2009-06-04 20:52:33
WAM Geneva, Jun 04th, 2009 (WAM): The United Arab Emirates reiterated today before the world community, its determination to continue the march in the path of women revivalism.
Addressing the annual full-day discussion of the Human Rights Council on women's human rights today, the permanent representative of the UAE at the United Nations Office in Geneva Obeid Salem Al Za'abi said that since the formation of the UAE under the presidency of late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the leadership of the country was fully aware of the fact the woman is an equal partner in the process of national development.
The leadership of the country, inspired by its faith in gender equality, adopted a strategy of empowering women in cultural, social and economic fields, Al Za'abi said.
In an intervention made during the discussion, Al Za'abi portrayed how UAE worked to achieve the gender equality in rights and duties through guaranteeing women their right to ownership, employment, social security, economic and financial management, education, healthcare, earning, as well as many other rights.
In our country, the strong presence of women in the leadership roles and positions of decision making is not a new trend, but is a continuation of the march led by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak though her ardent work for the renaissance of the women, said Al Za'abi.
He briefly shed light on various institutions in the UAE established with an objective of empowering women to play the equal role in the nation building. Al Za'abi drew a few examples such as the General Women's Union (GWU), which was founded by HH Sheikh Fatima and the Family Development Foundation (FDF).
Women in UAE holds four seats in the federal cabinet and fills nine seats in a total of 40 seats in the Federal National Council, the country's supreme legislative body. This in addition to a large number of key posts women hold in various ministries and local governments. More over, women represent 59 percent of the total work force in the UAE and enjoy equal opportunity in the economic life, Al Za'abi pointed out.
He also asserted the country's commitment to continue this march under the leadership of President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The Human Rights Council's discussion on women's human rights was entitled equality before the law: concrete steps to further women's equality. The discussion focused on non-discrimination in the law, with a view to identifying concrete steps to further women's equality. The first part addressed institutional perspectives on equality before the law and the second part presented a wider perspective from academia and civil society.
Opening the discussion, Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said international human rights treaties prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex and included guarantees to ensure that women and men enjoyed their civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights on a basis of equality.
Despite this perception, global and national realities indicated that there was a wide gulf between international legal obligations and their implementation. Not only did inequality in the legal, civil, economic, political and social arenas violate international obligations, but it also compounded discrimination against women.
When race, religion, ethnicity, poverty, disability, social status, and other forms of discrimination were factored in, then the picture was one of even greater disparity. Moreover, inequality created a climate where violence against women and girls was considered acceptable.
Speaking in the first part of the discussion were Chile, India, Nigeria, Paraguay for MERCOSUR, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Norway, Czech Republic for the European Union, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Switzerland, Philippines for ASEAN, Slovenia, Ukraine, Luxembourg, Russian Federation, Lithuania, Iceland, Turkey, Yemen, Kazakhstan, Serbia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Algeria, China, Indonesia, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina and South Africa.
Also speaking were the Equality and Human Rights Commission of Great Britain and the National Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, national human rights institutions. Non-governmental organizations speaking were the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, Equality Now, Amnesty International and Women's International Democratic Federation.
The following non-governmental organizations also took the floor: Center for Women's Global Leadership, Worldwide Organization for Women, International Federation of Human Rights and Interfaith International.
International human rights treaties prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex and included guarantees to ensure that women and men enjoyed their civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights on a basis of equality.
WAM/AB
Showing posts with label gender equality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gender equality. Show all posts
Friday, June 5, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Jordan: Recast as a ‘movement’, gender equality campaign expands its outreach
The Jordan Times
By Thameen Kheetan
AMMAN - Women's rights activist Zein Qandour had no idea that an Arabic rock concert in the capital earlier this week would introduce her to a local gender equality campaign.
The 26-year-old social worker, who went to King Hussein Park on Saturday with some friends to watch her favourite band Jadal perform, discovered that the concert was part of a launch ceremony for the Gender Equality Movement (GEM).
During the 10-hour event, around 1,500 Jordanians and foreigners discussed human rights and equality between the two genders in an open day that also featured a skit on women's rights by two Jordanian actors.
Qandour believes that gender equality depends on various factors, including people's "social level, financial situation and education".
She noted that those who have more money are better educated, and thus are more aware of gender equality.
Qandour attributed this relationship between economic status and equality awareness to less interest in the issue in remote areas of the country compared to the capital - the richest city in Jordan - according to an official study conducted last year by the Department of Statistics.
While some at the open day lauded and encouraged the GEM initiative, others said they considered the rights and responsibilities of men and women to be different.
Iraqi national Diaa Jamil, 54, described the movement's idea as “interesting”, but added that equality would only become possible through "educating people".
"I am with any sort of equality that does not contradict our values, norms and religious teachings," said 40-year-old Saleh Zioud, explaining that males and females have "different natures”.
A 60-year-old woman, who requested anonymity, told The Jordan Times that there is no such thing as gender equality noting that each side had its own duties and rights in accordance with her religion, Islam.
"There is cooperation, giving and taking, but not equality," she said.
But Rawan Bazzari disagreed.
The 30-year-old believes society, not religion, is an obstacle to equality. Calling for "total" equality between men and women, Bazzari acknowledged that she does not foresee such a situation in Jordan in the near future.
"Not any time soon… we are in a tribal society where customs and traditions do not favour gender equality," she told The Jordan Times, but added that she is treated as an equal by her brothers at home and her male colleagues at work.
According to Bazzari, women take advantage of their unequal status to gain favours and shirk responsibilities. "Being a female, she usually gets things done for her."
Saturday’s event, funded by Freedom House, also hosted awareness booths representing 13 local and international NGOs and civil society organisations, including the Jordan Breast Cancer Programme and the Jordanian National Commission for Women.
From campaign
to movement
Held under the official sponsorship of the Greater Amman Municipality, the launch marked the transformation of the former Gender Equality Campaign into a “movement”, a decision organisers said was aimed at emphasising the continuity of their action.
Contrary to "movement", the word "campaign" suggests that it will come to an end, according to GEM leader Dina Liddawi, who said the new name would tell the public the initiative is "endless".
To this end, she and six other GEM volunteers will now focus their efforts on fundraising for the movement's future activities.
During its first year, the campaign commenced with street dialogues in different cities where young activists used brochures, stickers and word of mouth to raise awareness on the issue of gender equality.
This week's event was part of a new approach that GEM activists will use to open a societal debate on the issue of gender equality among Jordanians, incorporating larger events and performances to make their cause more visible.
Liddawi noted that the movement’s expanding presence is in large part thanks to the energy of its volunteers.
"The boys and the girls working with us have become more committed," she said, adding that this made it easier for the movement to address the public.
"People are accepting the idea of gender equality more and more," she noted.
Among the newcomers in GEM is university student Tamara Abu Khader, who said she heard about the campaign through a friend.
"When you explain the professional, societal and educational aspects of gender equality to people, they accept the idea," she told The Jordan Times.
"We do not have anything to do with either religion, or customs and traditions… we’re talking about political, legal and civil rights."
By Thameen Kheetan
AMMAN - Women's rights activist Zein Qandour had no idea that an Arabic rock concert in the capital earlier this week would introduce her to a local gender equality campaign.
The 26-year-old social worker, who went to King Hussein Park on Saturday with some friends to watch her favourite band Jadal perform, discovered that the concert was part of a launch ceremony for the Gender Equality Movement (GEM).
During the 10-hour event, around 1,500 Jordanians and foreigners discussed human rights and equality between the two genders in an open day that also featured a skit on women's rights by two Jordanian actors.
Qandour believes that gender equality depends on various factors, including people's "social level, financial situation and education".
She noted that those who have more money are better educated, and thus are more aware of gender equality.
Qandour attributed this relationship between economic status and equality awareness to less interest in the issue in remote areas of the country compared to the capital - the richest city in Jordan - according to an official study conducted last year by the Department of Statistics.
While some at the open day lauded and encouraged the GEM initiative, others said they considered the rights and responsibilities of men and women to be different.
Iraqi national Diaa Jamil, 54, described the movement's idea as “interesting”, but added that equality would only become possible through "educating people".
"I am with any sort of equality that does not contradict our values, norms and religious teachings," said 40-year-old Saleh Zioud, explaining that males and females have "different natures”.
A 60-year-old woman, who requested anonymity, told The Jordan Times that there is no such thing as gender equality noting that each side had its own duties and rights in accordance with her religion, Islam.
"There is cooperation, giving and taking, but not equality," she said.
But Rawan Bazzari disagreed.
The 30-year-old believes society, not religion, is an obstacle to equality. Calling for "total" equality between men and women, Bazzari acknowledged that she does not foresee such a situation in Jordan in the near future.
"Not any time soon… we are in a tribal society where customs and traditions do not favour gender equality," she told The Jordan Times, but added that she is treated as an equal by her brothers at home and her male colleagues at work.
According to Bazzari, women take advantage of their unequal status to gain favours and shirk responsibilities. "Being a female, she usually gets things done for her."
Saturday’s event, funded by Freedom House, also hosted awareness booths representing 13 local and international NGOs and civil society organisations, including the Jordan Breast Cancer Programme and the Jordanian National Commission for Women.
From campaign
to movement
Held under the official sponsorship of the Greater Amman Municipality, the launch marked the transformation of the former Gender Equality Campaign into a “movement”, a decision organisers said was aimed at emphasising the continuity of their action.
Contrary to "movement", the word "campaign" suggests that it will come to an end, according to GEM leader Dina Liddawi, who said the new name would tell the public the initiative is "endless".
To this end, she and six other GEM volunteers will now focus their efforts on fundraising for the movement's future activities.
During its first year, the campaign commenced with street dialogues in different cities where young activists used brochures, stickers and word of mouth to raise awareness on the issue of gender equality.
This week's event was part of a new approach that GEM activists will use to open a societal debate on the issue of gender equality among Jordanians, incorporating larger events and performances to make their cause more visible.
Liddawi noted that the movement’s expanding presence is in large part thanks to the energy of its volunteers.
"The boys and the girls working with us have become more committed," she said, adding that this made it easier for the movement to address the public.
"People are accepting the idea of gender equality more and more," she noted.
Among the newcomers in GEM is university student Tamara Abu Khader, who said she heard about the campaign through a friend.
"When you explain the professional, societal and educational aspects of gender equality to people, they accept the idea," she told The Jordan Times.
"We do not have anything to do with either religion, or customs and traditions… we’re talking about political, legal and civil rights."
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Kuwait: 73 % citizens may head to polling stations: Study
Kuwait Times
KUWAIT: Seventy three percent citizens will head to the ballot boxes to cast their votes on May 16, the findings of a comprehensive study conducted by Ipson International Company revealed. The study also found that 14 percent of citizens will abstain from voting while the remaining 13 percent are undecided about voting. It pointed out that 80 percent of male voters have decided to cast votes while only 66 percentage of females exercise their rights. The average age of most voters is more than 45 years. Farwaniya constituency will receive the largest number of voters when compared to other Kuwaiti governorates, reported Al-Watan. The study added that 80 percent of voters from Farwaniya will vote on May 16. Seventy five percent of voters in Mubarak Al-Kabeer area, 69 percent in Jahra, 71 percent in Hawally, 74 percent in the capital and 67 percent of voters of Ahmadi have decided to cast votes. Sixteen percent of voters from Ahmadi have decided not to vote and 17 percent are still undecided about voting.
KUWAIT: Seventy three percent citizens will head to the ballot boxes to cast their votes on May 16, the findings of a comprehensive study conducted by Ipson International Company revealed. The study also found that 14 percent of citizens will abstain from voting while the remaining 13 percent are undecided about voting. It pointed out that 80 percent of male voters have decided to cast votes while only 66 percentage of females exercise their rights. The average age of most voters is more than 45 years. Farwaniya constituency will receive the largest number of voters when compared to other Kuwaiti governorates, reported Al-Watan. The study added that 80 percent of voters from Farwaniya will vote on May 16. Seventy five percent of voters in Mubarak Al-Kabeer area, 69 percent in Jahra, 71 percent in Hawally, 74 percent in the capital and 67 percent of voters of Ahmadi have decided to cast votes. Sixteen percent of voters from Ahmadi have decided not to vote and 17 percent are still undecided about voting.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Algeria: Women's Movement Still Going Strong
Samia Allalou
Common Ground News
April 27, 2009
Those who think that Algerians have been passive victims of their country's political problems need look no further than the Algerian women's movement for a change of mind. Twenty-five years ago, a unique relationship developed between Algeria and the non-profit organization, Women Living Under Muslim Laws (W.L.U.M.L.), which is going strong even today.
W.L.U.M.L. provides assistance to women whose lives are governed by so-called "Islamic" laws or customs. The organization opposes the use of faith to further political causes and builds awareness of women's rights violations committed in the name of Islam.
In 1984, Algerian women watched in amazement as the government passed a law that institutionalized women's legal status as "minors." Women had demonstrated against the ratification of this law for more than two decades, believing it stood in stark opposition to Article 29 of the Algerian constitution, which declares, "Citizens are equal before the law, regardless of birth, race, sex, opinion or any other condition of personal or social circumstance."
Algerian feminists responded immediately. Demonstrations against the law intensified and three women were put in solitary confinement without proper investigation or trial. In reaction to this injustice, nine women from Algeria, Morocco, Sudan, Iran, Mauritius, Tanzania, Bangladesh and Pakistan founded W.L.U.M.L. to support the struggles of these women in Algeria and elsewhere.
W.L.U.M.L. member Marieme Helie Lucas, an Algerian sociologist, recalled: "The three Algerian women were released within a month and a half of campaigning, with telegrams arriving on the president's desk from everywhere in the world."
The non-profit organization continued playing an important role in Algeria during the civil war in the 1990's between the outlawed political party, the Islamic Salvation Front (F.I.S.), and the Algerian government. Despite the difficult environment, women continued the struggle to reinstate their legal rights as equal citizens while simultaneously enduring indiscriminate violence as a result of the war.
W.L.U.M.L. provided these Algerian women with a platform to voice their frustrations by inviting them to participate in international conferences, including the United Nations' World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, where they could publicly denounce the crimes against women that the F.I.S. and other armed Algerian groups had committed. Work on behalf of Algerian women continued even when violence from the war gradually lessened and international focus was diverted elsewhere.
In January 1999, the Algerian government presented its official report on discrimination against women to the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women. In response, the W.L.U.M.L. and New York University's International Women's Human Rights Law Clinic collaborated on an unofficial report outlining "the rise and ongoing threat of politicized, violent religious fundamentalism [in Algeria] and its project to impose its particular view of Islam through the theocratization of the state and/or through violence and terror."
In 2001, female workers in the small Algerian town of Hassi Messaoud were savagely assaulted by a crowd of 300 men following a sermon by an extremist imam at the local mosque. W.L.U.M.L. encouraged international networks to respond to the incident by sending letters to the Algerian government. Along with several Algerian human and women's rights associations, they pressed for the defendants to be tried in court. Several perpetrators were convicted and found guilty in 2004, and the assaulted women were formally acknowledged as victims.
More recently, Cherifa Kheddar, the chair of Djazairouna, an association of families that are victims of terrorism, was threatened in 2008 with unfair dismissal and continuous harassment by Algerian authorities after she revealed to the public the government's reconciliation policy (the Law on Civil Concord) with armed Islamic political groups, including the Islamic Salvation Army (A.I.S.), the Armed Islamic Group (G.I.A.) and the Islamic Front for Armed Defense (F.I.D.A.), and for speaking out about crimes committed but pardoned without trial.
In the end, the government suspended Kheddar from her position, although it never formally dismissed her from the job. After a nomination bid from W.L.U.M.L., Cherifa was awarded the International Prize for Human Rights by the International Service Human Rights Awards on Dec. 8, 2008.
Today, the international spotlight is no longer on Algeria, but W.L.U.M.L. remains watchful of discrimination against Algerian women. This unfailing support of W.L.U.M.L.'s international network provides women's movements in the country with the necessary strength to stand up to all kinds of pressure and to continue the difficult path towards full acceptance of women's rights in Algeria and beyond.
Common Ground News
April 27, 2009
Those who think that Algerians have been passive victims of their country's political problems need look no further than the Algerian women's movement for a change of mind. Twenty-five years ago, a unique relationship developed between Algeria and the non-profit organization, Women Living Under Muslim Laws (W.L.U.M.L.), which is going strong even today.
W.L.U.M.L. provides assistance to women whose lives are governed by so-called "Islamic" laws or customs. The organization opposes the use of faith to further political causes and builds awareness of women's rights violations committed in the name of Islam.
In 1984, Algerian women watched in amazement as the government passed a law that institutionalized women's legal status as "minors." Women had demonstrated against the ratification of this law for more than two decades, believing it stood in stark opposition to Article 29 of the Algerian constitution, which declares, "Citizens are equal before the law, regardless of birth, race, sex, opinion or any other condition of personal or social circumstance."
Algerian feminists responded immediately. Demonstrations against the law intensified and three women were put in solitary confinement without proper investigation or trial. In reaction to this injustice, nine women from Algeria, Morocco, Sudan, Iran, Mauritius, Tanzania, Bangladesh and Pakistan founded W.L.U.M.L. to support the struggles of these women in Algeria and elsewhere.
W.L.U.M.L. member Marieme Helie Lucas, an Algerian sociologist, recalled: "The three Algerian women were released within a month and a half of campaigning, with telegrams arriving on the president's desk from everywhere in the world."
The non-profit organization continued playing an important role in Algeria during the civil war in the 1990's between the outlawed political party, the Islamic Salvation Front (F.I.S.), and the Algerian government. Despite the difficult environment, women continued the struggle to reinstate their legal rights as equal citizens while simultaneously enduring indiscriminate violence as a result of the war.
W.L.U.M.L. provided these Algerian women with a platform to voice their frustrations by inviting them to participate in international conferences, including the United Nations' World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, where they could publicly denounce the crimes against women that the F.I.S. and other armed Algerian groups had committed. Work on behalf of Algerian women continued even when violence from the war gradually lessened and international focus was diverted elsewhere.
In January 1999, the Algerian government presented its official report on discrimination against women to the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women. In response, the W.L.U.M.L. and New York University's International Women's Human Rights Law Clinic collaborated on an unofficial report outlining "the rise and ongoing threat of politicized, violent religious fundamentalism [in Algeria] and its project to impose its particular view of Islam through the theocratization of the state and/or through violence and terror."
In 2001, female workers in the small Algerian town of Hassi Messaoud were savagely assaulted by a crowd of 300 men following a sermon by an extremist imam at the local mosque. W.L.U.M.L. encouraged international networks to respond to the incident by sending letters to the Algerian government. Along with several Algerian human and women's rights associations, they pressed for the defendants to be tried in court. Several perpetrators were convicted and found guilty in 2004, and the assaulted women were formally acknowledged as victims.
More recently, Cherifa Kheddar, the chair of Djazairouna, an association of families that are victims of terrorism, was threatened in 2008 with unfair dismissal and continuous harassment by Algerian authorities after she revealed to the public the government's reconciliation policy (the Law on Civil Concord) with armed Islamic political groups, including the Islamic Salvation Army (A.I.S.), the Armed Islamic Group (G.I.A.) and the Islamic Front for Armed Defense (F.I.D.A.), and for speaking out about crimes committed but pardoned without trial.
In the end, the government suspended Kheddar from her position, although it never formally dismissed her from the job. After a nomination bid from W.L.U.M.L., Cherifa was awarded the International Prize for Human Rights by the International Service Human Rights Awards on Dec. 8, 2008.
Today, the international spotlight is no longer on Algeria, but W.L.U.M.L. remains watchful of discrimination against Algerian women. This unfailing support of W.L.U.M.L.'s international network provides women's movements in the country with the necessary strength to stand up to all kinds of pressure and to continue the difficult path towards full acceptance of women's rights in Algeria and beyond.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia mulls allowing women to vote
Reuters
RIYADH, April 26 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is considering allowing women to vote in municipal elections this year but they would still be barred from running for office, a senior government official was quoted as saying on Sunday.
Saudi Arabia is the world's biggest oil exporter and a key ally of the United States. The absolute monarchy applies an austere form of Sunni Islam which bans unrelated men and women from mixing.
Prince Mansour bin Muteb, deputy minister for municipal and rural affairs, made the comments after attending a conference of municipal councils in the Eastern Province, Saudi newspapers reported.
The meeting's recommendations included one that women should be eligible to vote, the liberal-leaning daily al-Watan said.
Officials at the municipal and rural affairs ministry could not immediately be reached for comment.
Only eligible males voted in municipal elections in 2005 which were the desert kingdom's first ever nationwide polls since the state's inception in 1932.
The election for half the seats on the councils was part of a series of reforms undertaken after the Sept. 11 attacks of 2001 focused international attention on Saudi Arabia's political and religious culture. Most of the attackers were Saudi, acting in the name of the Islamist group al Qaeda.
The meeting in the Eastern Province, the first indication that the municipal vote will take place this year, recommended that the government continues to name half the members of the council, al-Watan said. (Reporting by Souhail Karam)
RIYADH, April 26 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is considering allowing women to vote in municipal elections this year but they would still be barred from running for office, a senior government official was quoted as saying on Sunday.
Saudi Arabia is the world's biggest oil exporter and a key ally of the United States. The absolute monarchy applies an austere form of Sunni Islam which bans unrelated men and women from mixing.
Prince Mansour bin Muteb, deputy minister for municipal and rural affairs, made the comments after attending a conference of municipal councils in the Eastern Province, Saudi newspapers reported.
The meeting's recommendations included one that women should be eligible to vote, the liberal-leaning daily al-Watan said.
Officials at the municipal and rural affairs ministry could not immediately be reached for comment.
Only eligible males voted in municipal elections in 2005 which were the desert kingdom's first ever nationwide polls since the state's inception in 1932.
The election for half the seats on the councils was part of a series of reforms undertaken after the Sept. 11 attacks of 2001 focused international attention on Saudi Arabia's political and religious culture. Most of the attackers were Saudi, acting in the name of the Islamist group al Qaeda.
The meeting in the Eastern Province, the first indication that the municipal vote will take place this year, recommended that the government continues to name half the members of the council, al-Watan said. (Reporting by Souhail Karam)
Iran: Women Announce Election Demand
Rooz- 26 April 2009
The news committee of the Seminar on the Election Demands of the Women’s Movement held a meeting in Tehran on Friday. While not specifically naming any particular person for the upcoming presidential election in Iran, participating women listed their demands from the future president, specifically requesting that Iran join the international convention against discrimination of women, and an unconditional review of discriminatory laws in Iran, while calling for gender equality.
The news committee of the Seminar on the Election Demands of the Women’s Movement held a meeting in Tehran on Friday. While not specifically naming any particular person for the upcoming presidential election in Iran, participating women listed their demands from the future president, specifically requesting that Iran join the international convention against discrimination of women, and an unconditional review of discriminatory laws in Iran, while calling for gender equality.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Jordan: Women continue to be exploited by their employers, denied basic rights - study
Jordan Times
22 April 2009
AMMAN - Despite laws and regulations protecting women's labour rights, they continue to be exploited by their employers and denied their basic rights, according to a study released on Tuesday.
The study, carried out by the National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA), attributed the practice to the fact that the majority of working women are ignorant about their rights guaranteed by labour laws.
NCFA Secretary General Haifa Abu Ghazaleh said the study examined and analysed laws and regulations governing women's employment to provide a supportive environment that encourages women to take part in the country's sustainable development process.
"The council seeks to study and analyse all laws related to the family and women, and find legal loopholes that prevent women from enjoying their rights endorsed by international conventions and human rights principles," Abu Ghazaleh said yesterday.
The study called for awareness-raising programmes to acquaint women with their rights and responsibilities, particularly those pertaining to working hours, night shifts, minimum wage, dangerous workplaces and types of occupations that negatively affect women's health.
The study also proposed legal amendments to articles that hinder gender equality such as the clause related to minimum wage when working conditions are similar between men and women.
Abu Ghazaleh said the study also recommended establishing nurseries in institutions for children of working mothers.
The NCFA secretary general noted that the study will be sent to the Lower House and Senate, as well as to legal advisers and those concerned with family and women's issues.
Established in 2001, the NCFA is a civil society organisation which supports, coordinates and facilitates the work of its partners and relevant institutions that are involved and influential in the field of family affairs.
The council seeks to contribute to a better quality of life for Jordanian families through a national vision that supports the country's development policies and enables the family to attain optimal aspirations.
By Hana Namrouqa
22 April 2009
AMMAN - Despite laws and regulations protecting women's labour rights, they continue to be exploited by their employers and denied their basic rights, according to a study released on Tuesday.
The study, carried out by the National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA), attributed the practice to the fact that the majority of working women are ignorant about their rights guaranteed by labour laws.
NCFA Secretary General Haifa Abu Ghazaleh said the study examined and analysed laws and regulations governing women's employment to provide a supportive environment that encourages women to take part in the country's sustainable development process.
"The council seeks to study and analyse all laws related to the family and women, and find legal loopholes that prevent women from enjoying their rights endorsed by international conventions and human rights principles," Abu Ghazaleh said yesterday.
The study called for awareness-raising programmes to acquaint women with their rights and responsibilities, particularly those pertaining to working hours, night shifts, minimum wage, dangerous workplaces and types of occupations that negatively affect women's health.
The study also proposed legal amendments to articles that hinder gender equality such as the clause related to minimum wage when working conditions are similar between men and women.
Abu Ghazaleh said the study also recommended establishing nurseries in institutions for children of working mothers.
The NCFA secretary general noted that the study will be sent to the Lower House and Senate, as well as to legal advisers and those concerned with family and women's issues.
Established in 2001, the NCFA is a civil society organisation which supports, coordinates and facilitates the work of its partners and relevant institutions that are involved and influential in the field of family affairs.
The council seeks to contribute to a better quality of life for Jordanian families through a national vision that supports the country's development policies and enables the family to attain optimal aspirations.
By Hana Namrouqa
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Yemen: Promoting Yemeni Women’s Political Participation through Media Tools
MEPI
Yemeni women have been successful in removing many legal obstacles to their political advancement. However, they still have a long way to go in terms of overcoming social barriers that pose a serious challenge to their integration in the public sphere. Moreover, gender stereotyping often undermines women’s capacity to lead by misrepresenting their genuine talents and aptitudes. In Yemen, the burden often lies on civic groups to collaborate and deliver information that breaks down cultural biases against women and eradicates discriminatory practices. One such group in Yemen, the Awam Development and Cultural Institution, a non-governmental not-for-profit organization, organized a media awareness campaign, supported by the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) local grants program. The project used audio and audiovisual tools to alleviate misguided perceptions on women and encourage their representation in upcoming parliamentary elections.
“This project is for the sake of women in a society that believes in women as effective participants in political decision making”, Thoraya Dimaj, Executive Director of Awam, commented to local press. As part of the MEPI-funded project, Awam partnered with a local TV production company to produce a documentary film on Yemeni women’s achievements in various fields, and a comedy sketch portraying socio-cultural factors that block women’s political advancement. In addition, Awam invited Sanaa University students to participate in a contest to produce an original script for a 30-second public service announcement (PSA). The script delivered a message of awareness and urge for change and action to eliminate social inequality and raise women’s status in the political field. Out of 60 PSA scripts, eight were chosen to have the most compelling messages, out of which one was awarded to a female student for producing the greatest script.
“The importance of announcing the women’s political empowerment script winner is that it will encourage the delivery of a media awareness message that targets all sectors of society through various media tools”, commented Ms. Dimaj. She added that the winning script will be broadcast on local radio stations, and the other scripts will be edited and also broadcast. The documentary on women’s achievements is expected to be completed in May 2009.
Activities of this MEPI lcoal grant project were covered extensively in Yemeni local press including 14October, SabaNews, and Mareb Press.
Yemeni women have been successful in removing many legal obstacles to their political advancement. However, they still have a long way to go in terms of overcoming social barriers that pose a serious challenge to their integration in the public sphere. Moreover, gender stereotyping often undermines women’s capacity to lead by misrepresenting their genuine talents and aptitudes. In Yemen, the burden often lies on civic groups to collaborate and deliver information that breaks down cultural biases against women and eradicates discriminatory practices. One such group in Yemen, the Awam Development and Cultural Institution, a non-governmental not-for-profit organization, organized a media awareness campaign, supported by the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) local grants program. The project used audio and audiovisual tools to alleviate misguided perceptions on women and encourage their representation in upcoming parliamentary elections.
“This project is for the sake of women in a society that believes in women as effective participants in political decision making”, Thoraya Dimaj, Executive Director of Awam, commented to local press. As part of the MEPI-funded project, Awam partnered with a local TV production company to produce a documentary film on Yemeni women’s achievements in various fields, and a comedy sketch portraying socio-cultural factors that block women’s political advancement. In addition, Awam invited Sanaa University students to participate in a contest to produce an original script for a 30-second public service announcement (PSA). The script delivered a message of awareness and urge for change and action to eliminate social inequality and raise women’s status in the political field. Out of 60 PSA scripts, eight were chosen to have the most compelling messages, out of which one was awarded to a female student for producing the greatest script.
“The importance of announcing the women’s political empowerment script winner is that it will encourage the delivery of a media awareness message that targets all sectors of society through various media tools”, commented Ms. Dimaj. She added that the winning script will be broadcast on local radio stations, and the other scripts will be edited and also broadcast. The documentary on women’s achievements is expected to be completed in May 2009.
Activities of this MEPI lcoal grant project were covered extensively in Yemeni local press including 14October, SabaNews, and Mareb Press.
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.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Middle East: Women in the Arab World
Middle East Times
By CARL GIBEILY Published: April 10, 2009
MANAMA -- Hoda Shaarawi should best be remembered for her role in founding Egypt's Feminist Union – the first such organization in the Arab region – and for fighting to establish a minimum marriage age for women, reform family law, restrict polygamy and promote the education of girls. And yet, among all her achievements, it is telling that contemporary Arab historians inevitably focus first on one bold, symbolic act at the central train station in Cairo. In the first week of March 1923, Shaarawi deliberately did the unthinkable: she removed her veil in public.
In some respects, the Arab region is the same place for women that it was 86 years ago. In the more conservative parts of the Arab region, most particularly Saudi Arabia, women are not allowed to drive a car, sail a boat or fly a plane. They still cannot expose hair, wrists and ankles in public, or travel without the permission of a male relative: usually a father, husband or – in some ways more constraining for its role reversal – a son.
Saudi Arabia is not alone in segregating the sexes in many public settings, ranging from schools and universities to restaurants and banks. And despite some incremental reforms in family law across the Gulf region, a woman who angers her husband is still prone to the "triple talaq," the controversial oral divorce, with little to no recourse to alimony.
The deep gender disparities of the region were raised six years ago by the United Nations in the Arab Human Development Report, which was researched and drafted by Arab intellectuals and scholars. Stating unequivocally that the Arab region as a whole failed to "treat its womenfolk as full citizens," it concluded that the oppression of women represented one of the root causes of backwardness in the Arab world and the dearth of creativity. Put another way, a community is doomed to lack the competitive edge if it routinely stifles half of its production potential.
There is still a culture of stigma attached to women who opt for certain careers. In the media, for instance, Gulf nationals account for a mere 10 percent of journalists in the comparatively liberal United Arab Emirates - and out of these, barely a sliver are women. This lacuna is particularly evident in reporting on controversial local issues, such as sexual abuse or female circumcision, which are typically assigned to well-meaning if ultimately detached expatriate journalists.
However, women are making slow – if sluggish – gains in the Middle East. The views and aspirations of Arab women are changing thanks largely to the Internet and increasing educational opportunities. Within that context, more than 55 per cent of university students in Saudi Arabia are women; and in neighboring Qatar and the UAE, women outnumber men by three to one. Equally, fertility rates have halved across the Gulf region over the past two decades as women have sought to move beyond a purely traditional role – the decrease has been most dramatic in Oman, with a drop from ten births per woman to fewer than four over that period.
Even politically, women have been able to make some small but notable gains. Last month, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia sacked the conservative head of the Commission of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice – the agency that enforces the wearing of the hijab – and appointed the first woman in his cabinet. In Kuwait, women made history in 2006 by voting and contesting in a local by-election for the first time, after the parliament granted them right to suffrage the previous year.
However, the region remains deeply patriarchal. These modest gains in the political, economic and legal rights of women have been contested at every turn, and there is a very real danger that further emancipation will be crushed under the weight of male chauvinism. These reactionary elements must not be allowed to obstruct the process of rethinking the role of Arab women, which is now in its second century. This reassessment has its roots in 1899, when the celebrated Egyptian author Qasim Amin published a seminal work that explicitly laid the blame of the region's backwardness to the oppression of women – the very same conclusion reiterated a century later in the Arab Human Development Report.
Amin went on to inspire Hoda Shaarawi, who in turn continues to provide a shining example to countless Arab feminists. Within that context, it is also important to understand that Shaarawi removed her hijab in public not as a political statement – the removal of the veil was never on the agenda of the Feminist Union. Rather, it was meant as an uplifting gesture to express the most basic cri de coeur: suppressed women the world over crave more freedom, more education and better prospects. Above all, they deserve humane treatment from the society, not just the rights
--
Carl Gibeily is a Lebanese novelist and journalist, whose novels include, "Blueprint for a Prophet," (Doubleday: UK) and "March Dust," (to be published in 2010).
By CARL GIBEILY Published: April 10, 2009
MANAMA -- Hoda Shaarawi should best be remembered for her role in founding Egypt's Feminist Union – the first such organization in the Arab region – and for fighting to establish a minimum marriage age for women, reform family law, restrict polygamy and promote the education of girls. And yet, among all her achievements, it is telling that contemporary Arab historians inevitably focus first on one bold, symbolic act at the central train station in Cairo. In the first week of March 1923, Shaarawi deliberately did the unthinkable: she removed her veil in public.
In some respects, the Arab region is the same place for women that it was 86 years ago. In the more conservative parts of the Arab region, most particularly Saudi Arabia, women are not allowed to drive a car, sail a boat or fly a plane. They still cannot expose hair, wrists and ankles in public, or travel without the permission of a male relative: usually a father, husband or – in some ways more constraining for its role reversal – a son.
Saudi Arabia is not alone in segregating the sexes in many public settings, ranging from schools and universities to restaurants and banks. And despite some incremental reforms in family law across the Gulf region, a woman who angers her husband is still prone to the "triple talaq," the controversial oral divorce, with little to no recourse to alimony.
The deep gender disparities of the region were raised six years ago by the United Nations in the Arab Human Development Report, which was researched and drafted by Arab intellectuals and scholars. Stating unequivocally that the Arab region as a whole failed to "treat its womenfolk as full citizens," it concluded that the oppression of women represented one of the root causes of backwardness in the Arab world and the dearth of creativity. Put another way, a community is doomed to lack the competitive edge if it routinely stifles half of its production potential.
There is still a culture of stigma attached to women who opt for certain careers. In the media, for instance, Gulf nationals account for a mere 10 percent of journalists in the comparatively liberal United Arab Emirates - and out of these, barely a sliver are women. This lacuna is particularly evident in reporting on controversial local issues, such as sexual abuse or female circumcision, which are typically assigned to well-meaning if ultimately detached expatriate journalists.
However, women are making slow – if sluggish – gains in the Middle East. The views and aspirations of Arab women are changing thanks largely to the Internet and increasing educational opportunities. Within that context, more than 55 per cent of university students in Saudi Arabia are women; and in neighboring Qatar and the UAE, women outnumber men by three to one. Equally, fertility rates have halved across the Gulf region over the past two decades as women have sought to move beyond a purely traditional role – the decrease has been most dramatic in Oman, with a drop from ten births per woman to fewer than four over that period.
Even politically, women have been able to make some small but notable gains. Last month, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia sacked the conservative head of the Commission of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice – the agency that enforces the wearing of the hijab – and appointed the first woman in his cabinet. In Kuwait, women made history in 2006 by voting and contesting in a local by-election for the first time, after the parliament granted them right to suffrage the previous year.
However, the region remains deeply patriarchal. These modest gains in the political, economic and legal rights of women have been contested at every turn, and there is a very real danger that further emancipation will be crushed under the weight of male chauvinism. These reactionary elements must not be allowed to obstruct the process of rethinking the role of Arab women, which is now in its second century. This reassessment has its roots in 1899, when the celebrated Egyptian author Qasim Amin published a seminal work that explicitly laid the blame of the region's backwardness to the oppression of women – the very same conclusion reiterated a century later in the Arab Human Development Report.
Amin went on to inspire Hoda Shaarawi, who in turn continues to provide a shining example to countless Arab feminists. Within that context, it is also important to understand that Shaarawi removed her hijab in public not as a political statement – the removal of the veil was never on the agenda of the Feminist Union. Rather, it was meant as an uplifting gesture to express the most basic cri de coeur: suppressed women the world over crave more freedom, more education and better prospects. Above all, they deserve humane treatment from the society, not just the rights
--
Carl Gibeily is a Lebanese novelist and journalist, whose novels include, "Blueprint for a Prophet," (Doubleday: UK) and "March Dust," (to be published in 2010).
Yemen: Giving a Voice To The Women Activists In Yemen
Rising Voices
The Republic of Yemen is an Arab country of more than 23 million people located on the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia. It is the only republic on the Arabian Peninsula (not led by a hereditary monarch) and is one of the poorest countries of the region. Its capital is Sana'a and the language is Arabic. Yemen is so often ignored by the international media and people know little about the country. With an internet penetration of less than 2% we do not usually get alternative perspectives from the citizen journalists. This has so often led to stereotyping of Yemenis.
For example Yemenis enjoy some unique freedom as an expat blogger Jalilah informs:
The veiling of women is not law in Yemen as it is in Saudi Arabia. Many younger, educated women merely cover their heads, but not their faces, and some do not veil at all. Those who do, do so in deference to tradition, not to law. [..]
Yemeni Arabic is quite different from other Arabic dialects and the women additionally speak a dialect all their own. I later learned that this was to insure more privacy and to avoid being understood by the men!
Women constitute only 30 percent of the Yemeni workforce and approximately 70 percent of women in Yemen are illiterate. The gap between men and women is very wide in terms of political empowerment and economic participation but the literacy rate is not that different from men. Various social, religious and political factors are responsible for women's low status (source) and women rarely have the platforms to voice their opinions.
But the Yemeni women are fighting back. For example, Yemeni women activists are fighting against the fundamentalists to prove that Islam does not contradict the use of contraceptives an family planning. But these activities are not much visible to the world. It is the high time when they start to harness the power of internet to help spread their activism and widen their campaigns.
Ghaida'a Al Absi plans to change the situation with a Rising Voices micro grant. She writes in her blog:
Human rights are being violated in many countries of the world, particularly developing countries, but there are a lot of people do not tolerate it and is trying to promote what is happening in their countries and to the whole world […] But..Yemen has several cases of gross human rights violations are not known to the world, and because of the weakness of civil society institutions and their lack of knowledge of right-wing.
In the project proposal Ghaida'a mentioned that her goal is:
to prepare and conduct a training course in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen. The project will focus on the Politicians women and the women workers in the field of Human Rights. In addition, the main objective of the project is to strengthen the capacity of those women to be able to express their own thoughts through the Internet. The training course will be conducted monthly for four days, two hours a day.
The targeted community is the activists women who work in politics or in the field of human rights. The trainings will give the targeted community the ability to use Internet in order to publish their point of views, documenting their activities and will give them the space to publish the issues they are fighting for.
Now let us learn more about Ghaida'a. She works at the SOUL Organization for Women and Children Development as WIT program assistant. The WIT (Women in Technology) program is about empowering Women in Technology. She is also doing some voluntary work in the organization like preparing training sessions in various topics for the Yemeni girls in WIT Forum.
She is also a volunteer in Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights, and the founder and coordinator of the Hand in hand Initiative, which is which is a forum of a group of youths engaged in raising awareness and rehabilitation of young people to make them able to change the future for the better, through education, information and capacity-building. In addition, she is a member of the MEPI Alumni.
We interviewed her recently in Germany at a conference on new media activism in the Middle East. In this interview she introduces herself and discusses the contents of the workshops, the challenges the project will face, and what she expects from the Rising Voices community.
The contents of the curriculum of this project will cover the use of Internet in publishing the issues concerning the activists and will be generated by three experts (including Ghaida'a) in new media. The guide will be in Arabic language, and will be arranged in handouts to be distributed to the targeted community.
The participants will be taught to create blogs to document their activities, voice their opinions and create a community of activists.
We are eager to follow the activities of the “Empowerment of Women Activists in Media Techniques” project and wish its success.
The Republic of Yemen is an Arab country of more than 23 million people located on the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia. It is the only republic on the Arabian Peninsula (not led by a hereditary monarch) and is one of the poorest countries of the region. Its capital is Sana'a and the language is Arabic. Yemen is so often ignored by the international media and people know little about the country. With an internet penetration of less than 2% we do not usually get alternative perspectives from the citizen journalists. This has so often led to stereotyping of Yemenis.
For example Yemenis enjoy some unique freedom as an expat blogger Jalilah informs:
The veiling of women is not law in Yemen as it is in Saudi Arabia. Many younger, educated women merely cover their heads, but not their faces, and some do not veil at all. Those who do, do so in deference to tradition, not to law. [..]
Yemeni Arabic is quite different from other Arabic dialects and the women additionally speak a dialect all their own. I later learned that this was to insure more privacy and to avoid being understood by the men!
Women constitute only 30 percent of the Yemeni workforce and approximately 70 percent of women in Yemen are illiterate. The gap between men and women is very wide in terms of political empowerment and economic participation but the literacy rate is not that different from men. Various social, religious and political factors are responsible for women's low status (source) and women rarely have the platforms to voice their opinions.
But the Yemeni women are fighting back. For example, Yemeni women activists are fighting against the fundamentalists to prove that Islam does not contradict the use of contraceptives an family planning. But these activities are not much visible to the world. It is the high time when they start to harness the power of internet to help spread their activism and widen their campaigns.
Ghaida'a Al Absi plans to change the situation with a Rising Voices micro grant. She writes in her blog:
Human rights are being violated in many countries of the world, particularly developing countries, but there are a lot of people do not tolerate it and is trying to promote what is happening in their countries and to the whole world […] But..Yemen has several cases of gross human rights violations are not known to the world, and because of the weakness of civil society institutions and their lack of knowledge of right-wing.
In the project proposal Ghaida'a mentioned that her goal is:
to prepare and conduct a training course in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen. The project will focus on the Politicians women and the women workers in the field of Human Rights. In addition, the main objective of the project is to strengthen the capacity of those women to be able to express their own thoughts through the Internet. The training course will be conducted monthly for four days, two hours a day.
The targeted community is the activists women who work in politics or in the field of human rights. The trainings will give the targeted community the ability to use Internet in order to publish their point of views, documenting their activities and will give them the space to publish the issues they are fighting for.
Now let us learn more about Ghaida'a. She works at the SOUL Organization for Women and Children Development as WIT program assistant. The WIT (Women in Technology) program is about empowering Women in Technology. She is also doing some voluntary work in the organization like preparing training sessions in various topics for the Yemeni girls in WIT Forum.
She is also a volunteer in Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights, and the founder and coordinator of the Hand in hand Initiative, which is which is a forum of a group of youths engaged in raising awareness and rehabilitation of young people to make them able to change the future for the better, through education, information and capacity-building. In addition, she is a member of the MEPI Alumni.
We interviewed her recently in Germany at a conference on new media activism in the Middle East. In this interview she introduces herself and discusses the contents of the workshops, the challenges the project will face, and what she expects from the Rising Voices community.
The contents of the curriculum of this project will cover the use of Internet in publishing the issues concerning the activists and will be generated by three experts (including Ghaida'a) in new media. The guide will be in Arabic language, and will be arranged in handouts to be distributed to the targeted community.
The participants will be taught to create blogs to document their activities, voice their opinions and create a community of activists.
We are eager to follow the activities of the “Empowerment of Women Activists in Media Techniques” project and wish its success.
Saudi Arabia: Hardliners want Saudi woman minister sacked
Gulfnews
By Abdul Nabi Shaheen, Correspondent
Published: April 09, 2009, 22:56
Riyadh: A group of hardliners has initiated a campaign to have Saudi Arabia's first woman minister, Norah Al Fayez sacked.
Unsettled about the kingdom's new call for reform, the group approached Shaikh Saleh Al Laheedan, a member of the Senior Scholars' Commission which is the highest religious body in Saudi Arabia and former chairman of the Supreme Judiciary Council to exercise his influence to have Deputy Education Minister Fayez removed from her post.
The hardliners went to meet the shaikh after gathering at a mosque in Riyadh on Wednesday.
During their meeting, they tried to impress on Shaikh Laheedan the necessity of reviewing the changes made in the supervision of the girls' education department and bring it back under the control of Islamic scholars and shaikhs.
The same group recently urged Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja to ban women from appearing on TV, newspapers or magazines.
Sheikh Laheedan assured the group that their concerns would be addressed.
By Abdul Nabi Shaheen, Correspondent
Published: April 09, 2009, 22:56
Riyadh: A group of hardliners has initiated a campaign to have Saudi Arabia's first woman minister, Norah Al Fayez sacked.
Unsettled about the kingdom's new call for reform, the group approached Shaikh Saleh Al Laheedan, a member of the Senior Scholars' Commission which is the highest religious body in Saudi Arabia and former chairman of the Supreme Judiciary Council to exercise his influence to have Deputy Education Minister Fayez removed from her post.
The hardliners went to meet the shaikh after gathering at a mosque in Riyadh on Wednesday.
During their meeting, they tried to impress on Shaikh Laheedan the necessity of reviewing the changes made in the supervision of the girls' education department and bring it back under the control of Islamic scholars and shaikhs.
The same group recently urged Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja to ban women from appearing on TV, newspapers or magazines.
Sheikh Laheedan assured the group that their concerns would be addressed.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Kuwait: Kuwaiti officers refuse to salute female superiors
Kuwait (Alarabiya.net)
Male officers in the Kuwaiti army have expressed embarrassment at having to salute female superiors as the interior ministry denied rumors it was considering offering monetary compensation to female officers in return for not demanding to be saluted by male officers.
According to reports in local media, the Ministry of Interior was looking into alternatives after receiving complaints from male officers. One suggestion was to give each female officer an allowance of 50 dinars ($172) in return for not making male officers of lower ranks salute them.
Another option mentioned was to penalize any officers who refuse to abide by military rules, though there were concerns this could potentially lead some men not to join the army and put the ministry in an even more awkward position.
The ministry, however, denied reports it is considering alternatives to the saluting controversy.
"The ministry treats men and woman equally," an official with the ministry, Colonel Mohamed al-Sabr, told AlArabiya.net. "The salute is done in respect to rank and not individuals."
The controversy started with statements by the head of the GCC Sharia Scholars Union Dr. Ajil al-Nashmi in the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Watan where he said women can only join the military in limited circumstances
"Women can join the military in cases like searching other women at the airport or on the borders," he told the paper. "Otherwise, it is not recommended."
Fighting back
" If everyone issues fatwas according to traditions, we'll live in chaos as if we're in a jungle "
Maha al-Berjes, KHRS Deputy ChairmanThe Kuwait Human Rights Society (KHRS) objected to Nashmi's statements, which came two years after women were allowed to join the military.
"This fatwa has no reasoning in religion and violates the principle of equality granted by the constitution," the rights group said in a statement.
It added that while the Gulf emirate is developing and women are making greater contributions in various fields, this fatwa, or religious ruling, tarnishes the country’s image and hinders its growth.
"We have to resist such views. We call upon the authorities to make sure that no fatwas issued are in contradiction to the teachings of Islam or the rights granted by the constitution," the statement said.
KHRS Deputy Chairman Maha al-Berjes objected to fatwas based on customs and traditions and not religion.
"If everyone issues fatwas according to traditions, we'll live in chaos as if we're in a jungle," she said.
Berjes also denied that KHRS only supports the more liberal members of Kuwait’s government.
"We are against all types of violations regardless of political affiliations, and we are not intimidated by criticism from Islamists. Those who work in human rights should not be intimidated," she concluded.
Imported equality
" It is better to stop women from joining the military. This does not suit them physically and their normal place is at home "
professor of Islamic law Dr. Saad al-Anzi Meanwhile, professor of Islamic law Dr. Saad al-Anzi said women should not join the military except in emergencies like during war.
"In this case, the role of women should be confined to offering medical services and not to engage in fighting," he told AlArabiya.net. "They shouldn't mingle with men."
Anzi added that military salutes are not Islamic to begin with and that women should refrain from entering public life.
"It is better to stop women from joining the military. This does not suit them physically and their normal place is at home."
Anzi referred to equality between men and women as a “novelty” imported from the West and stressed that it goes against Islamic laws.
"The idea of equality between men and women needs to be reviewed," he said.
(Translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid)
Male officers in the Kuwaiti army have expressed embarrassment at having to salute female superiors as the interior ministry denied rumors it was considering offering monetary compensation to female officers in return for not demanding to be saluted by male officers.
According to reports in local media, the Ministry of Interior was looking into alternatives after receiving complaints from male officers. One suggestion was to give each female officer an allowance of 50 dinars ($172) in return for not making male officers of lower ranks salute them.
Another option mentioned was to penalize any officers who refuse to abide by military rules, though there were concerns this could potentially lead some men not to join the army and put the ministry in an even more awkward position.
The ministry, however, denied reports it is considering alternatives to the saluting controversy.
"The ministry treats men and woman equally," an official with the ministry, Colonel Mohamed al-Sabr, told AlArabiya.net. "The salute is done in respect to rank and not individuals."
The controversy started with statements by the head of the GCC Sharia Scholars Union Dr. Ajil al-Nashmi in the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Watan where he said women can only join the military in limited circumstances
"Women can join the military in cases like searching other women at the airport or on the borders," he told the paper. "Otherwise, it is not recommended."
Fighting back
" If everyone issues fatwas according to traditions, we'll live in chaos as if we're in a jungle "
Maha al-Berjes, KHRS Deputy ChairmanThe Kuwait Human Rights Society (KHRS) objected to Nashmi's statements, which came two years after women were allowed to join the military.
"This fatwa has no reasoning in religion and violates the principle of equality granted by the constitution," the rights group said in a statement.
It added that while the Gulf emirate is developing and women are making greater contributions in various fields, this fatwa, or religious ruling, tarnishes the country’s image and hinders its growth.
"We have to resist such views. We call upon the authorities to make sure that no fatwas issued are in contradiction to the teachings of Islam or the rights granted by the constitution," the statement said.
KHRS Deputy Chairman Maha al-Berjes objected to fatwas based on customs and traditions and not religion.
"If everyone issues fatwas according to traditions, we'll live in chaos as if we're in a jungle," she said.
Berjes also denied that KHRS only supports the more liberal members of Kuwait’s government.
"We are against all types of violations regardless of political affiliations, and we are not intimidated by criticism from Islamists. Those who work in human rights should not be intimidated," she concluded.
Imported equality
" It is better to stop women from joining the military. This does not suit them physically and their normal place is at home "
professor of Islamic law Dr. Saad al-Anzi Meanwhile, professor of Islamic law Dr. Saad al-Anzi said women should not join the military except in emergencies like during war.
"In this case, the role of women should be confined to offering medical services and not to engage in fighting," he told AlArabiya.net. "They shouldn't mingle with men."
Anzi added that military salutes are not Islamic to begin with and that women should refrain from entering public life.
"It is better to stop women from joining the military. This does not suit them physically and their normal place is at home."
Anzi referred to equality between men and women as a “novelty” imported from the West and stressed that it goes against Islamic laws.
"The idea of equality between men and women needs to be reviewed," he said.
(Translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid)
Friday, March 20, 2009
Iran: Iran women to get equal insurance
BBC News
Insurance companies in Iran will have to pay the same compensation for women and men in the case of death or injury, the Iranian government has said.
Previously, insurance policies have paid women or their families half of what a man or his relatives receive.
Iranian Justice Minister Gholamhoseyn Elham said the companies would also have to make equal payouts to Muslims and non-Muslims.
Non-Muslims and their relatives also currently receive less than Muslims.
The new requirements come into force at the start of the Iranian new year on Saturday.
Insurance companies in Iran will have to pay the same compensation for women and men in the case of death or injury, the Iranian government has said.
Previously, insurance policies have paid women or their families half of what a man or his relatives receive.
Iranian Justice Minister Gholamhoseyn Elham said the companies would also have to make equal payouts to Muslims and non-Muslims.
Non-Muslims and their relatives also currently receive less than Muslims.
The new requirements come into force at the start of the Iranian new year on Saturday.
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