State.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
UAE: Victims of domestic violence urged to report incidents
By Bassma Al Jandaly, Staff Reporter, Gulf News
Dubai: Women who are victims of domestic violence are being urged not to suffer in silence and report the abuse immediately.
"If you know someone who may be the target of domestic violence, encourage them to seek professional advice. Our helpline is anonymous and our mission is to provide free assistance for all victims of domestic violence," said Afra Al Basti, CEO of Dubai Foundation for Women and Children (DFWAC).
She said since nobody reports such incidents, there are no official statistics for domestic violence in Dubai.
"When a family member is abused, it can have long-term destructive effects on the victim as well as the rest of the family. Our society must continue to work to stop domestic violence and assist in creating a loving and secure environment for our children and grandchildren," she said.
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The Dubai Foundation is bringing the issues of abuse in the home in the UAE to the forefront during the Elimination of Violence against Women and Children Month.
Violence against women and children is a global issue. The World Health Organisation estimates that domestic violence affects more than 50 per cent of women worldwide.
The United Nations Children's Fund estimates that more than 300 million children are also victims of child abuse and exploitation. Unfortunately Dubai is not immune to this.
Tarnishing image
According to Maria Jose-Alcala, Senior Adviser, Ending Violence against Women Section at the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM): "Violence against women and girls is a plague that tarnishes our very notion of humanity. And when it occurs within the family - what should be for everyone a most safe and loving haven - we all need to ask ourselves where our values are, that we should tacitly accept systematic abuse against women as acceptable. Domestic violence is tragically a universal and all too common phenomenon."
The Dubai Foundation was established to assist women and children in these situations of abuse and violence.
"We provide immediate assistance through shelter, medical care, and support services. Our doors are open to anyone who needs us. Ending domestic violence in the UAE is one of DFWAC's top priorities," said Al Basti.
Do you know anyone who has suffered domestic abuse? What stops women from approaching the concerned authorities in such cases? How can more women be encouraged to seek help? Fill in the form bellow to send your comments.
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Your comments
It is not only women who are abused in a relationship. Domestic abuse of men by women is perhaps more difficult to manage as men cannot defend themselves without risking accusations of being the abuser. This gives the abusive women freedom to attack without fear of retaliation or consequence.
From A Reader
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: November 05, 2008, 14:23
It would be easier for women to report such incidents if the contact details for DFWAC were advertised. Television advertisements create a huge impact and when repeated it helps memorise the number. Radio advertisements and billboards are also good options. It would encourage more women to step up.
Sam
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 05, 2008, 14:05
Victims of domestic violence prefer to keep quiet rather than come out in the open, because they are scared for various reasons. Firstly, it is hard to trust others for support and protection. They fear their situation could get a lot worse if they did. Secondly, if the victim comes from an influential family, they fear the organisation would not be able to do much to help or better their situation. The only way victims will start believing in these organisations is if strong measures are taken to support and protect them.
Kajal
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 05, 2008, 12:26
I am a housemaid and have worked for a family for the last six years. The owner of the apartment has two sons and has divorced his wife. Now, he wants me to divorce my husband who is back home so that he could marry me. I refused to marry him so now he is making my life hard.
Genet Kifle
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: November 05, 2008, 11:46
Many women, including myself, suffer from domestic violence but do not ask for help. This is because eventually women have to continue staying with the same person and any publicity would affect their own self-esteem, as well as the child's. I have a 7-year-old child, if I call the police and tell them my husband beat me then my child would witness all the police coming to the house. In the end, what is my guarantee that my husband would start treating me with respect? What if it gets worse because I spoke about it to someone else?
Sindhu Jacob
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 05, 2008, 11:18
Its good to hear that there is such a foundation in UAE, but my question is how far can you go to help these women? I know women suffering from domestic abuse.
Randa
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 05, 2008, 10:58
I believe domestic violence happens everywhere. I do not think the victims would feel comfortable sharing it because it would bring shame to many. I do hope for the best in this mission because abusing women is very inhumane.
Pia
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: November 05, 2008, 10:47
It is indeed sad that even today the very individuals who claim to be their guardians subject women to abuse. Intra familial relations are a very sensitive issue and considered private in almost all societies. What is even more appalling is the level of hypocrisy prevalent - many so-called highly placed men who appear to be the moral stalwarts of society are the ones who abuse their spouses back home. In most cases these hapless women are economically dependent on their husbands and often have young children dependent on them as well. Along with these shackles is the fear of ostracism and stigma - in the event of separation from their spouses. It is because of all these factors that most victims of physical and psychological abuse shy away from bringing the perpetrators of these heinous crimes out in the open. Instead they choose to suffer in silence, sometimes for years. We, as women must extend our helping hand to such sisters in distress and do all we can to help them. I believe that not reporting an incidence of domestic violence is only going to propel and encourage further such incidents, as covering up is not the solution to this burning issue. It is good to see action taken by the authorities.
Shiuli Dutt Dey
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 05, 2008, 09:38
I know someone who is suffering from mental and physical abuse from her husband and she does not know where to go. I hope this will help her in dealing with the situation.
Asad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 05, 2008, 08:13
For the last eight years I have been physically and verbally abused in front of my kids and friends several times by my husband. I have not approached the authorities fearing that I would lose the custody of my two young children to their father. Another reason is the humiliation and pain that my ailing parents would go through because of this. I believe these are the common reasons that most women feel reluctant to come forth. However, the years of abuse has hardened me so much that I am a living example of a survivor.
From A Reader
Dubai,UAE
Dubai: Women who are victims of domestic violence are being urged not to suffer in silence and report the abuse immediately.
"If you know someone who may be the target of domestic violence, encourage them to seek professional advice. Our helpline is anonymous and our mission is to provide free assistance for all victims of domestic violence," said Afra Al Basti, CEO of Dubai Foundation for Women and Children (DFWAC).
She said since nobody reports such incidents, there are no official statistics for domestic violence in Dubai.
"When a family member is abused, it can have long-term destructive effects on the victim as well as the rest of the family. Our society must continue to work to stop domestic violence and assist in creating a loving and secure environment for our children and grandchildren," she said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Dubai Foundation is bringing the issues of abuse in the home in the UAE to the forefront during the Elimination of Violence against Women and Children Month.
Violence against women and children is a global issue. The World Health Organisation estimates that domestic violence affects more than 50 per cent of women worldwide.
The United Nations Children's Fund estimates that more than 300 million children are also victims of child abuse and exploitation. Unfortunately Dubai is not immune to this.
Tarnishing image
According to Maria Jose-Alcala, Senior Adviser, Ending Violence against Women Section at the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM): "Violence against women and girls is a plague that tarnishes our very notion of humanity. And when it occurs within the family - what should be for everyone a most safe and loving haven - we all need to ask ourselves where our values are, that we should tacitly accept systematic abuse against women as acceptable. Domestic violence is tragically a universal and all too common phenomenon."
The Dubai Foundation was established to assist women and children in these situations of abuse and violence.
"We provide immediate assistance through shelter, medical care, and support services. Our doors are open to anyone who needs us. Ending domestic violence in the UAE is one of DFWAC's top priorities," said Al Basti.
Do you know anyone who has suffered domestic abuse? What stops women from approaching the concerned authorities in such cases? How can more women be encouraged to seek help? Fill in the form bellow to send your comments.
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Your comments
It is not only women who are abused in a relationship. Domestic abuse of men by women is perhaps more difficult to manage as men cannot defend themselves without risking accusations of being the abuser. This gives the abusive women freedom to attack without fear of retaliation or consequence.
From A Reader
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: November 05, 2008, 14:23
It would be easier for women to report such incidents if the contact details for DFWAC were advertised. Television advertisements create a huge impact and when repeated it helps memorise the number. Radio advertisements and billboards are also good options. It would encourage more women to step up.
Sam
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 05, 2008, 14:05
Victims of domestic violence prefer to keep quiet rather than come out in the open, because they are scared for various reasons. Firstly, it is hard to trust others for support and protection. They fear their situation could get a lot worse if they did. Secondly, if the victim comes from an influential family, they fear the organisation would not be able to do much to help or better their situation. The only way victims will start believing in these organisations is if strong measures are taken to support and protect them.
Kajal
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 05, 2008, 12:26
I am a housemaid and have worked for a family for the last six years. The owner of the apartment has two sons and has divorced his wife. Now, he wants me to divorce my husband who is back home so that he could marry me. I refused to marry him so now he is making my life hard.
Genet Kifle
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: November 05, 2008, 11:46
Many women, including myself, suffer from domestic violence but do not ask for help. This is because eventually women have to continue staying with the same person and any publicity would affect their own self-esteem, as well as the child's. I have a 7-year-old child, if I call the police and tell them my husband beat me then my child would witness all the police coming to the house. In the end, what is my guarantee that my husband would start treating me with respect? What if it gets worse because I spoke about it to someone else?
Sindhu Jacob
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 05, 2008, 11:18
Its good to hear that there is such a foundation in UAE, but my question is how far can you go to help these women? I know women suffering from domestic abuse.
Randa
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 05, 2008, 10:58
I believe domestic violence happens everywhere. I do not think the victims would feel comfortable sharing it because it would bring shame to many. I do hope for the best in this mission because abusing women is very inhumane.
Pia
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: November 05, 2008, 10:47
It is indeed sad that even today the very individuals who claim to be their guardians subject women to abuse. Intra familial relations are a very sensitive issue and considered private in almost all societies. What is even more appalling is the level of hypocrisy prevalent - many so-called highly placed men who appear to be the moral stalwarts of society are the ones who abuse their spouses back home. In most cases these hapless women are economically dependent on their husbands and often have young children dependent on them as well. Along with these shackles is the fear of ostracism and stigma - in the event of separation from their spouses. It is because of all these factors that most victims of physical and psychological abuse shy away from bringing the perpetrators of these heinous crimes out in the open. Instead they choose to suffer in silence, sometimes for years. We, as women must extend our helping hand to such sisters in distress and do all we can to help them. I believe that not reporting an incidence of domestic violence is only going to propel and encourage further such incidents, as covering up is not the solution to this burning issue. It is good to see action taken by the authorities.
Shiuli Dutt Dey
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 05, 2008, 09:38
I know someone who is suffering from mental and physical abuse from her husband and she does not know where to go. I hope this will help her in dealing with the situation.
Asad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 05, 2008, 08:13
For the last eight years I have been physically and verbally abused in front of my kids and friends several times by my husband. I have not approached the authorities fearing that I would lose the custody of my two young children to their father. Another reason is the humiliation and pain that my ailing parents would go through because of this. I believe these are the common reasons that most women feel reluctant to come forth. However, the years of abuse has hardened me so much that I am a living example of a survivor.
From A Reader
Dubai,UAE
UAE: Female prosecutors in Dubai eager to embrace new challenges
Dubai: The first batch of female public prosecutors who were sworn in as trainees at the Dubai Judicial Institute (DJI) on Tuesday have shown readiness to face challenges and eagerness to investigate criminal and civil cases.
Ten females, who were among a list of 30 public prosecution trainees that will start a judicial training programme at DJI next Sunday, swore in on Tuesday before Dubai Attorney General Essam Eisa Al Humaidan.
Thuraya Al Zarouni, who worked as a lawyer for six years, said she is ready to face any challenge in her upcoming job and expressed her eagerness to investigate criminal cases.
"I acquired good experience in handling criminal cases when I practiced law... my family supports me now and I am eager to work as a public prosecutor."
She told Gulf News that she chose public prosecution because she wants to serve the country.
"Why not become the first female chief prosecutor or attorney general?" she said.
The 30 public prosecution interns represent the DJI's 10th batch and were sworn in ahead of joining Dubai's Public Prosecution Department as assistant prosecutors.
The interns, who are the largest batch so far, were short-listed from over 250 applicants from all over the UAE, following a meticulous selection process that included oral and written examinations and a personal interview.
"I am seeking to specialise in criminal or commercial cases investigations. I have chosen to become a public prosecutor because I want to serve my country and make the UAE proud of its women. My family opposed my practising law at first but then they accepted the idea and supported me," said Amna Jamal Bukattara, who has eight years of experience.
By Bassam Za'za', Senior Reporter, Gulf News
Ten females, who were among a list of 30 public prosecution trainees that will start a judicial training programme at DJI next Sunday, swore in on Tuesday before Dubai Attorney General Essam Eisa Al Humaidan.
Thuraya Al Zarouni, who worked as a lawyer for six years, said she is ready to face any challenge in her upcoming job and expressed her eagerness to investigate criminal cases.
"I acquired good experience in handling criminal cases when I practiced law... my family supports me now and I am eager to work as a public prosecutor."
She told Gulf News that she chose public prosecution because she wants to serve the country.
"Why not become the first female chief prosecutor or attorney general?" she said.
The 30 public prosecution interns represent the DJI's 10th batch and were sworn in ahead of joining Dubai's Public Prosecution Department as assistant prosecutors.
The interns, who are the largest batch so far, were short-listed from over 250 applicants from all over the UAE, following a meticulous selection process that included oral and written examinations and a personal interview.
"I am seeking to specialise in criminal or commercial cases investigations. I have chosen to become a public prosecutor because I want to serve my country and make the UAE proud of its women. My family opposed my practising law at first but then they accepted the idea and supported me," said Amna Jamal Bukattara, who has eight years of experience.
By Bassam Za'za', Senior Reporter, Gulf News
Monday, November 3, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Letter from America
MINNEAPOLIS: For the last few days I have been seeing the American political process firsthand as part of a delegation of women from the Middle East organized by American University and the US State Department. We started by meeting with President George W. Bush, but since that time, we have been traveling across the country in the time running up to election day. What we have seen is truly an inspiration and an eye-opener about the potential for participatory democracy in our part of the world.
In the Arab world, limited elections, however, hardly give one a taste of the incredible power of democracy as it is practiced in the United States.
The election day will find American men and women all across this sprawling nation exercising their votes in many political races, from deciding upon who shall hold city offices to who their state legislators shall be; who their senators, congressmen and women shall be as well as which presidential candidate will lead the free world for the next four years. Additionally, across the nation, many will express their wishes at the polling places on a variety of issues and referenda relating to laws and taxation. All these issues will be decided by an informed public representing a vast diversity of races, religions and political leanings.
Many of us back in the Middle East watch American news broadcasts with a certain fascination, but to meet the voters, the candidates and the campaign volunteers is marvelous by comparison.
Here in Minneapolis, the state capital of Minnesota, which is one of America’s north central states, the fever of elections is everywhere, with posters, television ads, rallies and door-to-door campaigning. American citizens truly believe that it is the biggest election of their time, and everybody is involved — men, women, young and old; all want to have a say in who will lead their country.
A fact that should provide some comfort to those of us in the Middle East is that everyone we have spoken to has been eager to express a genuine dissatisfaction with the way their country has been run during Bush’s administration, and Democrats and Republicans all say they want real changes in the policies that affect their lives.
Another aspect of the American election process that should provide hope and inspiration for the disenfranchised women of the Middle East is the role that women are playing in these elections at every level from city councils to vice presidential candidates. Women by nature of the human condition represent about half of the population of most nations, but in this nation they are encouraged to make their wishes known and vote heartily for men or women candidates as their conscience dictates. Imagine what the ramifications would be for our societies if our women were so empowered.
I was particularly impressed and inspired by the campaign strategies of women running for office. The percentage of women who are represented in government in Minnesota is larger than in other states. Women have been able to enter politics more easily because of support from other women and because of the strong civic sense that is prevalent among the people here.
Rep. Erin Murphy, who was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2006 and is currently running for re-election, shared with us her experiences as a state legislator and talked to us about the need to include women in politics so that issues related to families, education and health care can be addressed. She said women are more willing to listen and are more oriented to political negotiation and compromise than some of their male counterparts. The legislator also said that women can be better politicians because they can connect better without demonizing or dehumanizing each other.
Most impressive are the young Barack Obama volunteers who brave the cold weather and snow to support their candidate. They provided clear instructions to the campaign workers and urged them to support their Democratic candidates.
One 26-year-old woman spoke to the volunteers during an Obama rally with eloquence and passion though she had no prepared text. She was actively and intelligently engaging young people with a true understanding of these serious national issues.
Even children in attendance seem to have some grasp of the matters at hand and enough information to form their own opinions. Meeting some of these volunteers, I was really touched and surprised by the feelings of a young lady who asked me to tell my world that Americans do not like the warlike policies of Bush and to tell them that they are very angry and they are not very happy about it. They want an end to this administration, and that is why she is working hard to campaign for Obama who symbolizes change to them.
If there is great power in the United States, it does not come from the military or Wall Street but from hundreds of millions of people living in freedom empowered with a voice and, as importantly, the information to let their will be known. We may have a way to go to attain this level of participation, but if the people of the Middle East truly want to embrace such empowerment, it will require education, tolerance of differing viewpoints and a willingness to make the compromises that can allow us — as a people — to move forward together toward a bright future.
-- By Samar Fatany, Arab News
In the Arab world, limited elections, however, hardly give one a taste of the incredible power of democracy as it is practiced in the United States.
The election day will find American men and women all across this sprawling nation exercising their votes in many political races, from deciding upon who shall hold city offices to who their state legislators shall be; who their senators, congressmen and women shall be as well as which presidential candidate will lead the free world for the next four years. Additionally, across the nation, many will express their wishes at the polling places on a variety of issues and referenda relating to laws and taxation. All these issues will be decided by an informed public representing a vast diversity of races, religions and political leanings.
Many of us back in the Middle East watch American news broadcasts with a certain fascination, but to meet the voters, the candidates and the campaign volunteers is marvelous by comparison.
Here in Minneapolis, the state capital of Minnesota, which is one of America’s north central states, the fever of elections is everywhere, with posters, television ads, rallies and door-to-door campaigning. American citizens truly believe that it is the biggest election of their time, and everybody is involved — men, women, young and old; all want to have a say in who will lead their country.
A fact that should provide some comfort to those of us in the Middle East is that everyone we have spoken to has been eager to express a genuine dissatisfaction with the way their country has been run during Bush’s administration, and Democrats and Republicans all say they want real changes in the policies that affect their lives.
Another aspect of the American election process that should provide hope and inspiration for the disenfranchised women of the Middle East is the role that women are playing in these elections at every level from city councils to vice presidential candidates. Women by nature of the human condition represent about half of the population of most nations, but in this nation they are encouraged to make their wishes known and vote heartily for men or women candidates as their conscience dictates. Imagine what the ramifications would be for our societies if our women were so empowered.
I was particularly impressed and inspired by the campaign strategies of women running for office. The percentage of women who are represented in government in Minnesota is larger than in other states. Women have been able to enter politics more easily because of support from other women and because of the strong civic sense that is prevalent among the people here.
Rep. Erin Murphy, who was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2006 and is currently running for re-election, shared with us her experiences as a state legislator and talked to us about the need to include women in politics so that issues related to families, education and health care can be addressed. She said women are more willing to listen and are more oriented to political negotiation and compromise than some of their male counterparts. The legislator also said that women can be better politicians because they can connect better without demonizing or dehumanizing each other.
Most impressive are the young Barack Obama volunteers who brave the cold weather and snow to support their candidate. They provided clear instructions to the campaign workers and urged them to support their Democratic candidates.
One 26-year-old woman spoke to the volunteers during an Obama rally with eloquence and passion though she had no prepared text. She was actively and intelligently engaging young people with a true understanding of these serious national issues.
Even children in attendance seem to have some grasp of the matters at hand and enough information to form their own opinions. Meeting some of these volunteers, I was really touched and surprised by the feelings of a young lady who asked me to tell my world that Americans do not like the warlike policies of Bush and to tell them that they are very angry and they are not very happy about it. They want an end to this administration, and that is why she is working hard to campaign for Obama who symbolizes change to them.
If there is great power in the United States, it does not come from the military or Wall Street but from hundreds of millions of people living in freedom empowered with a voice and, as importantly, the information to let their will be known. We may have a way to go to attain this level of participation, but if the people of the Middle East truly want to embrace such empowerment, it will require education, tolerance of differing viewpoints and a willingness to make the compromises that can allow us — as a people — to move forward together toward a bright future.
-- By Samar Fatany, Arab News
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