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.
Showing posts with label op-ed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label op-ed. Show all posts
Monday, November 24, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Egypt: Female genital mutilation outlawed
With attention focused on political events in the Middle East – the Hamas-Israel ceasefire, post-Doha developments in Lebanon, and the Saudis deciding whether or not to increase oil output – one important piece of news got drowned out: on June 7 the Egyptian parliament outlawed female genital mutilation (FGM). The BBC didn't even mention it.
I first came across the issue of FGM over a decade ago when I lived in Cairo and heard about studies that claimed over 70% of Egyptian women were circumcised in some way or other. I remember afterwards walking along the street and counting the women I passed: cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, not, not, not, cut, cut … By now I know that these studies were incorrect and that is not true that over 70% of Egyptian women have undergone FGM. The actual number is around 90%.
Over the past decade the Egyptian authorities have tightened the restrictions on FGM, first restricting the practice to doctors and nurses (in order to curb back-alley procedures), then also forbidding health service personnel to perform any type of FGM. But those were ministry instructions, not enforceable on private citizens. And as the practice is popular, only a law with severe punishments, like the one enacted now, will do … if it is accompanied by a health education campaign.
The Grand Mufti, Egypt's highest Islamic authority had already ruled FGM illegal and the only group protesting against the ban is the Muslim Brotherhood, claiming that "nothing in Islam forbids circumcision". This might technically be true, but last time I checked Egypt's MB wasn't campaigning against the prohibition of slavery, although according to traditional Islamic law it is not only not forbidden but explicitly allowed, whereas female circumcision isn't even mentioned in the Qur'an and the one often-cited hadith (tradition of the Prophet) about it had already been deemed "spurious" by Islamic scholars hundreds of years ago.
FGM is a good example how ancient (in this case pre-Islamic) traditions are absorbed into a new religious culture. Only one of the four Sunni legal schools, the Shafi'i, holds the so-called "Sunna circumcision", whereby the tip of the clitoral hood is "trimmed", to be obligatory. (The Shia all hold that it is wrong.) Interestingly, the extent of the Shafi'i school corresponds with the prevalence of FGM: Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast, Horn of Africa, Yemen, sub-Saharan West Africa, Kurdistan, the south-west coast of India (Kerala) and Indonesia. But of course FGM is prevalent throughout the Greater Nile Valley (including Christians and animists) and among non-Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa, raising the question whether the Shafi'i school of Islamic law was adopted in part because of its stance on FGM or whether it adapted to a strong pro-FGM culture already in existence.
Kurdistan, touted as the "other" Iraq where women don't have to cover their heads and are ministers, is the only area in Iraq where FGM is common – both among Muslims and Yazidis, hinting at a pre-Islamic tradition. Sunni and Shia Arabs in Iraq might hold very traditionalist views when it comes to the role of women in society, and neither the Iran-inspired nor the Saudi/Taliban-inspired rules now gaining currency among Iraq's Arab population are anything to play down, but they don't cut their women.
In Saudi Arabia, despite its paternalism and oppression of women, FGM is alien to the interior's Wahhabi traditionalists who rule the country, yet is practised on the Red Sea coast – an area that is generally more liberal and whose inhabitants still scoff at having their lives regulated by uncouth barbarians from the interior.
Evidently, FGM is not linked to insularity or a lack of exposure to "modernity". Most likely having originated in the Nile valley and then spread to sub-Saharan Africa (and in the case of the Kurds also to some communities further the east), over time FGM was integrated into whatever new religion came along – including Islam, Christianity, and Judaism (in the case of the Ethiopian Jews).
But it remained part of local, popular culture; it did not become universal religious dogma. And to overcome it, FGM has to be treated as such. In Senegal and Ethiopia, where local women and community leaders were included in conceptualising and carrying out the programmes against it, campaigns have yielded success – quite spectacularly in some cases.
Similarly, the Egyptian parliament's decision to outlaw FGM, the practice of which now incurs a three months to two years in prison or a fine of 1,000-5,000 Egyptian pounds ($200-$1,000 – a lot of money in Egypt), needs to be accompanied by a public health campaign that takes the popular cultural attitudes seriously, that integrates community and religious leaders, and that is best organised not top-down but on the grassroots level. Criminalising the practice alone will not be enough.
But some attention and public recognition in the international media would have been nice.
-- The Guardian
I first came across the issue of FGM over a decade ago when I lived in Cairo and heard about studies that claimed over 70% of Egyptian women were circumcised in some way or other. I remember afterwards walking along the street and counting the women I passed: cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, not, not, not, cut, cut … By now I know that these studies were incorrect and that is not true that over 70% of Egyptian women have undergone FGM. The actual number is around 90%.
Over the past decade the Egyptian authorities have tightened the restrictions on FGM, first restricting the practice to doctors and nurses (in order to curb back-alley procedures), then also forbidding health service personnel to perform any type of FGM. But those were ministry instructions, not enforceable on private citizens. And as the practice is popular, only a law with severe punishments, like the one enacted now, will do … if it is accompanied by a health education campaign.
The Grand Mufti, Egypt's highest Islamic authority had already ruled FGM illegal and the only group protesting against the ban is the Muslim Brotherhood, claiming that "nothing in Islam forbids circumcision". This might technically be true, but last time I checked Egypt's MB wasn't campaigning against the prohibition of slavery, although according to traditional Islamic law it is not only not forbidden but explicitly allowed, whereas female circumcision isn't even mentioned in the Qur'an and the one often-cited hadith (tradition of the Prophet) about it had already been deemed "spurious" by Islamic scholars hundreds of years ago.
FGM is a good example how ancient (in this case pre-Islamic) traditions are absorbed into a new religious culture. Only one of the four Sunni legal schools, the Shafi'i, holds the so-called "Sunna circumcision", whereby the tip of the clitoral hood is "trimmed", to be obligatory. (The Shia all hold that it is wrong.) Interestingly, the extent of the Shafi'i school corresponds with the prevalence of FGM: Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast, Horn of Africa, Yemen, sub-Saharan West Africa, Kurdistan, the south-west coast of India (Kerala) and Indonesia. But of course FGM is prevalent throughout the Greater Nile Valley (including Christians and animists) and among non-Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa, raising the question whether the Shafi'i school of Islamic law was adopted in part because of its stance on FGM or whether it adapted to a strong pro-FGM culture already in existence.
Kurdistan, touted as the "other" Iraq where women don't have to cover their heads and are ministers, is the only area in Iraq where FGM is common – both among Muslims and Yazidis, hinting at a pre-Islamic tradition. Sunni and Shia Arabs in Iraq might hold very traditionalist views when it comes to the role of women in society, and neither the Iran-inspired nor the Saudi/Taliban-inspired rules now gaining currency among Iraq's Arab population are anything to play down, but they don't cut their women.
In Saudi Arabia, despite its paternalism and oppression of women, FGM is alien to the interior's Wahhabi traditionalists who rule the country, yet is practised on the Red Sea coast – an area that is generally more liberal and whose inhabitants still scoff at having their lives regulated by uncouth barbarians from the interior.
Evidently, FGM is not linked to insularity or a lack of exposure to "modernity". Most likely having originated in the Nile valley and then spread to sub-Saharan Africa (and in the case of the Kurds also to some communities further the east), over time FGM was integrated into whatever new religion came along – including Islam, Christianity, and Judaism (in the case of the Ethiopian Jews).
But it remained part of local, popular culture; it did not become universal religious dogma. And to overcome it, FGM has to be treated as such. In Senegal and Ethiopia, where local women and community leaders were included in conceptualising and carrying out the programmes against it, campaigns have yielded success – quite spectacularly in some cases.
Similarly, the Egyptian parliament's decision to outlaw FGM, the practice of which now incurs a three months to two years in prison or a fine of 1,000-5,000 Egyptian pounds ($200-$1,000 – a lot of money in Egypt), needs to be accompanied by a public health campaign that takes the popular cultural attitudes seriously, that integrates community and religious leaders, and that is best organised not top-down but on the grassroots level. Criminalising the practice alone will not be enough.
But some attention and public recognition in the international media would have been nice.
-- The Guardian
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Youth Problems Need Everyone’s Attention
The welfare of our youth has been compromised by many factors that should be given more serious attention to protect the future of our next generation. Among them are the increasing rates of divorce, drug addiction, juvenile delinquency, terrorism, unemployment, low wages and the high cost of living.
To begin with, the alarming rate of divorce is a painful reality that needs to be addressed immediately. Family disputes are a source of pain for our children and have caused enormous difficulties that adversely impact the welfare of our society. When a son or a daughter is raised in a broken home, or when he or she has to live in a miserable atmosphere devoid of love and comfort, no one should expect them to be perfect children or ideal students. Such stressful conditions can create psychological problems, and children become violent and their studies suffer. What is happening nowadays is tragic.
We have prided ourselves on our strong family ties, and we have paid great respect to the institution of marriage. It will be a great shame if we do not stop the erosion of our family values and allow the disintegration of our family system.
There are many reasons behind the rising rate of divorce. Social scientists conclude that women are no longer willing to put up with abusive husbands, and some of our young women are arrogant and have no sense of responsibility. Researchers say the rights of women should be respected, and domestic abuse criminalized. They stress the need for laws to be put in place to protect women and children in order to safeguard a life of dignity for all family members. There have been several national symposiums and conferences that addressed these social ills; however, their recommendations have not had an impact on society, and young Saudi couples are still in desperate need of proper guidance that would help them confront these issues.
The increase in juvenile drug addiction is of great concern. More than 900 addicted children, aged 8-17, were placed in correctional facilities across the Kingdom last year. Based on the statistics of the Ministry of Interior, there were 31,519 drug cases in 2006 — an increase of 2,282 cases over the preceding year. Drug addiction is also increasing among women. According to the Women’s Division at the Narcotics Directorate, about three percent of Saudi addicts are women.
The rise in juvenile delinquency also is very alarming. Social scientists believe this is due to a lack of parental guidance and social upbringing. They stress that the failure of parents to communicate with their children causes the negative behavior. Many children and teenagers turn to mischief out of boredom. Moreover, rigid interpretations of Islam far removed from reality and contradicting social values cause the moral degradation of our youth.
However, parents are not the only ones to blame. Religious scholars need to preach moderate Islam to win back our youth and instill in them the true morals of our religion. The government should provide appropriate sports facilities or perhaps encourage the construction of movie theaters to introduce a spirit of fun and joy in the lives of our kids. Top priority should be given to the creation of healthy entertainment for our young people. Parks should be available in every district for children to enjoy outdoor activities, and community centers should be established to provide an outlet for youngsters to meet and exercise under the supervision of counselors and sports trainers.
The media must play a greater role in highlighting these challenges and threats. Researchers warn against modern-day technologies accessible to children without proper adult supervision. The majority of children in our society have free access to Internet sites unsuitable for their age.
Many abuse the use of Bluetooth services on cell phones. Some are given mobiles at a very early age. Some acquire very aggressive behavior from violent computer games that are provided by disinterested parents. The ignorance and negligence of parents have caused the spread of violence, blackmail, sexual disorders and drug and alcohol addiction over the past few years. In order to confront this trend, the media has a responsibility to raise awareness among parents and stress the need for adult supervision to protect our youngsters from the negative impacts of these technologies.
Moreover, the threat of terrorism still exists. The media must keep parents alert to the dangers of manipulative terrorists, criminals and addicts. Social scientists advise parents to engage in dialogue with their children and discuss ideological and behavioral issues in order to gain a better understanding of their frustrations as well as needs. Such discussions prevent terrorists from jeopardizing the safety and harmony of our families.
Our government should be doing more to eradicate poverty and provide better wages for our young population. We need to give hope to the young and allow them to start families and live in decent conditions. If our youth cannot find employment, they will resort to theft and other criminal activities to survive. A recent study revealed that unemployment and the spread of drug abuse among Saudi youth are the main reasons for the increase in crime.
The majority of robbers were found to be secondary school certificate holders. Their economic conditions were bad, and two-thirds of them did not even have shelter. Our government officials should accelerate reforms and devise better strategies to overcome these problems if they are to succeed in their campaign against crime and terrorism.
The disintegration of the Saudi family is an alarming threat that should be addressed more seriously; the government, the media, religious leaders and social scientists need to raise the alarm and work harder to protect this generation before it is too late. Such steps would create a better social environment for our young people, but they will be meaningless if parents do not shoulder the responsibility of giving their youngsters the guidance they should be getting at home. That requires involvement with their children every day and a loving, caring home environment; otherwise, the disintegration of Saudi families will continue, and we will long for the days when we could have made a difference.
-- Samar Fatany, Arab News
To begin with, the alarming rate of divorce is a painful reality that needs to be addressed immediately. Family disputes are a source of pain for our children and have caused enormous difficulties that adversely impact the welfare of our society. When a son or a daughter is raised in a broken home, or when he or she has to live in a miserable atmosphere devoid of love and comfort, no one should expect them to be perfect children or ideal students. Such stressful conditions can create psychological problems, and children become violent and their studies suffer. What is happening nowadays is tragic.
We have prided ourselves on our strong family ties, and we have paid great respect to the institution of marriage. It will be a great shame if we do not stop the erosion of our family values and allow the disintegration of our family system.
There are many reasons behind the rising rate of divorce. Social scientists conclude that women are no longer willing to put up with abusive husbands, and some of our young women are arrogant and have no sense of responsibility. Researchers say the rights of women should be respected, and domestic abuse criminalized. They stress the need for laws to be put in place to protect women and children in order to safeguard a life of dignity for all family members. There have been several national symposiums and conferences that addressed these social ills; however, their recommendations have not had an impact on society, and young Saudi couples are still in desperate need of proper guidance that would help them confront these issues.
The increase in juvenile drug addiction is of great concern. More than 900 addicted children, aged 8-17, were placed in correctional facilities across the Kingdom last year. Based on the statistics of the Ministry of Interior, there were 31,519 drug cases in 2006 — an increase of 2,282 cases over the preceding year. Drug addiction is also increasing among women. According to the Women’s Division at the Narcotics Directorate, about three percent of Saudi addicts are women.
The rise in juvenile delinquency also is very alarming. Social scientists believe this is due to a lack of parental guidance and social upbringing. They stress that the failure of parents to communicate with their children causes the negative behavior. Many children and teenagers turn to mischief out of boredom. Moreover, rigid interpretations of Islam far removed from reality and contradicting social values cause the moral degradation of our youth.
However, parents are not the only ones to blame. Religious scholars need to preach moderate Islam to win back our youth and instill in them the true morals of our religion. The government should provide appropriate sports facilities or perhaps encourage the construction of movie theaters to introduce a spirit of fun and joy in the lives of our kids. Top priority should be given to the creation of healthy entertainment for our young people. Parks should be available in every district for children to enjoy outdoor activities, and community centers should be established to provide an outlet for youngsters to meet and exercise under the supervision of counselors and sports trainers.
The media must play a greater role in highlighting these challenges and threats. Researchers warn against modern-day technologies accessible to children without proper adult supervision. The majority of children in our society have free access to Internet sites unsuitable for their age.
Many abuse the use of Bluetooth services on cell phones. Some are given mobiles at a very early age. Some acquire very aggressive behavior from violent computer games that are provided by disinterested parents. The ignorance and negligence of parents have caused the spread of violence, blackmail, sexual disorders and drug and alcohol addiction over the past few years. In order to confront this trend, the media has a responsibility to raise awareness among parents and stress the need for adult supervision to protect our youngsters from the negative impacts of these technologies.
Moreover, the threat of terrorism still exists. The media must keep parents alert to the dangers of manipulative terrorists, criminals and addicts. Social scientists advise parents to engage in dialogue with their children and discuss ideological and behavioral issues in order to gain a better understanding of their frustrations as well as needs. Such discussions prevent terrorists from jeopardizing the safety and harmony of our families.
Our government should be doing more to eradicate poverty and provide better wages for our young population. We need to give hope to the young and allow them to start families and live in decent conditions. If our youth cannot find employment, they will resort to theft and other criminal activities to survive. A recent study revealed that unemployment and the spread of drug abuse among Saudi youth are the main reasons for the increase in crime.
The majority of robbers were found to be secondary school certificate holders. Their economic conditions were bad, and two-thirds of them did not even have shelter. Our government officials should accelerate reforms and devise better strategies to overcome these problems if they are to succeed in their campaign against crime and terrorism.
The disintegration of the Saudi family is an alarming threat that should be addressed more seriously; the government, the media, religious leaders and social scientists need to raise the alarm and work harder to protect this generation before it is too late. Such steps would create a better social environment for our young people, but they will be meaningless if parents do not shoulder the responsibility of giving their youngsters the guidance they should be getting at home. That requires involvement with their children every day and a loving, caring home environment; otherwise, the disintegration of Saudi families will continue, and we will long for the days when we could have made a difference.
-- Samar Fatany, Arab News
Monday, June 2, 2008
Egypt: Facebook showdown
Right now, the government of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is considering blocking Facebook, the social networking website that has become a popular hangout for twentysomethings worldwide and a favorite venue for Egypt's disaffected youth. The reason: In April, one group of young citizens mobilized 80,000 supporters to protest rising food prices.
Facebook networking played a crucial role in broadening support and turnout for an April 6 textile workers' strike and protest. The Egyptian government, which has governed for 25 years under emergency law and doesn't allow more than five people to gather unregistered, hit back hard, jailing young dissidents and torturing Ahmed Maher, a young activist who tried, unsuccessfully, to organize a second demonstration in early May.
Despite these setbacks, the "Facebook movement" in Egypt is significant for several reasons. First, it challenges the perception that there is no prospect for independent, secular opposition in the country. The majority of Egyptians are under 30 and have known no other ruler than Mubarak. They have not seen real political parties because the government has long restricted opposition parties and free media.
The Facebook movement engaged large numbers of youth for the first time. Second, the Web offers a safe political space -- a role the mosque has traditionally played in Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood has for decades been the only viable opposition.
With Facebook, young secular people can communicate, build relationships and express their opinions freely. (Significantly, the Muslim Brotherhood opposed the successful April demonstration but supported the unsuccessful May event.) Every member in the 100,000-strong online community could be, at any given moment, a leader of a movement. Third, engaging Egypt's youth is an important item on the agenda of Mubarak's son, Gamal, as he works to gain support for his succession to power.
As a young politician, Gamal established the Future Generation Foundation in 2000, which incubated many of the current leaders of the ruling National Democratic Party and the new Cabinet. Facebook activists and their supporters should be able to turn to this group for support.
A few weeks ago, Belal Diab, a 20-year-old college student, interrupted one of the Egyptian prime minister's speeches to protest the arrests of Facebook activists, shouting: "Look who are you fighting; it is us, the younger generation who stood with you and supported you!"
Nevertheless, Facebook activists are being targeted by government-based media campaigns defaming the website and the youth activists who use it. The government also warns media not to talk about the phenomenon. I saw the heavy-handed efforts of the government while recording a TV show with Maher. During the taping, Egyptian police broke into the studio, threatened the station manager and forced the guest outside the room.
What can be done to help this movement? The international community and the U.S. government should pressure the Egyptian government to support Internet freedom and keep Facebook accessible to Egyptians. One young activist, Ahmad Samih, is campaigning to gain local and international support to prevent the Egyptian government from blocking Facebook.
So far, nearly 20 Egyptian human rights organizations are supporting this cause. International human rights organizations should publicly join in that show of support. Egyptian democrats are "Facebooking" their advocacy in order to escape heavy recriminations. It would be shameful for the international community not to stand up on their behalf against a government that seeks to deny them even that small space to express themselves.
Otherwise, Mubarak's self-fulfilling prophesy as the only alternative to the Muslim Brotherhood will continue to hold Egypt back from the democracy its people deserve.
-- Sherif Mansour, LA Times
Facebook networking played a crucial role in broadening support and turnout for an April 6 textile workers' strike and protest. The Egyptian government, which has governed for 25 years under emergency law and doesn't allow more than five people to gather unregistered, hit back hard, jailing young dissidents and torturing Ahmed Maher, a young activist who tried, unsuccessfully, to organize a second demonstration in early May.
Despite these setbacks, the "Facebook movement" in Egypt is significant for several reasons. First, it challenges the perception that there is no prospect for independent, secular opposition in the country. The majority of Egyptians are under 30 and have known no other ruler than Mubarak. They have not seen real political parties because the government has long restricted opposition parties and free media.
The Facebook movement engaged large numbers of youth for the first time. Second, the Web offers a safe political space -- a role the mosque has traditionally played in Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood has for decades been the only viable opposition.
With Facebook, young secular people can communicate, build relationships and express their opinions freely. (Significantly, the Muslim Brotherhood opposed the successful April demonstration but supported the unsuccessful May event.) Every member in the 100,000-strong online community could be, at any given moment, a leader of a movement. Third, engaging Egypt's youth is an important item on the agenda of Mubarak's son, Gamal, as he works to gain support for his succession to power.
As a young politician, Gamal established the Future Generation Foundation in 2000, which incubated many of the current leaders of the ruling National Democratic Party and the new Cabinet. Facebook activists and their supporters should be able to turn to this group for support.
A few weeks ago, Belal Diab, a 20-year-old college student, interrupted one of the Egyptian prime minister's speeches to protest the arrests of Facebook activists, shouting: "Look who are you fighting; it is us, the younger generation who stood with you and supported you!"
Nevertheless, Facebook activists are being targeted by government-based media campaigns defaming the website and the youth activists who use it. The government also warns media not to talk about the phenomenon. I saw the heavy-handed efforts of the government while recording a TV show with Maher. During the taping, Egyptian police broke into the studio, threatened the station manager and forced the guest outside the room.
What can be done to help this movement? The international community and the U.S. government should pressure the Egyptian government to support Internet freedom and keep Facebook accessible to Egyptians. One young activist, Ahmad Samih, is campaigning to gain local and international support to prevent the Egyptian government from blocking Facebook.
So far, nearly 20 Egyptian human rights organizations are supporting this cause. International human rights organizations should publicly join in that show of support. Egyptian democrats are "Facebooking" their advocacy in order to escape heavy recriminations. It would be shameful for the international community not to stand up on their behalf against a government that seeks to deny them even that small space to express themselves.
Otherwise, Mubarak's self-fulfilling prophesy as the only alternative to the Muslim Brotherhood will continue to hold Egypt back from the democracy its people deserve.
-- Sherif Mansour, LA Times
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Plight of Women Gets Deserved Attention
Recent national initiatives increased public awareness among women and addressed misconceptions that lead to regulatory discrimination against Saudi women. The media is also keeping pressure on by exposing violations and outmoded attitudes about women. There is a genuine effort by all to keep the public informed about social concerns and government directives that are influencing change and reinforcing reforms.
The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) should be commended for its vigorous campaign to raise the level of awareness among women about their legal rights. The chamber’s Center for Law and Arbitration launched an initiative to spur research on divorce and custody laws. The initiative included research on three major categories, divorce under Shariah, the rights of divorcees in Islam and the custody rights of children in Islam.
To encourage researchers to participate, a cash award will be offered to the best, and the best nine studies will be printed in a book that will be distributed to the public free of charge. It is hoped that such studies will help bring about solutions for many unresolved divorce and custody cases and address the suffering of many women and children who are victims of injustice or misinterpretation of the Shariah law.
Meanwhile, the Khadija Bint Khuwailed Center for Businesswomen hosted a lecture by Al-Jawhara Al-Angari, vice chairman of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), on the legal, social, political and civil rights of women in Islam. Al-Angari addressed unimplemented laws and regulations that favor women and criticized the deficiencies in other regulations. The human rights advocate recommended that a civil family code be distributed with every identity card issued to a woman in order to inform her of her rights.
She then addressed the issue of business representatives imposed on women conducting business in the Kingdom. She said women should take advantage of the legal assistance provided by the Khadija Bint Khuwailed Center. The center, she said, could assist by drawing up specified powers of attorney that do not give absolute power to such representatives.
Al-Angari also urged women to be more active in promoting change. In her lecture, she noted that ignorance about their legal rights and under-appreciation by society are the reasons for the current plight of Saudi women.
The chamber publicized the event well and ensured that many women attended. Transportation was provided from every charity organization in Jeddah. Flyers were posted at colleges and universities along with SMS message and e-mail campaigns. As a result, 600 enthusiastic women showed up and used the opportunity to discuss issues that affect their lives. The lecture was an eye-opener for many women who had lost hope in government or society providing any protection or support.
The center presented Maha Fitaihi, wife of Jeddah’s mayor, lecturing on “Women in Islam.” She stressed the importance of recognizing women as a source of strength and pride, and she said that we should concentrate on building the character of our young girls and women to allow them to serve their country and religion. It is important, she said, to define the true Muslim identity of the Saudi woman so that she can take her rightful place in the international community and contribute toward global prosperity. Women left the hall inspired with a sense of pride in their identity and history.
Meanwhile, in Riyadh a group of Saudi legal and medical experts appealed to scholars at the Board of Senior Ulema and the Ministry of Justice to enact a law that bans child marriage. They highlighted many negative reports about this rural phenomenon and related many instances of abuse against child wives, in which judges citing Shariah law ruled against the victims. The experts urged the launch of an intensive awareness campaign to highlight the destructive effects of this practice. They called for an end to child marriage and stressed that those who indulge in this practice should face criminal penalties.
Arab News recently reported about women being locked up in their homes with their children when their husbands go to work. This practice is always discouraged by the police and Civil Defense officials as most Saudi homes lack fire-escape routes and almost all have iron security bars. Civil Defense officials continuously point out the dangers of such practices and urge against locking any family member or servant in the house. Police remain helpless because they cannot intervene without an official complaint. “If the wife consents willingly the law cannot interfere,” one official said. This is another example of how lack of awareness among women leads them to stay passive and accept such dangerous and demeaning situations — not only for themselves but for their children as well.
These efforts to raise awareness and the extensive campaign to enlighten women about their rights must continue in order to provide every woman with an opportunity to live in dignity.
Many women remain resistant to change out of fear of the unknown or distorted views of their culture and faith. It is the duty of every sociologist, government official or employee and every educated citizen, man or woman, to improve the welfare of our sisters, mothers and daughters. We have a responsibility to help our society evolve and recognize the need to support women who may be isolated and unaware of a better way to live. Moreover, our educated and progressive women should accept a greater responsibility to lead by example to remove the suspicions of those who are against modernization and progress. We all — men and women — need to work together to devise laws and regulations that maintain respect and protect women both at home and in the workplace.
— Arab News, Samar Fatany is a Saudi radio journalist based in Jeddah
The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) should be commended for its vigorous campaign to raise the level of awareness among women about their legal rights. The chamber’s Center for Law and Arbitration launched an initiative to spur research on divorce and custody laws. The initiative included research on three major categories, divorce under Shariah, the rights of divorcees in Islam and the custody rights of children in Islam.
To encourage researchers to participate, a cash award will be offered to the best, and the best nine studies will be printed in a book that will be distributed to the public free of charge. It is hoped that such studies will help bring about solutions for many unresolved divorce and custody cases and address the suffering of many women and children who are victims of injustice or misinterpretation of the Shariah law.
Meanwhile, the Khadija Bint Khuwailed Center for Businesswomen hosted a lecture by Al-Jawhara Al-Angari, vice chairman of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), on the legal, social, political and civil rights of women in Islam. Al-Angari addressed unimplemented laws and regulations that favor women and criticized the deficiencies in other regulations. The human rights advocate recommended that a civil family code be distributed with every identity card issued to a woman in order to inform her of her rights.
She then addressed the issue of business representatives imposed on women conducting business in the Kingdom. She said women should take advantage of the legal assistance provided by the Khadija Bint Khuwailed Center. The center, she said, could assist by drawing up specified powers of attorney that do not give absolute power to such representatives.
Al-Angari also urged women to be more active in promoting change. In her lecture, she noted that ignorance about their legal rights and under-appreciation by society are the reasons for the current plight of Saudi women.
The chamber publicized the event well and ensured that many women attended. Transportation was provided from every charity organization in Jeddah. Flyers were posted at colleges and universities along with SMS message and e-mail campaigns. As a result, 600 enthusiastic women showed up and used the opportunity to discuss issues that affect their lives. The lecture was an eye-opener for many women who had lost hope in government or society providing any protection or support.
The center presented Maha Fitaihi, wife of Jeddah’s mayor, lecturing on “Women in Islam.” She stressed the importance of recognizing women as a source of strength and pride, and she said that we should concentrate on building the character of our young girls and women to allow them to serve their country and religion. It is important, she said, to define the true Muslim identity of the Saudi woman so that she can take her rightful place in the international community and contribute toward global prosperity. Women left the hall inspired with a sense of pride in their identity and history.
Meanwhile, in Riyadh a group of Saudi legal and medical experts appealed to scholars at the Board of Senior Ulema and the Ministry of Justice to enact a law that bans child marriage. They highlighted many negative reports about this rural phenomenon and related many instances of abuse against child wives, in which judges citing Shariah law ruled against the victims. The experts urged the launch of an intensive awareness campaign to highlight the destructive effects of this practice. They called for an end to child marriage and stressed that those who indulge in this practice should face criminal penalties.
Arab News recently reported about women being locked up in their homes with their children when their husbands go to work. This practice is always discouraged by the police and Civil Defense officials as most Saudi homes lack fire-escape routes and almost all have iron security bars. Civil Defense officials continuously point out the dangers of such practices and urge against locking any family member or servant in the house. Police remain helpless because they cannot intervene without an official complaint. “If the wife consents willingly the law cannot interfere,” one official said. This is another example of how lack of awareness among women leads them to stay passive and accept such dangerous and demeaning situations — not only for themselves but for their children as well.
These efforts to raise awareness and the extensive campaign to enlighten women about their rights must continue in order to provide every woman with an opportunity to live in dignity.
Many women remain resistant to change out of fear of the unknown or distorted views of their culture and faith. It is the duty of every sociologist, government official or employee and every educated citizen, man or woman, to improve the welfare of our sisters, mothers and daughters. We have a responsibility to help our society evolve and recognize the need to support women who may be isolated and unaware of a better way to live. Moreover, our educated and progressive women should accept a greater responsibility to lead by example to remove the suspicions of those who are against modernization and progress. We all — men and women — need to work together to devise laws and regulations that maintain respect and protect women both at home and in the workplace.
— Arab News, Samar Fatany is a Saudi radio journalist based in Jeddah
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Women: Small Steps Taken Where Giant Strides Needed
Saudi women today celebrate the inauguration of women’s sections at the Riyadh and Jeddah mayoralties. One hundred and twenty women in each city now officially take charge of municipal services for women after being provided with extensive training to qualify them for their posts.
The sections have started functioning in four municipalities in both Jeddah and Riyadh regions.
This follows the successful initiative to allow women to sit in the board of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI). Women in Jeddah have been better supported and have proven their capabilities as elected and appointed board members. The Jeddah chamber also established the Khadijah Bint Khowailed Center, which caters to working women and women in business.
The center is run by women, and its role is to facilitate programs that support working women and provide feasibility studies for their business endeavors. The women in the chamber have outlined many procedural obstacles that hamper their investments and, therefore, exclude them from contributing toward the economic development of their country.
They have also submitted a petition to the minister of commerce and industry calling for the elimination of the male guardian, who is imposed to run their businesses and to process their paperwork with government agencies. That rule has allowed many guardians to exploit the businesses of women and delay their work. Moreover, they called on the minister to allow women to be members of the board of directors of their family-owned companies, as well as to chair their boards. These women who have assumed leadership positions in the chamber have proven their professionalism and expertise to support their sisters in society and have been successful in creating better opportunities to help shape a better future for the next generation.
The experiences of businesswomen in Riyadh and the Eastern Province unfortunately have been very disappointing. Although they are no less capable or no less enthusiastic to serve, they have neither been given the support nor the backing they need from the community to be included as board members in their chambers of commerce.
Another lost opportunity for women was the ban on women running in the 2006 municipal elections. They are still hopeful to run in the next elections.
The media in the Kingdom have recognized women’s untapped potential and are constantly engaged in raising public awareness about the benefits of enabling women who are qualified to hold leadership positions in government and in the work force. Women in the media have been very vocal in their demands for better opportunities to address the concerns of women in Saudi society.
Saudi women today face as many challenges as they have aspirations. Although there are some who stubbornly argue that our women are content and satisfied with their lives, many others continue to protest the discriminatory policies that marginalize qualified women and exclude them from taking on leadership positions. Unfortunately, those who refuse to aspire to a better life for women continue to brainwash our youth and spread their poison toward women who wish to control their own destinies and make their own ways, which will contribute to the welfare of our society.
This frustrating debate has not hindered the determination of the educated and progressive women to remain optimistic and enthusiastic to have their voices heard and their demands fulfilled. There are those who have had an opportunity to speak with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, and there are those who have debated their issues at the National Dialogue Forums. Forum participants have called for the establishment of a higher commission for women’s affairs that would have direct contact with the ministers concerned and the king in order to address the growing needs and challenges facing women today. Perhaps these recent municipal moves are the first step toward realizing that dream.
Women have also called for representation on the Shoura Council so they can influence change and development. Others have also asked for inclusion on the board of the newly established Human Rights Commission in order to ensure women get the rights that their faith guarantees and their faith-based government also should guarantee.
Women should also have a role in correcting the situations of women victims and underprivileged women.
Our nation has taken some tiny steps to eradicate these iniquities, but giant strides are needed. Those strides will not be made without the support of all the people, and that is what is missing.
We need every qualified citizen man and woman to contribute to our nation’s progress and development. Educated and qualified women must be given the chance to play a role in modernizing our government and society. It is high time we work together as patriotic Saudis, men and women, to upgrade antiquated systems and replace the obsolete laws and regulations that hinder the progress of our economy and the development of our nation.
When we marginalize women who are qualified and ready to serve, or when we refuse to acknowledge that 54 percent of our college graduates are women who are treated as second-class citizens, we only ensure a bleak future as more competitive nations capitalize on our inability to come to terms with modern reality. The failure to serve the modern- day needs for all citizens destroys the dreams and aspirations of our youth who represent more than 60 percent of our population. It also alienates many of the brightest, who need only to leave our borders behind to get the guarantees of fair play and liberty, the merits of which are leisurely discussed here.
Marginalizing women in our society marginalizes our society. Positive policies that could ensure effective participation of women should be put in place. Our government could use its authority to allocate one-third of the seats in the boards of the chambers of commerce for women. The Shoura Council could have an equal share of seats for women. Such initiatives can pave the way for a more effective participation of women and allow the qualified to act as role models for our future generation.
We cannot afford to wait until our society can reach a consensus that allows women to be part of the decision-making process, and our government should have the will to act decisively and not wait for a delayed consensus.
The appointment of women in municipal councils is a step in the right direction. Let us hope that our government will continue to move forward and appoint women in the Shoura Council. After all, our society cannot progress with half of its qualified people sitting on the sidelines.
Samar Fatany, Arab News
The sections have started functioning in four municipalities in both Jeddah and Riyadh regions.
This follows the successful initiative to allow women to sit in the board of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI). Women in Jeddah have been better supported and have proven their capabilities as elected and appointed board members. The Jeddah chamber also established the Khadijah Bint Khowailed Center, which caters to working women and women in business.
The center is run by women, and its role is to facilitate programs that support working women and provide feasibility studies for their business endeavors. The women in the chamber have outlined many procedural obstacles that hamper their investments and, therefore, exclude them from contributing toward the economic development of their country.
They have also submitted a petition to the minister of commerce and industry calling for the elimination of the male guardian, who is imposed to run their businesses and to process their paperwork with government agencies. That rule has allowed many guardians to exploit the businesses of women and delay their work. Moreover, they called on the minister to allow women to be members of the board of directors of their family-owned companies, as well as to chair their boards. These women who have assumed leadership positions in the chamber have proven their professionalism and expertise to support their sisters in society and have been successful in creating better opportunities to help shape a better future for the next generation.
The experiences of businesswomen in Riyadh and the Eastern Province unfortunately have been very disappointing. Although they are no less capable or no less enthusiastic to serve, they have neither been given the support nor the backing they need from the community to be included as board members in their chambers of commerce.
Another lost opportunity for women was the ban on women running in the 2006 municipal elections. They are still hopeful to run in the next elections.
The media in the Kingdom have recognized women’s untapped potential and are constantly engaged in raising public awareness about the benefits of enabling women who are qualified to hold leadership positions in government and in the work force. Women in the media have been very vocal in their demands for better opportunities to address the concerns of women in Saudi society.
Saudi women today face as many challenges as they have aspirations. Although there are some who stubbornly argue that our women are content and satisfied with their lives, many others continue to protest the discriminatory policies that marginalize qualified women and exclude them from taking on leadership positions. Unfortunately, those who refuse to aspire to a better life for women continue to brainwash our youth and spread their poison toward women who wish to control their own destinies and make their own ways, which will contribute to the welfare of our society.
This frustrating debate has not hindered the determination of the educated and progressive women to remain optimistic and enthusiastic to have their voices heard and their demands fulfilled. There are those who have had an opportunity to speak with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, and there are those who have debated their issues at the National Dialogue Forums. Forum participants have called for the establishment of a higher commission for women’s affairs that would have direct contact with the ministers concerned and the king in order to address the growing needs and challenges facing women today. Perhaps these recent municipal moves are the first step toward realizing that dream.
Women have also called for representation on the Shoura Council so they can influence change and development. Others have also asked for inclusion on the board of the newly established Human Rights Commission in order to ensure women get the rights that their faith guarantees and their faith-based government also should guarantee.
Women should also have a role in correcting the situations of women victims and underprivileged women.
Our nation has taken some tiny steps to eradicate these iniquities, but giant strides are needed. Those strides will not be made without the support of all the people, and that is what is missing.
We need every qualified citizen man and woman to contribute to our nation’s progress and development. Educated and qualified women must be given the chance to play a role in modernizing our government and society. It is high time we work together as patriotic Saudis, men and women, to upgrade antiquated systems and replace the obsolete laws and regulations that hinder the progress of our economy and the development of our nation.
When we marginalize women who are qualified and ready to serve, or when we refuse to acknowledge that 54 percent of our college graduates are women who are treated as second-class citizens, we only ensure a bleak future as more competitive nations capitalize on our inability to come to terms with modern reality. The failure to serve the modern- day needs for all citizens destroys the dreams and aspirations of our youth who represent more than 60 percent of our population. It also alienates many of the brightest, who need only to leave our borders behind to get the guarantees of fair play and liberty, the merits of which are leisurely discussed here.
Marginalizing women in our society marginalizes our society. Positive policies that could ensure effective participation of women should be put in place. Our government could use its authority to allocate one-third of the seats in the boards of the chambers of commerce for women. The Shoura Council could have an equal share of seats for women. Such initiatives can pave the way for a more effective participation of women and allow the qualified to act as role models for our future generation.
We cannot afford to wait until our society can reach a consensus that allows women to be part of the decision-making process, and our government should have the will to act decisively and not wait for a delayed consensus.
The appointment of women in municipal councils is a step in the right direction. Let us hope that our government will continue to move forward and appoint women in the Shoura Council. After all, our society cannot progress with half of its qualified people sitting on the sidelines.
Samar Fatany, Arab News
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Yemen: Without Chains calls for solidarity against expression freedom violations
SANA’A,NewsYemen -- Women Journalists with out Chains (WJWC) is very concerned because of the series of violations which affected the freedom of opinion and expression in Yemen, which are increased in intensity in the first quarter of 2008.
This frightening rate was monitored by our organization and it shows that daily violations occurred recently. In this context, the organization stood of:
- Specialized penal prosecution's insistence on the arrest of our colleague, Mohamed al-Makaleh, chief editor of the aleshteraki.net, website of Yemeni Socialist Party, detained in prison since April 22, 2008 and the court extended his incarceration for thirty days, over laughter in the court room.
- The abduction and detention of the satiric artist comedy Fahd al-Qarni, who is abducted by the political security apparatus on (2-4-2008) and now detained in the central prison in Taiz, convicted of serious criminal offences because some of his songs classified by the Ministry of Culture as a mockery of the ruling party and harms of the president. This interest is a flagrant violation of freedom of art, creativity and freedom of opinion and expression, as well as disruption of creativity, art. The obstacles put before for them was more than enough. As a result of that, there is no art or creativity by the actors are supposed to be a patron of art and his bodyguard for creativity in Yemen!!
- The abduction and detention of a journalist and political activist Ben Omar Ahmad Farid, writer and poet Ahmad al-Qama and Abbas al-Asal repression since 1-4-2008 pending notification of their writings, and supporting protests in the south. Another flagrant violation of their freedom and their right of opinion and expression, and thus beyond the power of all values of democracy and press freedoms that talk by the day and night!
- Prosecution's security journalist Anis Mansour press coverage of South news festivals and protests, in clear violation of the right of the journalist profession practicing journalist and his duty towards the people and events of their demands.
-- NewsYemen
This frightening rate was monitored by our organization and it shows that daily violations occurred recently. In this context, the organization stood of:
- Specialized penal prosecution's insistence on the arrest of our colleague, Mohamed al-Makaleh, chief editor of the aleshteraki.net, website of Yemeni Socialist Party, detained in prison since April 22, 2008 and the court extended his incarceration for thirty days, over laughter in the court room.
- The abduction and detention of the satiric artist comedy Fahd al-Qarni, who is abducted by the political security apparatus on (2-4-2008) and now detained in the central prison in Taiz, convicted of serious criminal offences because some of his songs classified by the Ministry of Culture as a mockery of the ruling party and harms of the president. This interest is a flagrant violation of freedom of art, creativity and freedom of opinion and expression, as well as disruption of creativity, art. The obstacles put before for them was more than enough. As a result of that, there is no art or creativity by the actors are supposed to be a patron of art and his bodyguard for creativity in Yemen!!
- The abduction and detention of a journalist and political activist Ben Omar Ahmad Farid, writer and poet Ahmad al-Qama and Abbas al-Asal repression since 1-4-2008 pending notification of their writings, and supporting protests in the south. Another flagrant violation of their freedom and their right of opinion and expression, and thus beyond the power of all values of democracy and press freedoms that talk by the day and night!
- Prosecution's security journalist Anis Mansour press coverage of South news festivals and protests, in clear violation of the right of the journalist profession practicing journalist and his duty towards the people and events of their demands.
-- NewsYemen
Friday, May 2, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Women: Untapped Economic Powerhouse
The economic status of women around the world needs immediate attention of the authorities concerned with national development. It is said that even though women make up half of the world’s population they are burdened to perform nearly two-thirds of its work hours; receive only one-tenth of its income; and own only one hundredth of its property.
Any wonder then, why the United Nations initiated the global campaign for “women’s empowerment” by centerstaging this burning issue in its Millennium Development Goals?
In the Middle East and North African region, it is estimated that by the year 2025 over 100 million jobs will need to be created to accommodate the influx of Arab youth entering the work force. It is also estimated that in spite of the heavy investment most Arab nations have made in women’s education, working women in the region make up only 32 percent of the region’s total work force — and within these unemployment statistics, highly educated women are known to be the most unemployed.
As for the unemployment situation of women in Saudi Arabia, one can only speculate with the absence of reliable data. But thanks to events such as the Saudi National Dialogues, and with the conclusion of the most recent 7th one, the general public knows that unemployment in general, and women’s unemployment in particular, is a clear and present danger waiting to explode if there are no immediate interventions from the authorities.
Old news, repackaged once again. So what then can we, as a nation, do about it, aside from talking?
There is no better time than now for us to capitalize on the resourcefulness and contributions of women as major market-creators — but we can only do that if we work hard at dismantling the cultural stereotypes attached to women’s employment that have been haunting us for the last 20 years.
Dare we dream of the day when equal employment opportunities are readily available in Saudi Arabia to both men and women? Dare we dream of the day when our youth no longer need to migrate to neighboring countries in search of better employment opportunities and better living conditions? Dare we dream of a day where my country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, becomes the “employer” of choice for our local youth as well as for job seekers around the world? I dare say that we can.
Savvy investors will be quick to notice that the first two paragraphs of my article describe a situation that seems catastrophic at first glance but beneath the surface lies a ripe investment opportunity waiting to be plucked.
I think we all agree that it is high time that the private sector began to make its mark on our national economy by becoming more proactive in deciding who they can or cannot employ. After all, any — or all — current employment opportunities are made by them and as key stakeholders they have the legitimate right to make sure that their business objectives are met by those they believe are qualified and able to do so.
Women have tremendous economic and social power.
Recent surveys in a variety of countries show that women make up 80 percent of their families’ purchasing decisions. By employing women, companies will have the advantage of acquiring first-hand insight into the decision-making process of their key client, “the woman consumer”.
Through the insight and perspectives brought on by women employees, managers, and CEOs, companies will be able to tap into new markets, develop new products and become better local and global competitors.
Even though I am advocating the integration of women into the work force, the core purpose of my argument is not only to do so for the sake of gender equality per se, but more for the sake of providing practical solutions for the benefit of all parties concerned: My country, our youth and our private sector enterprises.
Toward this end, I will conclude with the following three points. First, integrating women into the national labor force is by default the reason behind the 50-year-old decision taken by our leadership to educate women; it is also by default the object of the 5-year National Development Plans initiated in the 1970s and still in progress today.
Secondly, based on that decision, it is payback time. The heavy investment of free education for Saudi women for over half a century needs to bear its fruits now — or else we will continue to add more women onto the backlog of unemployment that we are suffering from now.
And finally, and more importantly, the “second income” generated by respectable employment is to most Saudi women the critical dividing line between a lifestyle of poverty and the hope for a middle class one — and this fact alone is reason enough to convince all parties concerned that the ultimate benefits and prosperity brought on by the employment of women will fall on none other than on our nation itself.
By Fatin Bundagji, Arab News
Any wonder then, why the United Nations initiated the global campaign for “women’s empowerment” by centerstaging this burning issue in its Millennium Development Goals?
In the Middle East and North African region, it is estimated that by the year 2025 over 100 million jobs will need to be created to accommodate the influx of Arab youth entering the work force. It is also estimated that in spite of the heavy investment most Arab nations have made in women’s education, working women in the region make up only 32 percent of the region’s total work force — and within these unemployment statistics, highly educated women are known to be the most unemployed.
As for the unemployment situation of women in Saudi Arabia, one can only speculate with the absence of reliable data. But thanks to events such as the Saudi National Dialogues, and with the conclusion of the most recent 7th one, the general public knows that unemployment in general, and women’s unemployment in particular, is a clear and present danger waiting to explode if there are no immediate interventions from the authorities.
Old news, repackaged once again. So what then can we, as a nation, do about it, aside from talking?
There is no better time than now for us to capitalize on the resourcefulness and contributions of women as major market-creators — but we can only do that if we work hard at dismantling the cultural stereotypes attached to women’s employment that have been haunting us for the last 20 years.
Dare we dream of the day when equal employment opportunities are readily available in Saudi Arabia to both men and women? Dare we dream of the day when our youth no longer need to migrate to neighboring countries in search of better employment opportunities and better living conditions? Dare we dream of a day where my country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, becomes the “employer” of choice for our local youth as well as for job seekers around the world? I dare say that we can.
Savvy investors will be quick to notice that the first two paragraphs of my article describe a situation that seems catastrophic at first glance but beneath the surface lies a ripe investment opportunity waiting to be plucked.
I think we all agree that it is high time that the private sector began to make its mark on our national economy by becoming more proactive in deciding who they can or cannot employ. After all, any — or all — current employment opportunities are made by them and as key stakeholders they have the legitimate right to make sure that their business objectives are met by those they believe are qualified and able to do so.
Women have tremendous economic and social power.
Recent surveys in a variety of countries show that women make up 80 percent of their families’ purchasing decisions. By employing women, companies will have the advantage of acquiring first-hand insight into the decision-making process of their key client, “the woman consumer”.
Through the insight and perspectives brought on by women employees, managers, and CEOs, companies will be able to tap into new markets, develop new products and become better local and global competitors.
Even though I am advocating the integration of women into the work force, the core purpose of my argument is not only to do so for the sake of gender equality per se, but more for the sake of providing practical solutions for the benefit of all parties concerned: My country, our youth and our private sector enterprises.
Toward this end, I will conclude with the following three points. First, integrating women into the national labor force is by default the reason behind the 50-year-old decision taken by our leadership to educate women; it is also by default the object of the 5-year National Development Plans initiated in the 1970s and still in progress today.
Secondly, based on that decision, it is payback time. The heavy investment of free education for Saudi women for over half a century needs to bear its fruits now — or else we will continue to add more women onto the backlog of unemployment that we are suffering from now.
And finally, and more importantly, the “second income” generated by respectable employment is to most Saudi women the critical dividing line between a lifestyle of poverty and the hope for a middle class one — and this fact alone is reason enough to convince all parties concerned that the ultimate benefits and prosperity brought on by the employment of women will fall on none other than on our nation itself.
By Fatin Bundagji, Arab News
Friday, April 25, 2008
Middle East: A U.S. export that could lift the Middle East: Education
News reports on U.S. engagement in the Middle East usually focus on issues of war, terrorism and injustice. There is, however, other news of our involvement in the region that rarely receives coverage.
American universities, including Cornell and Georgetown, are moving into the region and establishing campuses to educate young men and women in the Middle East. They come at the invitation of Arab leaders who recognize that higher education is the key to the future of the region.
Regional statistics describe the stark nature of the challenge. Since 2003, the United Nations' Human Development Reports have documented the knowledge gaps, gender inequalities and political challenges facing the Arab world. Sixty-five million adults in the region are illiterate; almost two-thirds of them are women. Education in many villages is virtually non-existent.
Modern digital reality is just a dream for most, with fewer than 18 computers for every 1,000 people, compared with about 400 per 1,000 in high-income nations.
Higher education can help the next generation of Arab leaders lay foundations of economic progress, entrepreneurship and civil society.
U.S. serves as model
The American universities in Egypt and Lebanon are almost identical in curriculum and teaching styles to private liberal arts institutions in the USA. Their emphasis on critical thinking and independent judgment encourages students to develop the intellectual capacity they need to thrive in a global economy. By contrast, in much of the Middle East, the national universities are overwhelmed with hundreds or even thousands of students in mass lectures stressing rote memorization.
Those of us involved in higher education in this region believe that as we teach young leaders to embrace rigorous analysis and intellectual tolerance, radicalism can be trumped. Conversely, if higher education fails to provide the abilities young Arabs need to succeed in modern society, hopes will be dimmed, and minds closed.
Skill-training will not be enough. Young people must develop the ability to analyze complex problems and understand and evaluate different points of view. Without debate of diametrically opposing views aired publicly, there can be no diffusing of tensions and no hope of mutual understanding.
A race to educate
If, as H.G. Wells wrote, human history is "a race between education and catastrophe," then it is up to the leaders and the people of the Middle East to ensure that education wins the race in their villages, cities and nations.
It is not just political leaders who must adapt. Lasting progress requires leaders of many different institutions who see the need for change. These visionaries include lawyers who understand the importance of fair and impartial legal systems, journalists who link the immediacy of new media to the values of reform-minded advocacy, teachers who return to village and urban schools to prepare the youngest generation, social entrepreneurs who create new institutions of civil society, and philanthropists willing to invest in social progress.
The American University in Cairo and similar secular, non-profit, American-accredited universities in Beirut and more recently in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, are important elements in Middle Eastern development.
At a time when some Americans seem to doubt the very existence of moderate young Arab leaders, I assure you they are out there. And while many of them are critical of U.S. policies in the region, their aspirations are similar to those of young adults everywhere: They want a secure and safe society, economic opportunities and honest and effective governing institutions.
With the tools provided by a top-quality education, more and more Arab graduates are working toward those goals.
By David Arnold, USA Today
David Arnold is president of American University in Cairo and a member of the Association of American International Colleges and Universities.
American universities, including Cornell and Georgetown, are moving into the region and establishing campuses to educate young men and women in the Middle East. They come at the invitation of Arab leaders who recognize that higher education is the key to the future of the region.
Regional statistics describe the stark nature of the challenge. Since 2003, the United Nations' Human Development Reports have documented the knowledge gaps, gender inequalities and political challenges facing the Arab world. Sixty-five million adults in the region are illiterate; almost two-thirds of them are women. Education in many villages is virtually non-existent.
Modern digital reality is just a dream for most, with fewer than 18 computers for every 1,000 people, compared with about 400 per 1,000 in high-income nations.
Higher education can help the next generation of Arab leaders lay foundations of economic progress, entrepreneurship and civil society.
U.S. serves as model
The American universities in Egypt and Lebanon are almost identical in curriculum and teaching styles to private liberal arts institutions in the USA. Their emphasis on critical thinking and independent judgment encourages students to develop the intellectual capacity they need to thrive in a global economy. By contrast, in much of the Middle East, the national universities are overwhelmed with hundreds or even thousands of students in mass lectures stressing rote memorization.
Those of us involved in higher education in this region believe that as we teach young leaders to embrace rigorous analysis and intellectual tolerance, radicalism can be trumped. Conversely, if higher education fails to provide the abilities young Arabs need to succeed in modern society, hopes will be dimmed, and minds closed.
Skill-training will not be enough. Young people must develop the ability to analyze complex problems and understand and evaluate different points of view. Without debate of diametrically opposing views aired publicly, there can be no diffusing of tensions and no hope of mutual understanding.
A race to educate
If, as H.G. Wells wrote, human history is "a race between education and catastrophe," then it is up to the leaders and the people of the Middle East to ensure that education wins the race in their villages, cities and nations.
It is not just political leaders who must adapt. Lasting progress requires leaders of many different institutions who see the need for change. These visionaries include lawyers who understand the importance of fair and impartial legal systems, journalists who link the immediacy of new media to the values of reform-minded advocacy, teachers who return to village and urban schools to prepare the youngest generation, social entrepreneurs who create new institutions of civil society, and philanthropists willing to invest in social progress.
The American University in Cairo and similar secular, non-profit, American-accredited universities in Beirut and more recently in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, are important elements in Middle Eastern development.
At a time when some Americans seem to doubt the very existence of moderate young Arab leaders, I assure you they are out there. And while many of them are critical of U.S. policies in the region, their aspirations are similar to those of young adults everywhere: They want a secure and safe society, economic opportunities and honest and effective governing institutions.
With the tools provided by a top-quality education, more and more Arab graduates are working toward those goals.
By David Arnold, USA Today
David Arnold is president of American University in Cairo and a member of the Association of American International Colleges and Universities.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Yemen: Laws discriminate against women
Reviewing the legislative system of Yemen for the first time, one gets the impression that the laws are well-drafted and ensure the rights of both men and women. Upon analyzing and dissecting those laws and regulations, one will inevitably realize that certain elements of this system, which regulates private and public relationships, involve a considerable degree of discrimination against women.
This conclusion is supported by the legal teams formed by the National Women's Committee (NWC), which have been working since 2000 to examine Yemeni laws for gender bias.
The NWC wanted to ensure this system complies with the Islamic tenets and principles as the main source of legislation, with the Constitution and with the international conventions ratified by the Republic of Yemen, particularly the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
The legal review teams came up with proof that there is flagrant discrimination embedded in some provisions, most severely in the Personal Status law, the Nationality law and the Penalty law.
The Personal Status law does not specify an appropriate age of marriage, which as a result, inadvertently permits early marriage among young females – an especially common problem in rural areas. Early marriage in turn affects girls’ ability to continue their education. With early marriage comes early pregnancies, which can cause problems like fistula (a condition that causes incontinence) or even to death during childbirth.
The Personal Status law arbitrates against a wife, as it gives a man the absolute right to polygamy, without provisions mandating that he inform his wife of his plans. The law doesn’t restrict polygamy according to Sharia rule, which stipulates non-harassment, equality and justice among wives. The same law discriminates against divorced women to the same degree when it comes to alimony and child custody.
The Nationality law’s treatment of a Yemeni man's foreign wife and children is different from its treatment of the foreign husband and children of a Yemeni woman.
Moreover, the Penalty law severely undervalues a woman's worth, since the law claims that the blood of a woman is worth only half as much as a man’s. According to this law, a woman, when injured, shall be compensated with half the financial amount given to a man for the same injury. A man's penalty for murdering his wife or any of his female relatives over adultery is mitigated by the law, while the same law says that a female who commits the same act is to be executed.
Around 61 discriminatory provisions have been submitted to the decision-makers since 2001.Last March, the Cabinet of Ministers approved - in principle - some suggested amendments to laws that discriminate against women. However, the Cabinet excluded the provision to define a legal age of marriage in the Personal Status law, on the grounds that it should be amended in the Child Rights law, as proposed by the Higher Council of Childhood.
The Cabinet also excluded the provisions that call for the application of the "quota" system aimed at rejuvenating women’s political participation, under the pretext that this issue is still subject to discussion among different political parties. The Cabinet formed a ministerial committee comprised of the Ministers of Endowments, Justice, and Legal Affairs, in addition to the Chairperson of the National Women's Committee to study, examine and legally redraft certain laws.
Approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, the legal provisions were then referred to the Parliament last year and were put on the agenda for review and discussion. The Parliament circulate the drafted legal amendments on the specialist committees for discussion and opinion before they are discussed and decided upon by the MPs.
Many laws find their way through the Parliament quickly, but for some reason, those laws related to women’s rights are always considered with mistrust and doubt. The proof of this is that the amendments to the Personal Status law were first raised in the early days of the National Women's Committee – back in 1996.
Since that time, this issue has stood still. Ironically, this does not invite suspicion because the nature of the Parliament is still the same, not conducive to change. Nor does it facilitate the improvement of women’s legal status, despite the dialogue initiated with the Parliament and its various committees.
Although there are voices that support women, they are few, separate and not influential. Women hope that the Parliament will spend time on legal amendments which logically shouldn’t be delayed, especially because those provisions were revised by professional jurisprudence specialists. A ray of hope still glimmers when women remember that most of the MPs, if not all, have won due to female voters.
The earlier the Parliament approves those amendments, the more time all of us save. Moreover, such a step would enable the National Women's Committee to proceed to Phase III of the continued Legal Amendments Project, which reacts and adapts to new developments and requirements.
The civil society and women's organizations must play a greater role in terms of mobilization, advocacy, and even pressuring the Parliament to look into and approve those laws. Only then can discrimination against women be eliminated.
Hooria Mashoor is deputy chairperson of the Women National Committee and a strong advocate for women’s rights.
By: Hooria Mashoor, Yemen Times
This conclusion is supported by the legal teams formed by the National Women's Committee (NWC), which have been working since 2000 to examine Yemeni laws for gender bias.
The NWC wanted to ensure this system complies with the Islamic tenets and principles as the main source of legislation, with the Constitution and with the international conventions ratified by the Republic of Yemen, particularly the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
The legal review teams came up with proof that there is flagrant discrimination embedded in some provisions, most severely in the Personal Status law, the Nationality law and the Penalty law.
The Personal Status law does not specify an appropriate age of marriage, which as a result, inadvertently permits early marriage among young females – an especially common problem in rural areas. Early marriage in turn affects girls’ ability to continue their education. With early marriage comes early pregnancies, which can cause problems like fistula (a condition that causes incontinence) or even to death during childbirth.
The Personal Status law arbitrates against a wife, as it gives a man the absolute right to polygamy, without provisions mandating that he inform his wife of his plans. The law doesn’t restrict polygamy according to Sharia rule, which stipulates non-harassment, equality and justice among wives. The same law discriminates against divorced women to the same degree when it comes to alimony and child custody.
The Nationality law’s treatment of a Yemeni man's foreign wife and children is different from its treatment of the foreign husband and children of a Yemeni woman.
Moreover, the Penalty law severely undervalues a woman's worth, since the law claims that the blood of a woman is worth only half as much as a man’s. According to this law, a woman, when injured, shall be compensated with half the financial amount given to a man for the same injury. A man's penalty for murdering his wife or any of his female relatives over adultery is mitigated by the law, while the same law says that a female who commits the same act is to be executed.
Around 61 discriminatory provisions have been submitted to the decision-makers since 2001.Last March, the Cabinet of Ministers approved - in principle - some suggested amendments to laws that discriminate against women. However, the Cabinet excluded the provision to define a legal age of marriage in the Personal Status law, on the grounds that it should be amended in the Child Rights law, as proposed by the Higher Council of Childhood.
The Cabinet also excluded the provisions that call for the application of the "quota" system aimed at rejuvenating women’s political participation, under the pretext that this issue is still subject to discussion among different political parties. The Cabinet formed a ministerial committee comprised of the Ministers of Endowments, Justice, and Legal Affairs, in addition to the Chairperson of the National Women's Committee to study, examine and legally redraft certain laws.
Approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, the legal provisions were then referred to the Parliament last year and were put on the agenda for review and discussion. The Parliament circulate the drafted legal amendments on the specialist committees for discussion and opinion before they are discussed and decided upon by the MPs.
Many laws find their way through the Parliament quickly, but for some reason, those laws related to women’s rights are always considered with mistrust and doubt. The proof of this is that the amendments to the Personal Status law were first raised in the early days of the National Women's Committee – back in 1996.
Since that time, this issue has stood still. Ironically, this does not invite suspicion because the nature of the Parliament is still the same, not conducive to change. Nor does it facilitate the improvement of women’s legal status, despite the dialogue initiated with the Parliament and its various committees.
Although there are voices that support women, they are few, separate and not influential. Women hope that the Parliament will spend time on legal amendments which logically shouldn’t be delayed, especially because those provisions were revised by professional jurisprudence specialists. A ray of hope still glimmers when women remember that most of the MPs, if not all, have won due to female voters.
The earlier the Parliament approves those amendments, the more time all of us save. Moreover, such a step would enable the National Women's Committee to proceed to Phase III of the continued Legal Amendments Project, which reacts and adapts to new developments and requirements.
The civil society and women's organizations must play a greater role in terms of mobilization, advocacy, and even pressuring the Parliament to look into and approve those laws. Only then can discrimination against women be eliminated.
Hooria Mashoor is deputy chairperson of the Women National Committee and a strong advocate for women’s rights.
By: Hooria Mashoor, Yemen Times
Thursday, February 7, 2008
The Concerns of the Saudi Women
Op-Ed by Fahda bint Saud bin Abdul Aziz
Al-Hayat
The Arab Muslim women in general and Saudi in particular have never in their modern and old history come under the spotlight at the internal and external levels. Nor have their rights been a major cause for concern as is the case now - to the extent that they appear as the sole pivot for the nation's renaissance in its current crisis. This concerted intense campaign calls for optimism should this be the reason behind it!
Indeed, many women rights-related issues need to be reconsidered and this gentle creature must regain her standing. About to lose this divine particularity, women are undergoing a superficial transformation - from altered physical features to loss of internal balance.
Women's human rights were violated prior to Islam but with its ascent, women regained all their rights and were introduced to their obligations, which helped restore social balance for human beings to live in "eternal" happiness.
As a result, women gained power - though not a supernatural one - while men cemented their strength with their respect for women's privacy. In other words, both men and women preserved their natural disposition, which drew them closer to each other and helped them enrich the Muslim civilization in poetry, literature, and diverse sciences. In the meantime, the natural roles within the family were respected, and this nucleus was preserved over generations, even at the gloomiest moments.
During the century-long wars and colonialism era, as the structure and concepts of the Arab Muslim society were substantially altered, the family system, on the other hand, remained until recently a source of pride and honor. Over the years, the family laws have represented and identified all social codes. When duties and obligations were equitably assigned among family members, society suffered from less psychological and social problems - as had been the case of the Saudi society which emerged from the tribal system and drew the socioeconomic relations among its members.
The Saudi generations were at that time known to be productive, living off their own hand-made goods, whether clothes or food. Women, productive as they were, formed an integral part of this system and the cornerstone of the family and tribe. Fully aware of their rights within this framework that guaranteed them protection, respect, and care from cradle to grave, they were only concerned with sheltering, feeding, and clothing all tribe members. In parallel, society provided them, mainly the divorced, widow, and the elderly, with a guardian's protection, for it was shameful to abandon tribe members, whether men or women.
These tribal features prevailed over the Saudi society even when the Island was united as a stable country in line with oil discovery. The State then substituted the tribe in protecting the people and settling their affairs in light of the Sharia. Consequently, the State, intent on teaching men, generalized and opened more schools in an effort previously confined to personal initiatives in Hejaz and Nejd. Unfortunately, women's share of education remained scant in these communal schools (four in Mecca, 5 in Jeddah, and one in Medinah), the most renowned of which was Al-Zahraain Jeddah.
In parallel, "Al Ahlia School For Girls" was set up in 1974 and "Al Nasifiyah" in 1950. In turn, the Saudi Crown Prince Saud bin Abdul Aziz opened in 1951 the first school for girls in the Kingdom, the Riyadh-based Al-Karimat School and sent his own daughters thereto hoping, by so doing, to encourage parents to teach their daughters. This exemplary school became in 1970 the first secondary institution in the Kingdom. In addition, King Saud daughters opened in 1956 Mabarrat Al-Karimat, while Prince Talal bin Abdul Aziz established in 1956 King Abdul Aziz Mabarrat.
Still, as these schools failed to absorb more girls willing to pursue their studies in Riyadh, the parents, forced to send their daughters to Egypt, urged King Saud to open more schools for girls - hence came the 1960 General Presidency for Girls' Education run by senior scholars under Sheikh Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Sheikh. This school later opened many branches across the Kingdom despite all the objections rebuffed by the King himself.
Since then, conditions started to change for women, who began studying and working in specific fields in tune with society's perception of their work and role. Many working women stood out, notably King Saud daughters who ran King Saud Mabarrat - let alone some female poets and authors who favored, in this conservative society, to write under pseudonyms. Likewise, many Saudi women embraced teaching, a profession previously restricted to ladies from Egypt, Palestine, and Syria.
When the ministry of Labor and Social Affairs was established in 1960 under King Saud, it undertook, in cooperation with the ministries of health, education, and agriculture a huge project: the urban and rural local community development center. To this end, 16 such centers were set up in 1960, where women contributed to eradicating illiteracy, disseminating girl education, cementing respect for handcrafts, and pinpointing the importance of social development.
In addition, women created their own cooperative associations - with some later transformed into charity associations. They also trained girls and helped the poor households after examining their precarious conditions. In other words, women sought primarily to uproot female illiteracy, help poor households and raise awareness, which are all education and work-related concerns within a family-respectful framework. At this, society at large accepted women education and work amid respect for religion and customs. At the same time, social solidarity was preserved and family's financial reliance on working women was viewed as socially shameful, which eventually strengthened family ties.
As the per capita income mounted during the boom - the dangers, dimensions, and concepts of which went unnoticed, as society and its needs evolved, and rural migration increased in quest of education and job opportunities, many concepts, like family care and men's role as guardians, changed. Accordingly, men began relying sometimes on working women. Many social changes prevailed amid higher incomes and the prevalent locally-unacceptable concepts given the impact of the foreign labor force on the traditional families, which proved unable to preserve the inherited Muslim values.
Thus, families were fearfully disrupted, and their members, engrossed in materialism and different consumption patterns, were drawn apart. As a result, some momentous aspects were overlooked, like the need to rehabilitate the individual to become productive and self-sufficient. In parallel, the citizen embraced some of the negative aspects left by the consuming societies. Hence, both the citizen and society lost many values. But women were not the sole segments to suffer from this change as depicted in our media which, in the footsteps of their foreign counterparts, make judgments based on the values of the strong, totally overlooking the fact that the law that protects women equally protects all social categories.
Indeed, Saudi women concerns are now more numerous and violent than ever. Women have unfortunately relinquished most of their Sharia-consecrated rights in light of the social and economic changes and the alteration in the concepts long prevalent in the tribal and family systems which provided women with protection and care. Women were then supposed to economically provide for the family, which added up to their family responsibilities. Their acquired rights were equally violated and their status as working women exploited; hence the prevalent social and psychological problems, the mounting divorce cases referred to courts and the relevant matters - from alimony to the right of guardianship.
The situation was compounded further, since problem solving was no longer a family responsibility amid social disintegration, weak family protection and cohesion, increased interest in easy money and social appearances, diminishing financial assets, and loosening morals.
Personal interests prevailed over laws, which were not implemented on equal footing. Nepotism, bribery, and corruption became rampant, thus disrupting social balance and increasing women concerns as well as family and work responsibilities. Exposed to the foreign winds, women sought to imitate the media-portrayed seducing women. As such, considerable funds were channeled to plastic surgery -which most often yielded reverse results from deformation to death and caused psychological disorders.
Nowadays, women suffer from many factors. Socially speaking, this suffering affects society at large. Values are rapidly changing in a society unable to keep pace and adapt to the swift and unexpected events. At the personal level, women were misled by the material brainwashing consumption-oriented media that leave them unable to grasp their real dimensions. From the legal perspective, the women, ignorant, dependent, and obsessed with luxury, have settled for what is less than their legitimate rights though enshrined in the legislations initially meant to protect them. No wonder that society underestimated their demands and concerns! In other words, women suffer from three-faceted injustice: a self-induced one, another caused by the sweeping globalization laws that undermine man's dignity and finally, the injustice imposed by the strong on the weak.
If we are to tackle women concerns, we must then prioritize these concerns so as to find solutions thereto with the least possible loss and as soon as possible. In this regard, every society must first lay the foundations for a decent life and satisfied basic needs (the right to food, shelter, education, work, and protection). As for the other needs, they are just relative luxuries that evolve with society's needs, values, and classes. For instance, the luxuries of the rich classes match their class concepts and outer appearances.
Thus, the affluent categories, the first to lose the cultural and heritage legacy, distance themselves from popular concerns - a feature recently embraced by the Saudi society with its openness to the West and compliance with its dictates in the aftermath of 9/11 attacks. As for the middle-classes, most often composed of professionals and intellectuals, their luxuries are closer to the proletariat's, who struggle to live decently. The destitute poor classes, for their part, are often contented with the basics when available. They pass on the cultural heritage over generations and preserve traditions, attached as they are to the land away from mingling with different cultures.
Hence, the Saudi women concerns must be classified according to social classes. Otherwise, all efforts in this direction will remain unrealistic. For it is implausible that homeless and jobless women endeavor to drive a car they can't even dream of owning. Therefore, we must question women's right to drive: Which categories are entitled to drive? Is this right a luxury or a basic need? Can the destitute woman ask for luxuries? Can the affluent women eager to change their societies understand and sympathize with their hardworking peers, who represent the majority in any society?
When we manage to grasp the requirements of our society as a whole, when we work in tandem to satisfy them, only then we can cautiously set realistic priorities towards promoting the social awareness we lack at this critical moment in our history. We need to be more resolved and methodical in diagnosing our problems instead of downplaying our troubles, the outcome of the intellectual chaos we are embroiled in.
With no doubt, numerous institutions, committees, conferences, and round tables have pored over many of our priorities, mainly the issues that concern the youth viewed as the largest and most dangerous and influential category in development. Such pressing issues are related to education, unemployment, void, ignorance, and fear of the future in the absence of social institutions likely to advance positive solutions in the form of enforceable sustainable programs, for the consuming society to become productive based on values and concepts that would restore social stability.
Therefore, such critical issues need to be seriously tackled as social and media priorities worthy of specialized conferences and appeals if we really want to spare our society the looming social, economic, and security dangers.
Al-Hayat
The Arab Muslim women in general and Saudi in particular have never in their modern and old history come under the spotlight at the internal and external levels. Nor have their rights been a major cause for concern as is the case now - to the extent that they appear as the sole pivot for the nation's renaissance in its current crisis. This concerted intense campaign calls for optimism should this be the reason behind it!
Indeed, many women rights-related issues need to be reconsidered and this gentle creature must regain her standing. About to lose this divine particularity, women are undergoing a superficial transformation - from altered physical features to loss of internal balance.
Women's human rights were violated prior to Islam but with its ascent, women regained all their rights and were introduced to their obligations, which helped restore social balance for human beings to live in "eternal" happiness.
As a result, women gained power - though not a supernatural one - while men cemented their strength with their respect for women's privacy. In other words, both men and women preserved their natural disposition, which drew them closer to each other and helped them enrich the Muslim civilization in poetry, literature, and diverse sciences. In the meantime, the natural roles within the family were respected, and this nucleus was preserved over generations, even at the gloomiest moments.
During the century-long wars and colonialism era, as the structure and concepts of the Arab Muslim society were substantially altered, the family system, on the other hand, remained until recently a source of pride and honor. Over the years, the family laws have represented and identified all social codes. When duties and obligations were equitably assigned among family members, society suffered from less psychological and social problems - as had been the case of the Saudi society which emerged from the tribal system and drew the socioeconomic relations among its members.
The Saudi generations were at that time known to be productive, living off their own hand-made goods, whether clothes or food. Women, productive as they were, formed an integral part of this system and the cornerstone of the family and tribe. Fully aware of their rights within this framework that guaranteed them protection, respect, and care from cradle to grave, they were only concerned with sheltering, feeding, and clothing all tribe members. In parallel, society provided them, mainly the divorced, widow, and the elderly, with a guardian's protection, for it was shameful to abandon tribe members, whether men or women.
These tribal features prevailed over the Saudi society even when the Island was united as a stable country in line with oil discovery. The State then substituted the tribe in protecting the people and settling their affairs in light of the Sharia. Consequently, the State, intent on teaching men, generalized and opened more schools in an effort previously confined to personal initiatives in Hejaz and Nejd. Unfortunately, women's share of education remained scant in these communal schools (four in Mecca, 5 in Jeddah, and one in Medinah), the most renowned of which was Al-Zahraain Jeddah.
In parallel, "Al Ahlia School For Girls" was set up in 1974 and "Al Nasifiyah" in 1950. In turn, the Saudi Crown Prince Saud bin Abdul Aziz opened in 1951 the first school for girls in the Kingdom, the Riyadh-based Al-Karimat School and sent his own daughters thereto hoping, by so doing, to encourage parents to teach their daughters. This exemplary school became in 1970 the first secondary institution in the Kingdom. In addition, King Saud daughters opened in 1956 Mabarrat Al-Karimat, while Prince Talal bin Abdul Aziz established in 1956 King Abdul Aziz Mabarrat.
Still, as these schools failed to absorb more girls willing to pursue their studies in Riyadh, the parents, forced to send their daughters to Egypt, urged King Saud to open more schools for girls - hence came the 1960 General Presidency for Girls' Education run by senior scholars under Sheikh Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Sheikh. This school later opened many branches across the Kingdom despite all the objections rebuffed by the King himself.
Since then, conditions started to change for women, who began studying and working in specific fields in tune with society's perception of their work and role. Many working women stood out, notably King Saud daughters who ran King Saud Mabarrat - let alone some female poets and authors who favored, in this conservative society, to write under pseudonyms. Likewise, many Saudi women embraced teaching, a profession previously restricted to ladies from Egypt, Palestine, and Syria.
When the ministry of Labor and Social Affairs was established in 1960 under King Saud, it undertook, in cooperation with the ministries of health, education, and agriculture a huge project: the urban and rural local community development center. To this end, 16 such centers were set up in 1960, where women contributed to eradicating illiteracy, disseminating girl education, cementing respect for handcrafts, and pinpointing the importance of social development.
In addition, women created their own cooperative associations - with some later transformed into charity associations. They also trained girls and helped the poor households after examining their precarious conditions. In other words, women sought primarily to uproot female illiteracy, help poor households and raise awareness, which are all education and work-related concerns within a family-respectful framework. At this, society at large accepted women education and work amid respect for religion and customs. At the same time, social solidarity was preserved and family's financial reliance on working women was viewed as socially shameful, which eventually strengthened family ties.
As the per capita income mounted during the boom - the dangers, dimensions, and concepts of which went unnoticed, as society and its needs evolved, and rural migration increased in quest of education and job opportunities, many concepts, like family care and men's role as guardians, changed. Accordingly, men began relying sometimes on working women. Many social changes prevailed amid higher incomes and the prevalent locally-unacceptable concepts given the impact of the foreign labor force on the traditional families, which proved unable to preserve the inherited Muslim values.
Thus, families were fearfully disrupted, and their members, engrossed in materialism and different consumption patterns, were drawn apart. As a result, some momentous aspects were overlooked, like the need to rehabilitate the individual to become productive and self-sufficient. In parallel, the citizen embraced some of the negative aspects left by the consuming societies. Hence, both the citizen and society lost many values. But women were not the sole segments to suffer from this change as depicted in our media which, in the footsteps of their foreign counterparts, make judgments based on the values of the strong, totally overlooking the fact that the law that protects women equally protects all social categories.
Indeed, Saudi women concerns are now more numerous and violent than ever. Women have unfortunately relinquished most of their Sharia-consecrated rights in light of the social and economic changes and the alteration in the concepts long prevalent in the tribal and family systems which provided women with protection and care. Women were then supposed to economically provide for the family, which added up to their family responsibilities. Their acquired rights were equally violated and their status as working women exploited; hence the prevalent social and psychological problems, the mounting divorce cases referred to courts and the relevant matters - from alimony to the right of guardianship.
The situation was compounded further, since problem solving was no longer a family responsibility amid social disintegration, weak family protection and cohesion, increased interest in easy money and social appearances, diminishing financial assets, and loosening morals.
Personal interests prevailed over laws, which were not implemented on equal footing. Nepotism, bribery, and corruption became rampant, thus disrupting social balance and increasing women concerns as well as family and work responsibilities. Exposed to the foreign winds, women sought to imitate the media-portrayed seducing women. As such, considerable funds were channeled to plastic surgery -which most often yielded reverse results from deformation to death and caused psychological disorders.
Nowadays, women suffer from many factors. Socially speaking, this suffering affects society at large. Values are rapidly changing in a society unable to keep pace and adapt to the swift and unexpected events. At the personal level, women were misled by the material brainwashing consumption-oriented media that leave them unable to grasp their real dimensions. From the legal perspective, the women, ignorant, dependent, and obsessed with luxury, have settled for what is less than their legitimate rights though enshrined in the legislations initially meant to protect them. No wonder that society underestimated their demands and concerns! In other words, women suffer from three-faceted injustice: a self-induced one, another caused by the sweeping globalization laws that undermine man's dignity and finally, the injustice imposed by the strong on the weak.
If we are to tackle women concerns, we must then prioritize these concerns so as to find solutions thereto with the least possible loss and as soon as possible. In this regard, every society must first lay the foundations for a decent life and satisfied basic needs (the right to food, shelter, education, work, and protection). As for the other needs, they are just relative luxuries that evolve with society's needs, values, and classes. For instance, the luxuries of the rich classes match their class concepts and outer appearances.
Thus, the affluent categories, the first to lose the cultural and heritage legacy, distance themselves from popular concerns - a feature recently embraced by the Saudi society with its openness to the West and compliance with its dictates in the aftermath of 9/11 attacks. As for the middle-classes, most often composed of professionals and intellectuals, their luxuries are closer to the proletariat's, who struggle to live decently. The destitute poor classes, for their part, are often contented with the basics when available. They pass on the cultural heritage over generations and preserve traditions, attached as they are to the land away from mingling with different cultures.
Hence, the Saudi women concerns must be classified according to social classes. Otherwise, all efforts in this direction will remain unrealistic. For it is implausible that homeless and jobless women endeavor to drive a car they can't even dream of owning. Therefore, we must question women's right to drive: Which categories are entitled to drive? Is this right a luxury or a basic need? Can the destitute woman ask for luxuries? Can the affluent women eager to change their societies understand and sympathize with their hardworking peers, who represent the majority in any society?
When we manage to grasp the requirements of our society as a whole, when we work in tandem to satisfy them, only then we can cautiously set realistic priorities towards promoting the social awareness we lack at this critical moment in our history. We need to be more resolved and methodical in diagnosing our problems instead of downplaying our troubles, the outcome of the intellectual chaos we are embroiled in.
With no doubt, numerous institutions, committees, conferences, and round tables have pored over many of our priorities, mainly the issues that concern the youth viewed as the largest and most dangerous and influential category in development. Such pressing issues are related to education, unemployment, void, ignorance, and fear of the future in the absence of social institutions likely to advance positive solutions in the form of enforceable sustainable programs, for the consuming society to become productive based on values and concepts that would restore social stability.
Therefore, such critical issues need to be seriously tackled as social and media priorities worthy of specialized conferences and appeals if we really want to spare our society the looming social, economic, and security dangers.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Editorial - Let Us Codify Shariah Laws
The judicial system has often been criticized at home and abroad for its failure to administer justice, largely due to inadequate legal procedures, red tape and rigid interpretation of Shariah law by some of the appointed judges.
Many legal experts have pointed out that the problem with the current system is both qualitative and quantitative. Courts are overburdened, and there is an acute shortage of judges; therefore, courts may take years to rule on simple cases of divorce or family disputes. Furthermore, bureaucracy and red tape create further delays.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah announced a major project to reform the judicial system, and SR7 billion has been allocated to upgrade courts and to train judges in an attempt to reform the entire judiciary. Planned changes include establishing special criminal courts and family courts along with courts for issues related to traffic, the economy, business and sports.
The Ministry of Justice has defined the new jobs that will be available with the start of the specialized courts this year. The ministry will also provide legal training to guarantee more qualified judges and lawyers.
However, Muslim scholars believe that more drastic measures need to be taken to achieve successful reforms.
“To reform the judiciary, we need to reform the Shariah colleges first and upgrade the level of these institutions,” said Dr. Tarek Al-Suwaidan, a prominent Muslim scholar. “There should be a more advanced curriculum, and the teaching standards should be enhanced.”
The reason behind the poor quality of education in these very important institutions is the poor academic standard of their students. The students who enroll in these colleges are the ones who graduate from school with poor or average grades; therefore, they are not usually the brightest. Furthermore, their studies are mostly confined to subjects related to Islamic jurisprudence.
Al-Suwaidan urged the creation of well-rounded Muslim scholars and judges familiar with international law and educated on aspects of modern-day needs and concerns. Students who join Shariah colleges should have a bachelor’s degree in business, law or other specialized fields to make them more knowledgeable and guarantee a higher standard of qualification. Shariah law graduates should be well-versed in current commercial laws and be familiar with cyberspace crime, copyright violations or labor issues.
The inadequacy of current judges and their narrow breadth of knowledge have created many grievances and denied both nationals and expatriates their right to fair trials and legal representation in the Kingdom.
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke more than 1,400 years ago, he tailored his words to the people of that time and addressed the issues of those days in terms understandable to much simpler people in much simpler times. In a world made smaller by transportation and telecommunications networks and a world of great cities and global commerce, it is incumbent upon the keepers of Shariah law to ensure the relevance of its interpretation in the daily lives of the millions of adherents to Islam today.
For judges to ignore such advancements either through ignorance or tunnel vision is to jeopardize the relevance of Shariah law in a modern world — an attitude that draws the derision of the world when a young rape victim, already sentenced to prison and corporal punishment, has her sentence increased because she spoke to a newspaper. What message is sent to the people of this Kingdom and the world, for that matter, when a gang of rapists gets sentences of a few years because of “mitigating” circumstances?
The Qatif rape case received public and international condemnation, and there was strong public pressure demanding her acquittal. However, the Saudi judiciary refused to alter its sentence until Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah finally intervened to save the poor victim from the brutal sentence.
What do we tell our own people or the world, for that matter, about how we value the rights of women when her brothers can order her divorce because they don’t approve of the husband their late father chose? The brothers’ contention was that she had shamed her tribe, but we as a people should be ashamed of a legal system where such a case could be initiated, where a family could be broken up and a mother and her children could be forced to live in a shelter. We should support our leaders in their efforts to reform such a system.
How can we take pride in a system that denies a mother’s petitions to gain custody of a child from her abusive husband that becomes moot after the man beats his child to death?
The National Society for Human Rights recently published a report that strongly criticized the judicial system for failing to serve justice. The report outlined many human rights violations, among them rampant discrimination against women, essentially sanctioning domestic violence, awful conditions in Saudi prisons, and the maltreatment of non-Saudis in the Kingdom. The report also railed against the actions of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in its dealings with law-abiding citizens.
“We need to establish civic courts administered by judges who have graduated from law colleges with degrees obtained from abroad,” said Kamel Ahmad Al-Shamsi, a Saudi legal expert. “We need to use the expertise of other, more advanced Arab countries in civic law and sign contracts with cadres who can serve as consultants and judges.”
It is unfortunate that these views are not shared by many of the Saudi judges who insist that students should learn through apprenticeships and with scholars who can trace their learning to Islam’s roots — not from qualified law professors. This is the reason behind the lack of a globally accepted qualification of a Shariah scholar and the absence of globally accepted standards for Shariah rules. Shariah rules continue to be subject to different interpretations from different Muslim scholars who are reluctant to codify Shariah laws, and there is a lack of consensus on many issues that are of major concern to Muslims today.
Some Shariah experts say it may take more than a decade to train more scholars, and even the optimistic ones do not expect a new generation of qualified scholars for at least five years. However, Muslim scholars cannot afford to lag behind and miss the global opportunities for progress and development, they must contribute toward the advancement of their societies. Any misstep could lead our people back to an impoverished past instead of a prosperous future.
The rest of the world will not stop and give us a decade to figure it out. Our indecision and acquiescence on such matters just improve the chances for other nations to better the lives of their people at our expense.
Sheikh Nizam Yaquby, one of the most respected Shariah scholars, recently told reporters that it is essential to train more scholars for Islamic bank supervision to keep up with the global demand. He said: “There are roughly 50 to 60 scholars in the world qualified to advise banks on Islamic law, and as many as ten times more are required to serve in the Middle East alone.” The London-based Chartered Institute of Management Accountants said: “The rapid growth of Islamic banking had fueled a need for Muslim financial experts. However, scholars must be experts in Islamic law and Islamic banking and, at the same time, have a thorough knowledge of conventional laws and banking systems, which requires a high standard of English.”
Reforming the legal system and training more judges will not be easy; however, it should continue to be a government priority. It is essential for our scholars to be globally connected with the needs and concerns of the international Muslim community. The codification of the Shariah law is, therefore, necessary. Moreover, it is essential not only to outline the rights and duties of citizens and expatriates alike but also to define the responsibilities and limits of all religious officials.
No one should be above the law — not judges, not members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, not the wealthy, not religious scholars. Our country will prosper only when our citizens and our guest workers are guaranteed the protection of the law. Future generations will be able to contribute and compete with the rest of the world only if they are assured the implementation of justice for all — and all can only mean everybody.
— Samar Fatany is a Saudi radio journalist. She can be reached at samarfatany@hotmail.com.
Arab News
Many legal experts have pointed out that the problem with the current system is both qualitative and quantitative. Courts are overburdened, and there is an acute shortage of judges; therefore, courts may take years to rule on simple cases of divorce or family disputes. Furthermore, bureaucracy and red tape create further delays.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah announced a major project to reform the judicial system, and SR7 billion has been allocated to upgrade courts and to train judges in an attempt to reform the entire judiciary. Planned changes include establishing special criminal courts and family courts along with courts for issues related to traffic, the economy, business and sports.
The Ministry of Justice has defined the new jobs that will be available with the start of the specialized courts this year. The ministry will also provide legal training to guarantee more qualified judges and lawyers.
However, Muslim scholars believe that more drastic measures need to be taken to achieve successful reforms.
“To reform the judiciary, we need to reform the Shariah colleges first and upgrade the level of these institutions,” said Dr. Tarek Al-Suwaidan, a prominent Muslim scholar. “There should be a more advanced curriculum, and the teaching standards should be enhanced.”
The reason behind the poor quality of education in these very important institutions is the poor academic standard of their students. The students who enroll in these colleges are the ones who graduate from school with poor or average grades; therefore, they are not usually the brightest. Furthermore, their studies are mostly confined to subjects related to Islamic jurisprudence.
Al-Suwaidan urged the creation of well-rounded Muslim scholars and judges familiar with international law and educated on aspects of modern-day needs and concerns. Students who join Shariah colleges should have a bachelor’s degree in business, law or other specialized fields to make them more knowledgeable and guarantee a higher standard of qualification. Shariah law graduates should be well-versed in current commercial laws and be familiar with cyberspace crime, copyright violations or labor issues.
The inadequacy of current judges and their narrow breadth of knowledge have created many grievances and denied both nationals and expatriates their right to fair trials and legal representation in the Kingdom.
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke more than 1,400 years ago, he tailored his words to the people of that time and addressed the issues of those days in terms understandable to much simpler people in much simpler times. In a world made smaller by transportation and telecommunications networks and a world of great cities and global commerce, it is incumbent upon the keepers of Shariah law to ensure the relevance of its interpretation in the daily lives of the millions of adherents to Islam today.
For judges to ignore such advancements either through ignorance or tunnel vision is to jeopardize the relevance of Shariah law in a modern world — an attitude that draws the derision of the world when a young rape victim, already sentenced to prison and corporal punishment, has her sentence increased because she spoke to a newspaper. What message is sent to the people of this Kingdom and the world, for that matter, when a gang of rapists gets sentences of a few years because of “mitigating” circumstances?
The Qatif rape case received public and international condemnation, and there was strong public pressure demanding her acquittal. However, the Saudi judiciary refused to alter its sentence until Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah finally intervened to save the poor victim from the brutal sentence.
What do we tell our own people or the world, for that matter, about how we value the rights of women when her brothers can order her divorce because they don’t approve of the husband their late father chose? The brothers’ contention was that she had shamed her tribe, but we as a people should be ashamed of a legal system where such a case could be initiated, where a family could be broken up and a mother and her children could be forced to live in a shelter. We should support our leaders in their efforts to reform such a system.
How can we take pride in a system that denies a mother’s petitions to gain custody of a child from her abusive husband that becomes moot after the man beats his child to death?
The National Society for Human Rights recently published a report that strongly criticized the judicial system for failing to serve justice. The report outlined many human rights violations, among them rampant discrimination against women, essentially sanctioning domestic violence, awful conditions in Saudi prisons, and the maltreatment of non-Saudis in the Kingdom. The report also railed against the actions of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in its dealings with law-abiding citizens.
“We need to establish civic courts administered by judges who have graduated from law colleges with degrees obtained from abroad,” said Kamel Ahmad Al-Shamsi, a Saudi legal expert. “We need to use the expertise of other, more advanced Arab countries in civic law and sign contracts with cadres who can serve as consultants and judges.”
It is unfortunate that these views are not shared by many of the Saudi judges who insist that students should learn through apprenticeships and with scholars who can trace their learning to Islam’s roots — not from qualified law professors. This is the reason behind the lack of a globally accepted qualification of a Shariah scholar and the absence of globally accepted standards for Shariah rules. Shariah rules continue to be subject to different interpretations from different Muslim scholars who are reluctant to codify Shariah laws, and there is a lack of consensus on many issues that are of major concern to Muslims today.
Some Shariah experts say it may take more than a decade to train more scholars, and even the optimistic ones do not expect a new generation of qualified scholars for at least five years. However, Muslim scholars cannot afford to lag behind and miss the global opportunities for progress and development, they must contribute toward the advancement of their societies. Any misstep could lead our people back to an impoverished past instead of a prosperous future.
The rest of the world will not stop and give us a decade to figure it out. Our indecision and acquiescence on such matters just improve the chances for other nations to better the lives of their people at our expense.
Sheikh Nizam Yaquby, one of the most respected Shariah scholars, recently told reporters that it is essential to train more scholars for Islamic bank supervision to keep up with the global demand. He said: “There are roughly 50 to 60 scholars in the world qualified to advise banks on Islamic law, and as many as ten times more are required to serve in the Middle East alone.” The London-based Chartered Institute of Management Accountants said: “The rapid growth of Islamic banking had fueled a need for Muslim financial experts. However, scholars must be experts in Islamic law and Islamic banking and, at the same time, have a thorough knowledge of conventional laws and banking systems, which requires a high standard of English.”
Reforming the legal system and training more judges will not be easy; however, it should continue to be a government priority. It is essential for our scholars to be globally connected with the needs and concerns of the international Muslim community. The codification of the Shariah law is, therefore, necessary. Moreover, it is essential not only to outline the rights and duties of citizens and expatriates alike but also to define the responsibilities and limits of all religious officials.
No one should be above the law — not judges, not members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, not the wealthy, not religious scholars. Our country will prosper only when our citizens and our guest workers are guaranteed the protection of the law. Future generations will be able to contribute and compete with the rest of the world only if they are assured the implementation of justice for all — and all can only mean everybody.
— Samar Fatany is a Saudi radio journalist. She can be reached at samarfatany@hotmail.com.
Arab News
Monday, January 28, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Steps Toward Women's Rights?
By Stephen McInerney,
Director of Advocacy, Project on Middle East Democracy
The royal family in Saudi Arabia has long been decried as one of the world's most repressive regimes. In Freedom House's annual survey of political rights and civil liberties, released earlier this month, the House of Saud maintained its ranking as one of the seventeen most repressive governments in the world. Perhaps most infamous is the particular lack of rights for the half of the Saudi citizens who are female. When King Abdullah ascended to the throne following the death of his half-brother King Fahd in 2005, many had high hopes that his rule would bring reform and greater freedom to Saudi Arabia, and to women in particular. But the reforms of the first couple of years of King Abdullah's rule were markedly underwhelming, and the area of women's rights was essentially ignored.
However, the past two weeks has quietly seen a flurry of small steps toward greater rights for women in the kingdom. Last Monday, January 21, it was reported that the Saudi government had ruled to permit women to stay in hotels without the presence of a male guardian, effective immediately. On the same day, government officials also confirmed that a decision had been reached to remove the ban on women drivers, with a decree to that effect to be issued before the end of 2008. Lifting the ban on driving would be a move of great symbolic value, as Saudi Arabia is the only country to prohibit women behind the steering wheel, and this fact is the most often cited example to demonstrate the oppression of Saudi women. Also, on Tuesday, January 29, it was revealed that the Saudi Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has approved the establishment of the first women's rights organization in the kingdom, to be known as Ansar al-Mar'ah (patrons/supporters of women).
In addition, last Friday, the first-ever women's soccer game was played in a large stadium in Dammam between teams of two Saudi universities, with the stands full of female fans and the score reported in local newspapers. Within a few days, it was announced that the Saudi government will establish women's sport clubs in the country. This is a far cry from the recent past of soccer in Saudi Arabia - just last year a professional men's game was interrupted by the official on the field so that security personnel could remove the one female in attendance - a 12-year-old girl enjoying the game with her family.
Although there have been some reports of complaints by local residents and the governor of the Eastern province over last week's game, it seems that opposition has been milder than in the past, perhaps encouraging the government to move forward with women's sport clubs.
Why Now?
This string of announcements does follow a period of intensified scrutiny and key interactions with the West, as well as some increasingly bold internal demands for reform. In December, the sentencing of a 19-year old rape victim to 200 lashes and six months in prison for being alone in a car with a man who was not her relative sparked international outrage. Following widespread condemnation, including the introduction of three bills in the U.S. Congress demanding that all charges against the victim be dropped, King Abdullah announced his decision to pardon the girl.
In UN meetings that followed in Geneva in January, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women challenged the Saudi delegation on numerous aspects of gender inequality in the kingdom. In response to concerns raised in these meetings, the UN has
now announced that the UN special rapporteur on violence against women will visit Saudi Arabia from February 4 to 13 and give a series of reports on the findings of her visit to the UN Human Rights Council.
January also saw President Bush pay a visit to the kingdom during his eight-day visit to the Middle East. On January 14, as Bush arrived in Riyadh, the State Department officially notified Congress of a controversial agreement to sell 900 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) advanced missile systems to Saudi Arabia. The sale had been delayed in the fall by strong opposition within Congress, which considerably raised the profile of numerous concerns with regard to the Saudi regime including its fostering of extremism, its destabilizing ties to insurgent groups in Iraq, and the repression of its own people.
Conclusions
In short, the Saudi regime deserves credit for these apparent openings in terms of women's rights. Given the timing, the moves appear to be at least partly the result of constructive pressure from the international community including the United States. Needless to say, the Saudi regime still has a very long path to tread in terms of women's rights and equality, but hopefully these measures signal the beginning of a long period of steady progress, rather than merely an isolated burst of activity. The recent moves can also be taken as encouraging evidence that international diplomatic pressure can yield results.
But it is critical that such pressure on the Saudi regime not abate once the long-awaited arms deal is finalized in February and a few positive steps have been taken. It is also essential that recently announced measures such as the lifting of the driving ban be carried out as planned - authoritarian Arab regimes have become increasingly adept at timing announcements of reform to relieve international pressure, then failing to carry out the steps as promised once the outside attention has diminished. If those conditions are met, and the recent moves turn out to be merely the beginning of women's rights reform in Saudi Arabia, then the steps taken in January 2008 will have been very important indeed.
Director of Advocacy, Project on Middle East Democracy
The royal family in Saudi Arabia has long been decried as one of the world's most repressive regimes. In Freedom House's annual survey of political rights and civil liberties, released earlier this month, the House of Saud maintained its ranking as one of the seventeen most repressive governments in the world. Perhaps most infamous is the particular lack of rights for the half of the Saudi citizens who are female. When King Abdullah ascended to the throne following the death of his half-brother King Fahd in 2005, many had high hopes that his rule would bring reform and greater freedom to Saudi Arabia, and to women in particular. But the reforms of the first couple of years of King Abdullah's rule were markedly underwhelming, and the area of women's rights was essentially ignored.
However, the past two weeks has quietly seen a flurry of small steps toward greater rights for women in the kingdom. Last Monday, January 21, it was reported that the Saudi government had ruled to permit women to stay in hotels without the presence of a male guardian, effective immediately. On the same day, government officials also confirmed that a decision had been reached to remove the ban on women drivers, with a decree to that effect to be issued before the end of 2008. Lifting the ban on driving would be a move of great symbolic value, as Saudi Arabia is the only country to prohibit women behind the steering wheel, and this fact is the most often cited example to demonstrate the oppression of Saudi women. Also, on Tuesday, January 29, it was revealed that the Saudi Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has approved the establishment of the first women's rights organization in the kingdom, to be known as Ansar al-Mar'ah (patrons/supporters of women).
In addition, last Friday, the first-ever women's soccer game was played in a large stadium in Dammam between teams of two Saudi universities, with the stands full of female fans and the score reported in local newspapers. Within a few days, it was announced that the Saudi government will establish women's sport clubs in the country. This is a far cry from the recent past of soccer in Saudi Arabia - just last year a professional men's game was interrupted by the official on the field so that security personnel could remove the one female in attendance - a 12-year-old girl enjoying the game with her family.
Although there have been some reports of complaints by local residents and the governor of the Eastern province over last week's game, it seems that opposition has been milder than in the past, perhaps encouraging the government to move forward with women's sport clubs.
Why Now?
This string of announcements does follow a period of intensified scrutiny and key interactions with the West, as well as some increasingly bold internal demands for reform. In December, the sentencing of a 19-year old rape victim to 200 lashes and six months in prison for being alone in a car with a man who was not her relative sparked international outrage. Following widespread condemnation, including the introduction of three bills in the U.S. Congress demanding that all charges against the victim be dropped, King Abdullah announced his decision to pardon the girl.
In UN meetings that followed in Geneva in January, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women challenged the Saudi delegation on numerous aspects of gender inequality in the kingdom. In response to concerns raised in these meetings, the UN has
now announced that the UN special rapporteur on violence against women will visit Saudi Arabia from February 4 to 13 and give a series of reports on the findings of her visit to the UN Human Rights Council.
January also saw President Bush pay a visit to the kingdom during his eight-day visit to the Middle East. On January 14, as Bush arrived in Riyadh, the State Department officially notified Congress of a controversial agreement to sell 900 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) advanced missile systems to Saudi Arabia. The sale had been delayed in the fall by strong opposition within Congress, which considerably raised the profile of numerous concerns with regard to the Saudi regime including its fostering of extremism, its destabilizing ties to insurgent groups in Iraq, and the repression of its own people.
Conclusions
In short, the Saudi regime deserves credit for these apparent openings in terms of women's rights. Given the timing, the moves appear to be at least partly the result of constructive pressure from the international community including the United States. Needless to say, the Saudi regime still has a very long path to tread in terms of women's rights and equality, but hopefully these measures signal the beginning of a long period of steady progress, rather than merely an isolated burst of activity. The recent moves can also be taken as encouraging evidence that international diplomatic pressure can yield results.
But it is critical that such pressure on the Saudi regime not abate once the long-awaited arms deal is finalized in February and a few positive steps have been taken. It is also essential that recently announced measures such as the lifting of the driving ban be carried out as planned - authoritarian Arab regimes have become increasingly adept at timing announcements of reform to relieve international pressure, then failing to carry out the steps as promised once the outside attention has diminished. If those conditions are met, and the recent moves turn out to be merely the beginning of women's rights reform in Saudi Arabia, then the steps taken in January 2008 will have been very important indeed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)