Saudi Arabia: Against Saudi odds, a woman CEO

From Marketplace, Public Radio:

Scott Jagow: In Saudi Arabia, women aren't allowed to drive -- but they can run banks and investment funds. Granted, these businesswomen are usually handed their positions within a family operation, and they're cut off from the rest of Saudi society. But that's not always the story. Kelly McEvers has a profile of one Saudi woman who's doing things differently.

Kelly McEvers: It was an accident that Nadia Al Dossary became the CEO of Al-Sale Eastern scrap metal company. Back in 2003, her husband, the founder of the company, was on his way to inspect a site for a new facility.

Al Dossary: And the driver dozed. And my husband was already sleeping. And they hit a trailer.

Her husband fell into a coma. All of a sudden, Nadia was in charge of the scrap metal business.

She had to face her husband's clients:

Al Dossary: Men who would visit him in the ICU. Some of them are Bedouins, some of them from many places in Saudi Arabia. And they wouldn't even look at me.

That's because Saudi law prohibits the mixing of unrelated men and women.

Nadia ignored the law. In the office and in the scrapyards, she gave orders to an all-male staff.

Al Dossary: I don't think they took it seriously at the beginning. I would be there, that's the only thing that I would do. Look at the papers, listen to them, and move one day by one day.

Her husband eventually woke up from the coma, but it took him years of rehab to recover. Now he's back at the office and in charge of operations.

And Nadia?

Al Dossary: I'm his boss.

Nadia spends her days searching for new markets and overseeing the assembly of a giant new $12 million shredder.

Al Dossary: This is the shredder project, this is actually the original maps of the project itself . . .

She first joined Al-Sale Eastern as a middle manager. By the time of her husband's accident, she knew how the company worked. She's faced few obstacles since.

One day, though, she had to appear in court over a small claim against a company driver. The strict religious judge separated her from the men, and wouldn't allow her speak.

Al Dossary: They would let me sit in a place that looked like a closet, and the window had bars. And I sat there like a stupid chair. And I would think, what else happens on those courts, to other women?

So now, Nadia Al Dossary tries to be a role model for young Saudi women who want to start their own businesses. Her advice is to charge forward -- and worry about the consequences later.

Al Dossary: I have a very simple rule: Just break the law and then say, "Oops, I made it." And I never look back.

In Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, I'm Kelly McEvers for Marketplace.

Saudi Arabia: U.S. Universities Join Saudis in Partnerships

Three prominent American universities — the University of Texas at Austin, the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University — are starting five-year partnerships, worth $25 million or more, with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, a graduate-level research university being built in Saudi Arabia.

Under the agreements, the mechanical engineering department at Berkeley, the computer-science department and Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering at Stanford, and the Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences at the University of Texas will help pick the faculty and develop the curriculum for the new university, known by the acronym Kaust, which is scheduled to open next year with a $10 billion endowment.

Over the five years, each university will receive a $10 million gift, $10 million for research on their home campus and $5 million for research at Kaust, as well as administrative costs.

“The agreement will allow us to improve our facilities here in California, and fund a stream of graduate students, without taxing our existing infrastructure,” said Albert Pisano, the chairman of Berkeley’s mechanical engineering department, which he said had voted 34 to 2 to proceed with the agreement. “We’re going to work on projects that are good for the Middle East and for California, like energy sources beyond petroleum, improved water desalination, and solar energy in the desert.”

Despite its enormous oil wealth, Saudi Arabia lacks world-class research universities. In the last few years, as the Persian Gulf nations have begun to worry about the eventual need to convert from an oil-based economy to a knowledge-based economy, they have started offering lavish inducements to American universities to bring their expertise to the region.

Although men and women will be able to mingle freely at the new university, faculty members at the American institutions said they were concerned about the possible pitfalls of working in a society where women cannot drive, gay rights do not exist and Israelis are not welcome.

The agreements do contain an exit clause. “We have a 30-day cancellation provision, allowing us to leave the agreement with no penalty if at any time we are dissatisfied,” Dr. Pisano said.
University officials said they had addressed the issues of academic and personal freedom head-on.

“We are working with a university that has guaranteed nondiscrimination on the basis of race, religion or gender,” said Peter Glynn, director of the Stanford institute. “We recognize that this university operates in Saudi Arabia. Having said that, this university recognizes that if it wants to be world-class, it has to be able to freely attract the best students and faculty from around the world.”

He acknowledged that the issue could be sticky. “We have several Israeli faculty involved with this, but to be honest, there’s very little of what Stanford will be doing that will involve travel to Saudi Arabia,” he said. He added that Stanford’s main role would be devising the curriculum and recruiting initial faculty members, from around the world. “We believe this university can have a major impact in Saudi Arabia and in the region, and that’s why we’re doing this.”

Kaust has already announced partnerships with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, the Institut Français du Pétrole, the National University of Singapore, the American University of Cairo, the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and others.

-- The New York Times, By TAMAR LEWIN

Jordan: ‘Progress for women is progress for all’

AMMAN - Gender mainstreaming is expensive but a worthy investment that will enhance a county’s financial prosperity and human development, UN agencies in Jordan stressed during an International Women’s Day celebration on Tuesday.

The commemoration ceremony, held under the patronage of HRH Princess Basma in coordination with local UN heads of mission, highlighted this year’s theme: “Financing for Gender Equality and Empowerment”.

According to UN agencies, there is a critical need for increased investment in women and girls, and political rhetoric and objectives are not compatible with the required human and financial resources.

They emphasised that donors and governments should decisively identify the country’s needs and have more political will to advocate for budget allocations.

In her keynote address, Princess Basma pointed out that “intensive efforts are required to counteract women’s under-representation [in the Kingdom], particularly in areas such as trade, infrastructure, and finance”.

She explained that although increasing financial commitments on already overburdened budgets may not be greatly welcomed by financial decision-makers, it should be remembered that ultimately these measures are for the good of all.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Princess saluted Jordanian women and the women of Palestine, “particularly Gazan women who are enduring overwhelming hardships under fierce Israeli attacks”.

Participants stood for a moment of silence and prayer “for the martyrs who lost their lives”, at her request.

Meanwhile, UN resident coordinator, Luc Stevens noted that in spite of the many commitments made by national and international stakeholders, much remains to be done to counter impediments to the advancement of women.

He cited the 2005 World Summit, when governments of all nations agreed with General Assembly Resolution 60/1: “Progress for women is progress for all”.

Gender equality commitments were made through the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action, the outcome of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly in 2000, the 2000 Millennium Summit, the 2002 Monterrey Consensus and the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.

“Despite these commitments, there are still insufficient resources to adequately support policies and programmes that promote the advancement of women,” Stevens said.

He explained that the lack of resources and insufficient budgetary allocations also hold back efforts to realise all the Millennium Development Goals.

“We are now at the mid-point of our journey to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, and only by investing in the world’s women and girls can we expect to reach our destination,” the UN official added.

On a positive note, Mouna Ghanem, UNIFEM Arab States regional office director, told The Jordan Times that the Kingdom already recognises the need for women’s progress and has many projects geared towards this goal.

“The environment is already conducive to the empowerment of women, we should use this advantage and exert more efforts for further growth in all areas for women, including politics,” she said.

Some of the challenges stakeholders face in mobilising increased support include the lack of senior gender specialists and the absence of dialogue between the public and private sectors, donors, research bodies and women’s organisations, according to the UN.

A few of the UN recommendations presented at yesterday’s event included increasing support for analytical work to identify inequalities, making poverty reduction strategies more gender responsive, and ensuring that trade promotes economic growth, employment and development for all.

-- By Linda Hindi, Jordan Times

Saudi Arabia: Rights Body to Have Women Board Members

RIYADH — The Human Rights Commission (HRC) is to appoint Saudi women as board members following a royal decree approving the move, according to the group’s President Turki Al-Sudairi.

Saudi women already work part-time at HRC’s headquarters in Riyadh as part of an initial step to fully introduce women into the body. Women also work full time at HRC offices in the Eastern Province and Jeddah.

Saudi Arabia’s governmental human rights watchdog announced that it was planning to launch a 24-hour hot line to receive complaints from both citizens and expatriate residents. The announcement was made during a press conference on Monday following the launch of the HRC’s website www.haq-ksa.gov.

Al-Sudairi said the purpose behind naming the website “haq,” which means “right” in Arabic, was to create awareness among the Saudi public about human rights. He added that the website would allow people from across the Kingdom to file complaints without having to visit an HRC center.

The HRC president said the body was currently in the final stages of publishing its first report on human rights in Saudi Arabia. Since its inception two years ago, the HRC has been able to resolve 1,500 cases of the total complaints it received. He added that the organization was unable to resolve all issues, as many of them did not have any legal basis. “Only 50 percent of the cases that we receive are based on legal grounds,” said Al-Sudairi.

The HRC president said that government agencies were responsive to questions that the body sends them. He, however, added that the cooperation was not 100 percent. “We hope that government bodies will be more responsive,” he said.

Commenting on Saudi nationals held captive in Iraq, Al-Sudairi said the rights body was coordinating with the Interior Ministry and the Foreign Ministry, as well as Iraqi human rights groups through non-official channels. “We still do not have direct contact with the Iraqi government,” he said.

Al-Sudairi ruled the possibility of the HRC tackling the issue of growing prices in the Kingdom. “The HRC would not indulge in a matter of which it has little knowledge,” he said, adding that the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Finance were the two bodies concerned with the matter.

According to local reports, inflation in Saudi Arabia has reached over 6 percent — a record high. The Kingdom’s grand mufti and the imams of the holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah have highlighted the issue. They urged merchants to fear God and put the national interest first when it came to fixing prices.

-- Raid Qusti, Arab News

Jordan: Queen Rania Urges Investments To Benefit Women Around the Globe

WASHINGTON – Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan addressed a cross section of prominent Washingtonians today in observance of International Women's Day, which is celebrated on March 8 around the world, to stress the need for more investment in women’s advancement.

Her Majesty focused her remarks on the progress women have made in advancing economic opportunity and building civil society and political progress. Queen Rania also noted that despite the strides women have made, many challenges remain.

Citing her first hand field experiences, the Queen spoke passionately about the changes she has seen, especially in Jordan and in the region, when women have access to business opportunities and political participation.“We are moving in the right direction,” she said of the Arab world, “The number of Arab women entrepreneurs is on the rise… in my travels across the region, from Lebanon to Morocco to Dubai, I see Arab women taking on an ever greater role in society – as doctors, lawyers, teachers, journalists, politicians and more.”

She reminded her audience that investments in women benefit all sectors of society. “Working women are not only better able to support their families, they strengthen productivity and bolster growth for their communities and their countries,” said the Queen.

The Queen applauded Vital Voices’ newest initiative to advance the status of women, calling the campaign “a path-breaking coalition to invest in women’s leadership.”The Women Can Campaign, launched this week to coincide with International Women’s Day, will help identify, inspire, train, and empower women leaders in developing countries and emerging democracies around the world, and to communicate the value of women’s leadership.

The Queen praised the campaign's founder, Melanne Verveer, Chair of Vital Voices Global Partnership, and her partners: Exxon Mobil Corporation, designer and CEO Diane von Furstenberg, International Business Advisor Carly Fiorina, and Advertising Firm EURO RSCG Worldwide for their leadership.Last month, Queen Rania visited another project designed to empower females, Girls Count – A Global Action and Investment Agenda, whose motto is "counting girls, investing in girls and advocating for girls."

The program came out of the Coalition for Adolescent Girls, made up of UN agencies, NGOs, and companies committed to the idea that girls are the most cost effective and best investment that can be made toalleviate poverty and improve society. The program’s partners are the UN Foundation and the Nike Foundation. Today's event was co-sponsored by The United Nations Foundation, Vital Voices Global Partnership and The Coca-Cola Company.

-- From Earth Times

Yemen: 220 women killed or injured in drive against Sa'ada rebels

Sana'a: At least 220 women were either killed, injured, attacked or detained during a four-year sporadic armed confrontation between the government troops and rebels in Sa'ada north of Yemen, a women's rights group said on Tuesday.

The recently established organisation, Defa'a Movement, listed the 220 women by name and incidents in a press release issued on the occasion of the World Women's Day. As many as 71 women were killed, 67 injured, 59 attacked and 22 were detained during the period from mid 2004 till end of 2007. These figures do not present all cases, the organisation said, because many families preferred not to reveal the sufferings of their women.

The violations registered by the organisation included killing, detention, torture, expelling from house, plundering properties, threats and discrimination.

The organisation blamed mainly the government troops, tribesmen loyal to government and Salafi religious groups for the sufferings of those women. The organisation called for neutral investigation into such violations, and for giving fair compensations to all war-affected women.

A Qatari-brokered deal is being implemented now to end the war between the government troops and the rebels.

-- By Nasser Arrabyee, Correspondent

Saudi Arabia: Human Rights Commission Launches Website

Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat- On March 2, 2008, the head of the Human Rights Commission, Turki Sudairi inaugurated the Saudi Human Rights Commission’s website that will now accept complaints submitted via email and offer various online services.

Dr. Zaid al Hussein, the vice president of the Commission’s board for journalists, explained that “Anybody can lodge a complaint via e-mail. However, before we proceed with the complaint, we will determine the credibility of the sender.”

According to Sudairi, the Human Rights Commission is facing problems with up to half of the cases that it deals with as a result of “the lack of rules to regulate the process of examining these complaints.”

The Human Rights Commission has resolved approximately 1,500 cases whilst only 20-30% of cases presented to it have been settled, explained Sudairi.

At a press conference after the inauguration of the Commission’s website Sudairi stated, “The cases in which the Commission intervened have been settled on a personal level and did not reach the level of documentation.” Cases that have been solved have been related to security, social, domestic and work issues.

The head of the Commission stated that the level of response from the Commission was yet to improve and that efforts should be doubled in this regard.

Turki Sudairi alluded to the possibility of women becoming board members of the Commission and referred to the failure to open a women-only office in the Saudi capital for “bureaucratic reasons.”

According to Sudairi, however, there is an active group of female workers who work in women-only environments at the Commission’s two offices in Dammam and Jeddah, in addition to other women who, through the Commission’s headquarters in Riyadh, submit reports on domestic cases at the request of the Commission itself.

Al Sudairi stated that the Human Rights Commission is on the verge of completing its first report.

The Commission is awaiting approval from the authorities of a public strategy that it has prepared to spread the culture of human rights in Saudi society, which is expected to come into effect soon according to Dr. Zaid al Hussein.

The website of the Human Rights Commission will conduct public opinion polls via interactive services, and the results, according to al Hussein, will be presented as statistics through the website.

The community will be able to communicate with representatives of the website via a “messenger” service in order to launch continuous dialogue between all parties, said Zaid al Hussein.

The official spokesman for the Human Rights Commission and board member Zuhair al Hareth told Asharq Al-Awsat that the organisation plans to establish a 24-hour emergency phone line for those involved in cases.

-- By Turki Al-Saheil, Al Sharq al Awsat

Kuwait: State launches program to grant women prominent role in society

UNITED NATIONS, (KUNA): Sheikha Hessa Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, Deputy Chairperson of Women's Affairs Committee of the Kuwaiti Cabinet, announced late Saturday the launch of a women's empowerment program in her country and called on the private sector to contribute to this national project.

Sheikha Hessa, also Chairwoman of the Council of Arab Businesswomen, is currently participating in 52nd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. 'I would like to take this opportunity to announce the launch of our ambitious development project for women's empowerment, which will take place in cooperation with the Arab League,' she said. She explained that the project included training programs and rehabilitation, adding that it would be implemented by Yanuf Consultation and Training Co, one of the leading Kuwait private sector firms working in this field.

Sheikha Hessa added that the empowerment project was the result of a series of meetings of the Kuwaiti Cabinet's committee for women's affairs, saying that the focus would be on workshops for small and medium business holders, as well as those working in the vocational field in order to better prepare them for the labor market.

She called on the private sector in Kuwait to help make this project a success, especially as women empowerment would be effective in achieving sustainable development. The UN Millennium Goals of 2000 placed great emphasis on the concept of women empowerment, she added. As for the participation of the Kuwaiti delegation in the UN Commission on the Status of Women session, she said it was 'successful,' adding that she was honored to deliver Kuwait's speech before the commission.

'We highlighted the constant activity and development in women's affairs and their empowerment politically, economically and socially ... we also showed examples and results of positive empowerment in Kuwait,' Sheikha Hessa added. Such results would not have been possible without the support of the Kuwaiti leadership, she said.

The commission is a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women. Representatives of its member states gather at UN Headquarters in New York annually to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote the status of women worldwide.

Bahrain: Activists call for new legislation to empower women in Bahrain

Women remain unequal before the law unless vital legislations pertaining to their rights are passed, according to human rights activists.

As NGOs and pro-women advocacy groups prepare to celebrate anew the International Women’s Day this week, many say that the government had continued to stall proactive action on legislations relating to women.

Among others, the activists cited the lack of action towards the passage of the Family Law and the elimination of discrimination against women. Domestic violence was also one issue that had not been totally addressed with practically no single person ever facing prosecution for physically or verbally assaulting women.

“Many years had passed and we still do not have the laws that have been much talked about. Women still remain at a receiving end,” said Fawzia Rabea, woman rights activist and coordinator of the Al Sharaka movement.

The International Women’s Day will be observed on the 8th of March and local organisations are already lining up activities to mark the day. The Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society, with its allied women’s group Respect, noted in its report earlier this month that there were as much as 700 reported cases of domestic violence last year.

“The incidents of domestic violence continued to rise. There is also a rise in cases related to divorce and custody of children,” said Faisal Fulad, society regional director.

Despite the cases being reported, very few of them ever reach prosecution or get fully settled in court because of the lack of legislation, claim women activists. The executive and legislative authorities are yet to enact a unified Family Law and to ensure housemaids’ protection in particular.

Various groups such as the Supreme Council for Women had constantly lobbied for the passage of laws and Bahrain’s full ratification, without reservation, of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. Bahrain ratified the said convention but with reservation in 2002.

The government had taken steps to address women’s rights issues. One of recent legislations that the government passed relating to women’s protection was that of the law against human trafficking.

-- Bahrain Tribune

Yemen: Discriminative legislation hinders women’s political participation

SANA'A — The Sisters Arab Forum for Human Rights (SAF) organized the fourth Democratic Forum on Thursday. In line with a series of forums that SAF has organized to improve political participation of women, the forum discussed the legislative challenges that hinder women's political participation, as an effort to lobby Ministerial council and mobilize the media and civil society to approve the 15 percent quota for women's representation in political parties that was not approved last week by the Ministerial Council within the group of amendments that the Woman National Committee proposed.

Chairing the forum was Maha Awadh, Program Coordinator of the Women’s National Committee, Parliament member Abdulbary Dughaish, and journalist Muna Safwan. More than 60 participants representing the media, different NGOs and CSOs attended.

Awadh presented a paper on the legislative challenges and the proposed amendments to enhance women’s political participation. She explained that there is a reflective mutual relation between social, cultural, economical and political institutions and structures, as well as society’s perception towards women, with the legislative laws. She further illustrated that the absence of women participation in writing legislation, and their exclusion in laws, which refer only to men, make them servants to the vision and interest of men.

Awadh further explained that the structure of legislature, even with its variations to consider women’s interests, in fact reflects the equality of duties and responsibilities, starting at the constitution in addressing citizens, both men and women, as article 41 reads, “All citizens are equal in general duties and responsibilities.”

She also indicated that the constitution also refers to partnership participation in organizing the rights and duties for men and women; however, the reference to the organization of women’s rights and duties is, as stated in the constitution, based on sharia,or Islamic law. She expressed her confidence in sharia, and elaborated that it has given women a high status and ensured her full human rights.

However, she questioned whether human factors were considered in the legislative efforts or whether it was subject to the influence of Yemen’s inherited customs and traditions to overcome the Islamic legislation that supports women.

Moreover, Awadh noted that there is another discourse to the principle of equality in rights and duties which was used in the constitution and created an obstacle for its disclosure. She claimed that this is evident in Article 107, which addresses men only, stating “…not married to a foreigner (female wife) and shall not get married while serving in his presidency term from a foreigner (female wife)”, indicating that there is a specific limit/glass ceiling to women’s political rights.

She elaborated that Article 61 of the Civil Law enhances the stereotypes of gender roles when it states “…the girl should look after domestic responsibilities.” Additionally, Article 42 of 1994 Ministerial Decree 12, on crime and punishment, sets the penalty for accidentally killing a woman at half that of killing a man, revealing a gender gap and unequal citizenship between men and women. Furthermore, Article 3 of Law 6 in 1990, regarding nationality, indicating that Yemeni nationality will be granted to someone whose “father” is Yemeni.

Awadh claimed that such discriminative law statements enhance discrimination against women and establish more obstacles that impact their status in society.Referring to the laws that directly hinder women’s political participation, Awadh explained that Article 7 of the General Elections Law is one of the most important articles empowering women’s political participation as voters; however, a similar article to enhance women’s political participation as candidates does not exist.

Additionally, she pointed to Article 58 of the Political Parties and Institutions Law, which obligates potential candidates to be approved by a party chairperson or high official, has a negative impact on women’s candidacies, as the social environment does not allow an equal opportunity for competition and hence women are considered as a losing card, discouraging political parties or institutions to put forward female nominations. Awadh further emphasized that the electoral system, based on the individual constituency, does not serve both men and women.

Additionally, Dughaish presented a paper on Parliament’s role to approve and enforce law amendments relevant to women. He presented the implementation model of the Safe Motherhood Law, acknowledging the huge and honest role of the governmental mechanism to women’s development - the Woman National Committee - and the advocacy of women’s rights in the Legislative Council.

The forum concluded with a set of important recommendations, including intensifying pressure mechanisms to lobby for the legislative amendments, continuing the dialogue to approve a 15% quota for women in political parties, and supporting and coordinating partnership efforts between all the supporting women mechanisms to promote female candidacy and increase the number of women in decision-making positions.

Additionally, recommendations were made to encourage the role of women’s organizations in providing capacity building to women in political work, raising awareness of a woman’s role and status in society to change behaviors and practices that reflect inferiority, raising awareness among women on their legislative rights and how to obtain legal protection, and involving women and women’s organizations when writing and discussing parliamentary laws.

-- Yemen Times

Egypt: Making room for women to participate in upcoming municipal elections

Amid preparations for next April's local council elections, Farkhonda Hassan, secretary-general of the National Council for Women (NCW) suggests that Article 62 of the constitution be amended since it limits the participation of women to only two per cent of seats. Hassan wants to see this figure increase to at least 30 per cent, as is the case in India, where local councils are considered the basic training for women to acquire political experience. She also believes that this would prepare the legislature to change the electoral system in the future to respond to developments in society.

The required increase, according to Hassan, will only be accomplished by returning to the quota system giving women a minimum number of seats in all legislative councils. She suggested that this would be a temporary measure for 25 years or so, in order to enable women to gain experience, credibility and compete on equal basis. "The council has finished amendments to Article 62 of the constitution, but postponed submitting it for approval to the People's Assembly until redrafting the localities law," revealed Hassan.

Women in Egypt have struggled to acquire equal political rights in order to participate in formulating national policies, lawmaking, professional syndicates, NGOs, or merely to cast a ballot. Participation at the grassroots and policy-making levels would enable them to influence the development process, and ensure that their problems are addressed, given priority and resolved.

Figures in a study conducted by the NCW show that the participation of women in legislative councils, whether as voters or candidates, is not commensurate with their numerical weight in society where they constitute slightly less than 50 per cent of the population. This could be attributed to the political environment which does not encourage the political participation of either men or women -- reflected in the so-called "silent majority" -- as well as the institutional weakness of political parties and civil society organisations.

Moreover, Egyptian women have only been involved in parliamentary life since 1957 and hence have not accumulated sufficient resources or experience to compete with men on an equal basis. Lawyer and feminist Mona Zulficar noted that this is why laws were amended to guarantee minimum female representation in the People's Assembly. This was done through Law 38/1972, as amended by Law 21/1979 and Law 114/1983, regarding the People's Assembly allocating one seat for women in each constituency, totaling 31 seats or less than seven per cent of MPs.

But in an unrelated case before the Supreme Constitutional Court in 1986, a footnote stated that allocating a maximum number of seats for women was unconstitutional, on the grounds that it violated the principle of equality enshrined in the constitution. "The People's Assembly immediately amended the law and cancelled this provision," revealed Zulficar.

Women have traditionally played an important role in local councils because of their interest and involvement in the day- to-day problems of their local communities. Moreover, local councils are an important step in building constituencies to run in parliamentary elections. In 1979, under the quota system, female membership in local councils exceeded 10 per cent; but when the system was cancelled in 1986, this figure dropped to about 1.2 per cent in 1992 and 1997, and fell further in 2002 to about only one per cent, stated Zulficar.

The sitting 857 female members of local council require more support on the governmental and non- governmental levels, according to Hassan. Female candidates require political parties to nominate at least 30 to 50 per cent women in legislative elections, she said, as is the case in France where the minimum number of female candidates must be 50 per cent.

This proposal would enhance the political participation process, Hassan suggested, and end accusations of inequality since it leaves the final word to the electorate but obliges parties to promote political participation and leadership among all segments of society. Hassan added that the NCW has created a centre to contribute to building female cadres capable of taking part in different elections, as well as spread and activate the culture of participation among women.

-- by Reem Leila, Al Ahram News

Saudi Arabia: Bring in workers but train Saudis too: Al-Ghosaibi

Once the rallying cry of Saudi Labor Minister Dr. Ghazi Abdul Rahman Al-Ghosaibi's drive to make the Kingdom's economy owned and operated by Saudis, "saudization" has hit a brick wall.

"Saudization has actually been reduced in many sectors since I took over," Al-Ghosaibi told gathered guests at the Jeddah Economic Forum on Tuesday. Last year we issued 1.8 million visas for expat workers, which is more than we have ever issued in one year."

And Al-Ghosaibi said he is perfectly content to continue issuing visas for foreign workers as long as the sponsor is willing to show him a plan that will provide training for Saudis along the same lines. The days of bringing in foreign workers to do jobs that Saudis can do or be trained to do are over.

"If you want a hundred visas," he said, "then show me a plan that will train a hundred Saudis, as well."

Saudization or, now, "localization" has been criticized by many private sector employers who say that the Saudi work force is too inexperienced, too untrained and too devoid of a work ethic to have acquired the skills and tenacity to hold down many jobs in the private sector.

He rejected that argument, taking up the defense of Saudi youth and calling the nation's boys and girls "committed and responsible." Then, turning the table on employers, he accused the private sector of offering inadequate employment, arguing that the private sector must offer the same holidays, the same pay and the same general employment environment as the government offers.

He pointed to Aramco as an example of what is needed to lure and keep workers in the private sector.

"There is no complaint about Saudi youth from them," he maintained, going on to praise those young Saudis who have struck out on their own, taking out loans to start successful businesses.

"Women in the workplace" was also on his agenda, and he said that his ministry is trying to expand the presence of women in the workforce slowly but effectively. "

Job opportunities should be made available to women on an equal basis with men," he said, highlighting the need to increase the opportunities for women.

"Right now, 90 percent of working women in Saudi Arabia are school teachers while 10 percent are advisers. But increasing and diversifying the role of women in the workforce is not solely the job of government, he stressed.

"The primary reason that there are so few women in other sectors is that they do not receive the support of their families to explore new or different ground," he said.

- Saudi Gazette

Egypt: Court appoints woman to perform, register marriages

CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian court on Monday appointed a woman to perform and register marriages, the first such appointment in Egypt's history, state news agency MENA said.

The court in the Nile Delta town of Zagazig granted Amal Selim, 32, the right to perform the duties of a ma'dhun in a town in Sharkia province, according to MENA.

It said Selim had applied to the position four months ago, the only woman out of 11 applicants for the job.

According to MENA, Selim said she was sure she would get the job because of her faith in the Egyptian judiciary and because she was the only candidate with a master's degree.

In April, Egypt appointed 30 women as judges, the largest such group to be appointed since 2003 when President Hosni Mubarak first named a woman judge.

Several Arab countries already have women sitting as judges.

- Reuters

Saudi Arabia: KSU Girls Prep for Dialogue Forum

RIYADH, 26 February 2008 — The King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue organized a meeting at the women’s section of King Saud University’s to pave the ground for the “Seventh National Dialogue Forum” that is scheduled to take place today.

Women from various universities, colleges and institutes exchanged their views regarding the future of job opportunities. The meeting, the fifth of its kind, reflected an outstanding level of awareness among young undergraduates and graduates as they discussed employment and related issues and laid down their expectations.

Many issues of concern were brought to the limelight. The graduates talked about the favoritism and its negative effect in the workplace. The girls talked about waiting for years to be employed although some have graduated with honors.

“The important issue is to forge cooperation between universities and the Labor Ministry to study society’s needs and accordingly start specialties that would actually have a place in the market,” said Mashael, one of the participants.

Among the demands raised by the graduates was training courses for Arabic literature graduates who are interested in entering the media and journalism field in men’s colleges.

Secretary-General of the King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue Faisal bin Abdurahman bin Muammar disclosed this week that the fifth preparatory meeting would discuss a long list of themes, including work culture, labor legislations and the role of the private sector in providing job opportunities for an ever-increasing number of employment-seekers.

Al-Muammar pointed out that the dialogue would discuss ways to enable women to play a bigger role in the nation’s economic life.

Another issue addressed was promoting legal studies. Nursing graduates also raised concerns regarding low pay and long hours in this profession. The meeting brought to question the destiny of decision No. 120 made by the Ministry of Labor enabling women to work in boutiques and lingerie shops. Some of the graduates expressed their support to the decision, which was aimed at reducing unemployment among graduates by 28 percent.

- Walaa Hawari, Arab News

Bahrain: Forum on ways to end violence against women

The UN information centre in Bahrain will hold a forum tomorrow to discuss ways and means of ending violence against women. The occasion will coincide with the launch of ‘Unite To End Violence Against Women’ world campaign by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

The UN has invited government officials, representatives from the civil and private sectors and also media representatives to participate in the event.

“In addition to mobilising the usual partners on women empowerment, the UN is calling on the private sector and the business community, men and women alike, to join the Secretary-General’s campaign that will call for a focus on investing in women and girls,” UNIC said in a statement yesterday.

According to UN estimates at least one out of every three women in the world is likely to be beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime. One in five women will become a victim of rape or attempted rape.

Qatar: Municipal member threatens to quit

DOHA • The lone woman member of the Central Municipal Council (CMC), Sheikha Al Jefairi, has threatened to quit in protest against what she says are improper procedures being followed from the start of the current term of the Council.

Speaking on the phone from Cairo, Al Jefairi told The Peninsula yesterday: "Yes, I have told the Council I would resign if these wrong procedures are not done away with."

During the regular meeting of the CMC on Tuesday, Al Jaffiri criticised the decision to withhold the recommendations of the Council's services committee. The recommendations should be made available to all CMC members before the meeting. It may be noted that only some of the 29 members of the CMC are on the services panel.

Although Al Jefairi is not a member of the services committee and instead heads the Council's legal committee, she told the House not revealing the panel's recommendations on key public issues before the regular meeting of the CMC is a violation of the code of ethics and procedures of the democratically-elected council.

Al Jefairi, who represents the Old Airport area of Doha in the CMC and had won for the second time the last election with a thumping majority, said the practice prevented CMC members from studying the issues listed in the recommendations and taking notes since they directly impact citizens.

Access to the recommendations before they are discussed in the House would help members seek the views of citizens and experts on these issues, she said.

She also criticized the CMC Chairman's decision to end the meeting of the Council without ratifying the recommendations made at the end of deliberations.

The decision is in breach of Article 51 of the law governing the duties of the council which stipulates that CMC recommendations and resolutions should be decided by majority of votes, she said.

"As head of the legal affairs committee at the Council, I reject such unethical procedures being followed at the meetings," Al Jaffiri pointed out.

Ibrahim Al Ibrahim Al Jefairi, another CMC member, supported her stand and said that he had already resigned from the services committee over the issue she has raised. He said all CMC members should get documents in advance to study the issues.

Meanwhile, the CMC meeting reviewed the recommendations on soaring prices in Qatar and were forwarded to the Ministry of Economy for necessary action. The recommendations include diversification of imported products to Qatar, particularly foodstuffs and building materials besides granting new licences for the import of vegetables and fruits for new companies and offering them space in the central market to facilitate merchandise.

- The Peninsula/ By Mohamed Saeed

Saudi Arabia: Women Driving Is Not in Conflict With Religion: Scholars

JEDDAH, 21 February 2008 — A well-regarded Saudi religious scholar said that there is nothing in Islamic law that bans women from driving and that the fatwas issued in this regard are based on individual judgments.

“In principle women driving is permitted in Islam,” said Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Al-Obaikan, a member of the Kingdom’s Council of Senior Islamic Scholars.

The ban, he said, has to do with the social complications rather than the act itself. As an example, the sheikh referred to a fatwa from former Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin-Baz that said it is permitted for women in rural areas to drive cars, but that they should be forbidden from driving in the cities where, as Al-Obaikan said, “youths (even) harass women accompanied by parents and drivers.

He said if certain issues are resolved, such as the problem of men’s behavior and traffic safety, then he sees no religiously motivated conflict with women driving.

Sheikh Mehsin Al-Awaji, another prominent religious scholar in the Kingdom, agreed. “No religious scholar is going to tell you differently,” he said. “But (the issue of) women driving comes as a ‘package’ and we need to fix the ‘package’ before making the decision (to allow women to drive).”

Expanding on the idea that allowing women to drive in Saudi Arabia comes with a “package” of issues, Al-Awaji said there needs to be Saudi women working as police officers, mechanics and other positions. The sheikh diminished the significance of women driving, saying that myriad social reforms have higher priority, even in the realm of empowering women or encouraging public participation in important social challenges.

Fawzeyah Al-Oyouni, a woman’s rights and human rights activist, said that most people agree that Islam doesn’t forbid women from driving. The problem, she says, is that the government isn’t moving fast enough to implement the necessary actions to open the way for a smooth transition toward allowing women to drive.

The Saudi government has pointed out that there is no law that states women cannot drive. “The Interior Ministry’s stand is clear on this,” said ministry spokesman Gen. Mansour Al-Turki.

But in reality women are occasionally arrested when found driving. Arab News reported several instances in recent years of situations where women have been stopped by authorities and detained for the infraction of driving a vehicle.

In a previous statement, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah said that Saudi women would be permitted to drive someday.

Arab News asked 125 men what they thought of the issue. Ten men categorically opposed the idea; 36 men were fully in support of an unqualified lift on the social ban; and the rest would be OK with women driving with a few ground rules.

Most of the men who expressed reservations to an unqualified lift on the social ban — 80 of them — said they were concerned about safety due to the hazardous conditions on Saudi roads and lack of sufficient enforcement of traffic laws. Sixteen men expressed religious reservations; 21 men expressed financial reasons while eight expressed social concerns.

Four hundred Saudi and non-Saudi women were asked by Arab News about the subject. Out of this survey, Arab News found that 282 of these women would drive cars on their own, without a male guardian. Forty-four women said they would continue to use drivers. Thirty women said they would only drive with their male guardian in the car. Thirty-two women said they would drive with a relative in the vehicle. A dozen women said they opposed the idea of women driving.
Out of these women, 122 said they wouldn’t drive on Saudi roads due to safety concerns while 296 said they would have to see better enforcement of rules before they would feel safe driving. Seventy-two women said they’d rise to the challenge of driving in Saudi Arabia’s traffic.

- Samir Al-Saadi, Arab News

Jordan: New campaign to raise awareness on women’s rights

AMMAN - Hoping to make proposed changes to the Personal Status Law permanent, women’s rights activists this week announced a new campaign to raise public awareness and get their concerns back on policymakers’ agenda.

“The Right to Equal Rights” campaign will include a petition drive and a march to Parliament, according to Nuha Mahrez, head of the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development’s (JOHUD) women’s empowerment programme.

The new campaign is in response to 2001 amendments to the law, which included an increase in the legal age from 15 for women and 16 for men to 18 for both.

The legislation also gave women “khuloe”, or the right to divorce without the husband’s consent, as long as the woman agreed to renounce any right to the couple’s finances or her dowry.

Seven years later, activists have yet to see Parliament make the amendments permanent, with the measures voted down by the Lower House in 2003 and 2004.

In addition, a loophole in the amendments allows women to get married as young as 15 if the suitor is proven financially able to pay for a dowry and support his family.

The campaign calls on lawmakers to close this loophole, and women activists plan to meet with deputies to discuss making the amendment permanent.

In addition to JOHUD, the coalition includes the Queen Zein Al Sharaf Institute, the Jordanian National Forum for Women, the Performing Arts Centre and Freedom House.

Another proposed change calls for allocating compensation to women under khuloe based on the length of the marriage and her income.

The initiative also calls for an amendment allowing equal visitation rights for mothers in cases of separation or divorce, Mahrez said.

A judge would be designated to mediate the dispute if both parties are unable to reconcile visitation times.

Mahrez said the campaign also seeks to win the support of clerics and imams, encouraging them to raise the issue of equal rights in their Friday sermons and to address misconceptions surrounding women’s empowerment, the Personal Status Law and Islam.

“The changes in the law aren’t against religion, but protect basic human rights, which are enshrined in Sharia,” Mahrez said.

The campaign, which will continue throughout the year, will also include play performances in each governorate, teaching children the importance of equal rights.

By Taylor Luck from the Jordan Times

Morocco: Over 5,500 cases of violence against women in 2007

Fez (east of Rabat) - A total of 5,650 cases of violence against women, including 3,010 at workplaces, were reported in 2007 in Morocco, according to Fez-based Center for People's Rights (French acronym CDG).

Violence against women climaxed in May with 680 documented cases, while some 660 cases were reported in April, 635 in November, 577 in October, 571 in February, 530 in June, 525 in March, 420 in July, 416 in September, 262 in January and 160 in December, director of the center, Jamal Chahdi, said.

General violence acts include rape, physical violence, non-payment of alimony, eviction from marital home, repudiation, insults, abuse and sexual harassment, while violence at workplaces include illegal dismissal, not reporting work hours, sexual harassment, denial of insurance or compensation for extra-hours and disrespect of the Labor Code.

On ways to curtail violence against women, Mr. Chahdi called for the involvement of all social actors to ensure an optimal implementation of the Family Code provisions, a quicker implementation of violence-related sentences and the defense of women’s rights at workplaces.

He also called for respecting the Labor Code, creating business committees and health services in workplaces, simplifying court procedures in labor disputes and boosting the role of trade unions by ensuring a larger representation of women.

Touching on the endeavors made so far in the field, Mr. Chahdi hailed Morocco’s women-friendly measure to combat violence through setting up a national strategy for the defense of women's rights and the creation by the Ministry of Justice of special crisis centers to accommodate and comfort women victims of violence. He finally called for encouraging education to human rights to "change social stereotypes and attitudes."

Founded in 1999 by a group of human rights activists in the region of Fez, the Center for People's Rights (CDG) aims to create a national network for the defense and education to human rights.

-Maghreb Arabe Press

Saudi Arabia: Religious police hit back over woman held in cafe

RIYADH - Saudi Arabia’s religious police hit back on Tuesday at critics of their arrest of a businesswoman in a Starbucks cafe for mixing with a male colleague, threatening to sue a journalist.

The powerful Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, or religious police, charged the Saudi woman was making ‘suspicious gestures’ while in the man’s company and broke the law on several counts, in a statement published in the local press.

The commission ‘reserves the right of its members ... to claim their legal right from columnist Abdullah Al Alami who accused them of abduction,’ it said.

The religious police, commonly known as Muttawa, said Alami, a columnist for the daily Al Watan, had also accused them of strip-searching the woman, ‘which is no less reprehensible than ... the crime of kidnapping’.

The businesswoman, a 40-year-old financial consultant, was quoted in the English-language daily Arab News on February 5 as saying she was detained and strip-searched by the Muttawa the previous day.

She had been sitting in a Starbucks coffee shop with an unrelated man, an activity which is taboo in ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia.

The woman, named only as Yara, said she was holding a business meeting with the man in a branch of Starbucks in Riyadh, in a section reserved for families.

Yara, a mother of three, said she was taken to a Riyadh prison, strip-searched and forced to sign a confession to having been caught alone with an unrelated man.

She said the Muttawa released her several hours later after her husband intervened. The man with whom Yara had coffee, an unnamed Syrian financial analyst, was also arrested.

Newspapers said the man was released the next day.

In its statement, the 5,000-strong religious police accused Yara of violating both the law and Islamic tenets by flying unaccompanied from Jeddah to Riyadh and sitting alone with an unrelated man in a public place in a section reserved for families.

The religious police said its members went to the coffee shop after receiving information that the woman did not have her head covered and was wearing make-up and making ‘suspicious gestures’ while in the man’s company.

A UN expert on women’s rights said last week at the end of a visit to Saudi Arabia that she had heard accounts of serious discrimination against women and abuses by the Muttawa.

‘The Muttawa are said to be responsible for serious human rights abuses in harassing, threatening and arresting women who ‘deviate from accepted norms’,’ said Yakin Erturk, the United Nations special rapporteur on violence against women, citing Yara’s arrest during her visit.

Women in Saudi Arabia, which applies a rigorous doctrine of Islam known as Wahhabism, face a host of constraints, including a ban on driving.

They are forced to cover from head to toe in public, and can not mix with men other than relatives or travel without written permission from their male guardian.

(AFP)

UAE: Number of women in UAE cabinet doubled

The number of women in the cabinet of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates was doubled to four on Sunday, in a reshuffle in which new economy and labour ministers were named.

Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum, ruler of the affluent emirate of Dubai, brought in two women as ministers of state, the official WAM news agency reported. They are Maitha al-Shamsi, assistant to the deputy head of UAE University for scientific research, and Reem al-Hashemi, who served as deputy ambassador to Washington and assistant to the foreign minister for economic affairs.

Sheikha Lubna al-Qassemi, a US-educated businesswoman who became the first woman to join the cabinet of the conservative Gulf state in November 2004, was moved from the economy portfolio to a newly-created external trade ministry. The fourth woman, Mariam al-Rumi, stayed on as social affairs minister.

Qassemi was replaced as minister of economy by Sultan bin Said al-Mansuri, who was in charge of public sector development in the outgoing cabinet. The change comes amid high levels of inflation and spiraling cost of living, with inflation officially put at 9.3 percent in 2006.

The UAE ambassador to Washington, Saqr Ghubash, was named minister of labour, succeeding Ali al-Kaabi, who was dropped from government. Labour is a key portfolio in a country where expatriate workers and their dependents make up nearly 80 percent of the population of more than four million. The UAE employs hundreds of thousands of mostly Asian low-paid workers whose conditions have been the focus of international rights groups.

The board chairman of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Obaid al-Tayer, entered the cabinet as minister of state for financial affairs. There was no change in the key ministries of energy, foreign affairs and interior. The defence portfolio has long been held by Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed, who also serves as vice president of the seven-member Gulf federation.

- Agence France-Presse

Middle East: In the Middle East, women directors unspool social commentary

By Danna Harman Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor

Tel Aviv - In the Middle East, women have a new voice: the movies. As nascent film industries bloom in the region, a few emerging women directors are probing some of the most delicate subjects within their male-dominated communities, giving viewers a glimpse into once-veiled worlds.

"Women realized that they were in double jeopardy – of having Westerners speak for them, and men speak for them.... so they got behind the cameras," says Mona Eltahawy, a New York-based Egyptian commentator and lecturer on Arab and Muslim issues.

The Monitor recently contacted three such filmmakers – Israeli Arab Ibtisam Maraana and Buthina Canaan Khoury of the Palestine Territories; and Haifaa Al-Mansour of Saudi Arabia – to talk about their hard-won successes.

In time, these directors may come to emulate the commercial fortunes of Nadine Labaki's "Caramel," a comedic social commentary set inside a Beirut beauty salon that became Lebanon's top-grossing film of 2007, or Marjane Satrapi's "Persepolis," the Oscar-nominated film based on her childhood in Iran. (Both films are in release in the US.) But the three directors are wary of being pigeon-holed, a notion voiced by Satrapi, who lives in France.

"I think I am interesting because I make good movies," says Satrapi in a phone interview. "Not because I represent anything."

Like Satrapi, these three bold directors have often been criticized but they each share Satrapi's ethos: "I was not surprised by the objections and I don't care," she says. "I fear nothing."

Haifaa Al-Mansour

Growing up in Saudi Arabia, a country without any movie theaters, meant that when Haifaa Al-Mansour's family wanted an outing to the cinema, they'd have to drive to Bahrain.

"There is a debate nowadays in our local Shura council about opening a theater ... but it has not passed yet," sighs Mansour, speaking by phone from Australia, her new home with her husband, an American diplomat. "I make films for Saudis. I want to talk to them. Provoke them. Make them think about the issues. But it's hard when they cannot see my work."

In any case, Mansour's films wouldn't win the sort of accolades in Saudi Arabia that she has garnered at film festivals abroad. By peeking a camera lens behind the veil of Saudi Arabian life, she has ventured into unprecedented territory for a woman in a society where women are not allowed to vote, drive, study the same subjects men do, or take on the same jobs.

Mansour, one of 12 children, didn't intend to focus her filmmaking career on women's issues, but found the issues too important not to address. She began her filmmaking career making a seven-minute short, "Who?," in which a man disguised as a women – i.e., dressed in a traditional black, full-body covering called the abaya – stalks women and enters their homes. The film explores the theme of hiding behind disguises, says Mansour. Shot with a hand-held camera, the film was released in Turkey and could be seen in Saudi Arabia only on pirated DVDs. Many perceived it as an anti-abaya message.

A few years later, the documentary "Women Without Shadows" – winner of the Golden Dagger for best documentary at the Muscat film festival in Oman – wondered whether it is necessary for women to cover their faces in public in order to comply with Islamic teachings.

"I get hate e-mails," says Mansour. "People say I am not religious. That I don't respect my own culture. It's not true. I don't want to corrupt my viewers, but there are certain situations in Saudi Arabia that merit people talking about them."

Mansour's fountain of strength, she says, is her family. Her father, famous Saudi poet Abdul Rahman Mansour, brought home films for his kids to watch on video. He encouraged his daughters to study – Mansour studied comparative literature at the American University in Cairo – and didn't force them to wear the veil or rush into marriage. He was very open-minded, she says.

She hopes that viewers will bring that same quality to her work. Anyone who loves Saudi Arabia, she concludes, "needs to be critical. It can only make us better."

Ibtisam Maraana

Ibtisam Maraana was 19 when she went to see a movie for the first time. She recalls the occasion, right down to the hour, vividly. Venturing outside the Arab village of Paradise, too small to merit its own movie house, she went to a nearby Jewish town to take in a 5 p.m. showing of the Coen Brothers' "The Big Lebowski." Maraana loved it.

A decade on, she's funneled a rebellious streak into a career as an accomplished director who examines cultural mores in a fresh light.

Her 2005 film "Badal," which won the best short documentary award at Toronto's Hot Docs festival, looks at the local tradition of a package-deal arranged marriage in which a brother-sister duo from one family are married off to a duo from another family. "By coupling a girl with her more attractive brother, a family could thus ensure she found a mate," explains Maraana, who herself was considered an unattractive marriage candidate because of her "advancing" age, a scar on her hand, and beyond all, her independent streak.

The daughter of a maid who cleaned houses in a Jewish town, Maraana recalls spending that time looking "at bikes I was not allowed to ride at home in the village because I was a girl." She resented those wealthier houses and their owners but she also got a glimpse of a certain social and cultural openness that intrigued her.

Later, Maraana studied media communication in Jerusalem but soon shifted her focus. "I realized there were so many stories no one was telling," she says.

One such story, chronicled in "Three Times Divorced," is often difficult to watch. It delves into divorce and child custody in the Arab world by following Khitam, a Palestinian woman from Gaza, who is beaten, divorced, and thrown out of her house by her Israeli Arab husband. Her efforts to gain custody of her six children, to fight the Islamic sharia courts, and to gain legal status in Israel, show the power of a determined woman against all odds.

"Courage is in my genes," says Maraana calmly, sipping tea in her apartment in Florentine, an artsy south Tel Aviv neighborhood. "Women typically appreciate my movies and want to have a forum for these important issues," she says. But men, especially, surprisingly, educated ones, feel threatened."

Maraana compares her filmmaking to going to war. Not surprisingly, she longs to write a feature. "In fiction you can create your own reality," she says. "I want to make movies about love, too. I don't always want to be fighting."

Buthina Canaan Khoury

Buthina Canaan Khoury, a Christian Palestinian filmmaker from the West Bank town of Taybeh, is used to pioneering unchartered territory. She was the first Palestinian camera woman and producer for the European Broadcasting Union inside the Palestinian Territories. Now the head of her own Majd Production Company, she has nothing less than a filmmaking agenda: to highlight key Palestinian issues.

Her latest film, "Maria's Grotto," which opened November in Ramallah, takes on the often taboo subject of honor killings. In it, Khoury looks at the aftermath of two honor killings and interviews two other women who survived brutal stabbings. "This movie is not meant to give a bad image to Palestinians," she stresses. "On the contrary, we criticize ourselves because we love our society and want to help it improve."

Khoury got her start in Boston by getting an MBA in photography and filmmaking. Her first splash as a filmmaker was 2004's "Women in Struggle," an account of four women who had spent years in Israeli jails.

The filmmaker is thrilled that more women are getting behind the camera.

"It's a domino effect, in which seeing one Arab woman making a film soon inspires and encourages others to follow suit," she says. "And the more we produce, the greater the interest – before we were seen as exotic, one-off phenomenons, but now we have a diversity of voices and we are being taken more seriously."

She wouldn't mind a turn at lighter fare, though. Khoury's next film will relay the story of her own family, which moved from Boston back home to Taybeh, in the West Bank, in 1994 after the Oslo Accords – in order to fulfill their father's dream of opening the first microbrewery in the Middle East. (Not easy in a region full of "dry" spots.)

"It's challenging to do women's issues all the time," concludes Khoury. "I would like to have a little fun."

Saudi Arabia: NHRA proposes Allowing Women to Practice Law

RIYADH - The chairman of the government-run National Human Rights Association, Dr. Bandar Al-Hajjar announced that the Association has finished work on a bill allowing women to practice law in the Kingdom's courtrooms.

The bill is now expected to wind its way through the legislative process with various government agencies weighing in on its merits, told Arabic daily newspaper Al-Madina.

In addition to announcing the promulgation of the bill, Al-Hajjar made public statistics pertaining to the Association's work.

According to Al-Hijjar, the Association has registered 490 cases, 431 of which were filed against the judiciary. In 52 cases, claimants complained about ill- treatment on the part of judges hearing their cases.

Al-Hajjar indicated that the Association has intervened in cases where the object of the complaint became bogged down in protracted proceedings. Other cases involved claims for identification or requests for lifting a ban on travel.

Al-Hajjar added that judicial cases reported to the Association represented 6% of the total 12,000 cases.

He said that the Association has reviewed 1,927 administrative cases of arbitrary termination, psychological violence against employees, arbitrary transfer and injuries resulting from environmental pollution.

Al-Hajjar also noted that 63 percent of the cases were filed by Saudis, 5 percent by Egyptians, 3 percent by Yemenis and 29 percent by other nationalities.

The Association was successful in resolving between 75 and 85 percent of cases that were referred to it.

Some 594 cases related to claims of financial entitlements of workers, 374 of which were filed against sponsors.

Al-Hajjar also said that the Association has communicated with more than 1510 local and international agencies concerned with prisoners.

-The Saudi Gazette

Algeria: Women cite problems with implementation of new family code

Three years after Algeria's family code was revised, women are looking back with regret on their initial enthusiasm for the change. What appears to have been a well-intended effort to protect women and children's rights has inadvertently caused many of them to lose everything.

Her eyes are wild, her face is pale and her right hand stretches out to passers-by, opening and closing with an automatic, yet timid movement. For a year now, Hadfa Boutouba, 45, has lived in a cardboard box on the pavement in Algeria's working-class Bab El Oued district. Her three children Nassim, 10, Amina, 8, and Ines, 5, live with her. Her story is by no means unique. After fifteen years of marriage, the couple separates. The husband remarries, and the wife is forced to leave the home. Destination: the street.

Like so many Algerian women, Hadfa Boutouba was caught up in a storm of political slogans when the Family Code was reformed on February 27th 2005. Women were told that by repealing the 1984 law on marriages, they and their children would finally enjoy rights and protections in the case of divorce. Promises of what the new law would bring ranged from "equality of the sexes" to "strengthening the family unit".

At the time, women’s associations in Algeria hailed the new law as a victory. Even today, limited knowledge about the law leaves many women with a positive impression. Although she has not read the law, 36 year old tax inspector Hassiba Chékir,, tells Magharebia, "I’ve heard that divorced women are entitled to a home, and the husband cannot take a second wife without informing the first."

But the reality is not so simple. Many women today feel that the slogans from three years ago were illusory. Fatima Benbrahem, a lawyer well-known for her work to promote women’s rights, tells Magharebia that "instead of bringing solutions, the new family code has created dissolution". "They wanted to be innovative," she explains, adding that unfortunately, their actions brought about the opposite effect.

Lawyer Ahmed Khababa agrees. "Designed to strengthen family ties, the new code has turned the futures of thousands of families to tragedy in a very short time." He refers to Article 14 of the new law, which, in the case of repeated conflict, allows a wife to separate from her spouse without his agreement. In addition, Article 72 guarantees a mother a sizable sum of money to support herself and her children. "It is the father's responsibility to provide a decent home or, failing that, payment for rent," Khababa says.

"Many women who had stored up years of marital conflict rushed into demanding a divorce as soon as the new laws were created, thinking they would end up with a roof over their heads."
But the women were in for a rude awakening. "The husband presents a pay slip to the judge, indicating his low income. In the majority of cases, the judge awards a rent of 6,000 DA, knowing that the average price for a studio flat in a working-class district of Algiers approaches 10,000 DA. In the best case scenario, the woman chooses a dilapidated place to live. In the worst case, she will return to her parents' home, or find herself out on the streets," Khababa affirms.

Such a scenario was "predictable", Benbrahem says, and statistics released by the Ministry of Justice support her assessment. Indeed, there were 25,000 divorces in 2005. By 2007, the number had spiked to 36,750.

At the root of many of the problems is Article 8, which sets out conditions for the husband to contract up to four marriages at a time. The number of marriages, however, is not the worry. The problem lies in the way the marriages work.

Now, a husband who wants to remarry must present a judge with a marriage request bearing the signature of his previous wife. In other words, the woman must be informed of her husband’s intention to remarry.

"This condition has wrecked everything," Benbrahem says. "Very few men follow it through," he adds, noting that most turn to "extramarital relationships, and traditional or religious marriages which deprive the woman of all her rights in the eyes of the law."

Men have found a number of ways to circumvent the law. "I've pleaded cases where the husband has won by contracting a second illegal marriage (thanks to the new family code)," says the lawyer. "The cunning husband waits for the day when his new wife becomes pregnant. He then goes off to the judge and orders him to validate his marriage so he can give his name to the future offspring." Faced with this fait accompli, "the judge complies in 100% of cases" and the first wife finds herself out on the street.

"We absolutely have to work to get this family code repealed," insists Meriem Bellala, president of the SOS Association for Women in Distress. "The new code," she says, "enshrines the downfall of Algerian women and their children."

Since the enactment of the new law, she says, child custody has become "a means to justify a frequently unsavoury end." Because the husband no longer has to pay his wife's rent if she loses legal rights to the children, the mother wants custody in order to have a place to live and the father wants custody so he can stop paying an additional rent.

Bellala says that problems lie not only in the way the law is enforced, but also in a lack of understanding in some constituencies "where the texts defining the law have never been received." The Algerian authorities do not deny this situation.

Nouara Djaâfar, Algeria's minister for families and women, tells Magharebia that marriage failures are not the fault of the law "embodying the family code, but [rather] in the application of the law, which needs to be given time." According to a study by Djaâfar's ministry, more than 50% of women "do not know their rights" and are unaware of the content of the new family code.
Outside the capital, "they haven’t even heard about revisions to this law," says Samia Guermaz, a 42-year old English teacher. "It's common law that governs families."

Indeed, ignorance of civil law has led many women to enter into marriage with foreign Muslims without acquiring the proper legal protections of their rights. Mabdellah Temine, communications advisor for the Ministry of Religious Affairs, provided Magharebia with information indicating that in 2006 alone, some 3,000 women were tricked into marrying imams and sheikhs from the Middle East and the Gulf who were in Algeria on short-term postings.

"After noticing the husband’s absence, the victims go along to the consulate of their respective country," Temine says. "They discover there that the people they are inquiring after do not exist." The so-called "men of faith" have given false names in order to consummate "zawaj al mutaa" without being traced. Because the marriage was never official registered with the state, Temine says, "These women and children find that they have no rights."

By Achira Mammeri for Magharebia in Algiers

Saudi Arabia: Rights group urges Saudi king to spare woman convicted of 'witchcraft'

Human Rights Watch appealed to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on Thursday to spare the life of a woman who was condemned to death for "witchcraft".

"King Abdullah should halt the execution of Fawza Falih and void her conviction for 'witchcraft,'" the New York-based HRW, adding it had delivered the appeal in a letter to the Saudi king."

The religious police who arrested and interrogated Fawza Falih and the judges who tried her in the northern town of Quraiyat never gave her the opportunity to prove her innocence against absurd charges," it said.

"The fact that Saudi judges still conduct trials for unprovable crimes like witchcraft' underscores their inability to carry out objective criminal investigations," said Joe Stork, the Middle East director at HRW.

It charged that the judges relied on Falih's "coerced confession and on the statements of witnesses who said she had 'bewitched' them to convict her" in April 2006, following her arrest in May 2005. Falih had "retracted her confession in court, claiming it was extracted under duress, and that as an illiterate woman she did not understand the document she was forced to fingerprint", said HRW." At one point, she had to be hospitalised as a result of beatings" at the hands of the religious police, called the "mutaween" in the ultra-conservative Sunni Muslim kingdom, it said.

HRW said: "The judges never investigated whether her confession was voluntary or reliable, or investigated her allegations of torture. They never even made an inquiry as to whether she could have been responsible for allegedly supernatural occurrences, such as the sudden impotence of a man she is said to have 'bewitched'."

HRW said that an appeals court had ruled Falih could not be sentenced to death for "witchcraft" as a crime against God because she had retracted her confession.

She had been condemned to death in April 2006 for "witchcraft, recourse to jinn (supernatural beings), and slaughter" of animals, it said. But lower court judges then sentenced her to death "on a 'discretionary' basis, for the benefit of 'public interest' and to 'protect the creed, souls and property of this country'", it said.

HRW did not specify Falih's nationality but referred in its letter to the king to her relatives in Jordan.

In November, Egyptian pharmacist Mustapha Ibrahim, who worked in the northern city of Arar, was beheaded by the sword for "sorcery" under Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic laws for allegedly trying to separate a married couple.

- Agence France-Presse

Saudi Arabia: Don’t waste women’s potential – Erturk

RIYADH - A visiting UN official called Wednesday for greater participation of Saudi women in society so as to avoid "an incredible waste of human resources here."

Yanik Erturk, the special United Nations rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on Violence against Women, said at a press conference here that while her 10-day visit to the Kingdom has given her hope about improvement in the condition of Saudi women, more is needed to be done.

"I have met many high-level educated women, and I see an incredible waste of human resources here," said Erturk. "Half of society can't contribute."

Ertuk noted that women's access to education, which has resulted in the significant improvement in the literacy rates for women in a relatively short period of time, was a positive improvement achieved by the Saudi government.

"Women are enjoying free and close to full access to primary, secondary and tertiary education, where the ratio of girls attending school is equal to or higher than that of boys," she said.

However, Erturk said that women still have limited access to higher education in some fields.

Erturk's findings also concluded that in the public sector, with the exception of participation in the health, education and social fields, women still lack access to employment in ministries such as the Ministry of Justice and Interior and they are excluded from decision-making positions.

She noted in particular the absence of women members in the Council of Ministers, Shoura Council, and on the board of the Human Rights Commission.

During the press conference, Erturk addressed the need for judicial reform, the overall participation of women in society, work force and decision-making, violence against women and the conditions of foreign female workers.

"There is urgency for judicial reform," said Erturk. "The judiciary reform which is already in progress is important to bridge the gap between traditions, law and what is being implemented."
The special UN rapporteur also addressed the issue of codification of law and the need for establishing a family law, looking into guardianship, and women's access to the judicial system.

Erturk noted progress in Saudi media coverage of women's issues. "The media is the most important element in supporting women's issues," she said. "I am impressed by the coverage women's issues are getting, and encourage it to go further."

"I congratulate the media for engaging in the issue of violence against women but more has to be dome to increase awareness."

Erturk also expressed her gratitude to the Saudi government for inviting her to the Kingdom and also for all the support they provided her during her visit.

"The Saudi women I met had diverse voices, aspirations and demands," said Erturk. "Among the Saudi women I met there were those who have expressed contentment and satisfaction with their lives, while others have raised concerns of serious levels of discriminatory practices against them."

"I also met foreign women married to Saudi nationals and migrant domestic workers who face additional vulnerabilities."

Erturk spoke about her visits to the safe houses for domestic workers and the Social Protection centers in Jeddah and Dammam.

"I met with many migrant workers in safe houses and hundreds in Riyadh prison, this morning" said Erturk. "I believe that both the sending countries and the host country have obligations to ensure protective measures for the safety of these workers who are uninformed, uneducated and mostly illiterate themselves," said Erturk.

The behavior of the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice grabbed Erturk's attention during her visit to the Kingdom. "These law enforcers are responsible for maintaining morality in public places. Although they are required to act in concert with the police and under certain limitations with respect to arrest and detention of people, they reportedly often act independently; as a result they are said to be responsible for serious human right abuses....," she said.

During her 10-day visit to the Kingdom, Erturk did not meet with the Commission or with Yara, the businesswoman who was arrested by the Commission for having coffee at Starbucks in Riyadh with her male colleague.

By Susan Zawawi from the Saudi Gazette

Saudi Arabia: Judicial Reforms take a Big Stride

RIYADH - Judicial reforms picked up pace with a decision to convert branches of the Board of Grievances across the country into administrative courts, SPA reported. The decision to make the change was made by the Administrative Affairs Committee at the Board of Grievances, chaired by Sheikh Muhammed Abdullah Bin Muhammed Al-Ameen.

Accordingly, administrative courts will be based in Riyadh Region, Makkah Region, the Eastern Province, Madina Region, Asir Region and in Jouf, Qassim, Tabuk, Hail, the Northern Frontier, Jizan, Najran, and Baha.

Al-Ameen directed the Board of Grievances to provide premises for the administrative courts, create judiciary and administrative posts and make financial allocations before the courts start functioning.

In line with the new Judiciary System, the Administrative Affairs Committee will perform the tasks of the Judiciary Administrative Council until such time the Council is formed.

Muhammed Bin Abdul Kareem Al-Isa, deputy chairman of the Board of Grievances, said he was optimistic with the developments.

"The Board of Grievances organized a series of workshops in the past two months which preceded the endorsement of the two systems aimed at enforcing the decision as per the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz," Al-Isa said.

Al-Isa said the Board is focused on training of judiciary staff and making big strides towards establishing an e-court to provide judiciary services electronically, which will speed up litigation procedures.

As per the Royal Decree, the administrative court system will have a High Administrative Court, an Administrative Appeal Courts and Administrative Courts.

An Administrative Appeal Court will have a Chairman and judges with the rank of a Judge of Appeal. An Administrative Court will have a Chairman and judges. The Judiciary Administrative Council is empowered to establish other specialized courts at the King's consent. Al-Isa said these courts would function through specialized circuits as follows:

Higher Administrative Court circuit formed of three judges.
Administrative Appeal Courts circuits formed of three judges.
Administrative Courts circuits formed of three judges or one judge.
The Judiciary Administrative Council will form the Administrative Courts circuits in accordance with the suggestions of the courts' chairmen.

About the mechanism to separate the commercial and punitive courts from the Board of Grievances and their affiliation to the Ministry of Justice, Al-Isa said the Experts Commission is studying the separation mechanism following the Board's recommendation to the higher authorities. A deadline will be fixed for the separation including a precise mechanism defining the staff's jobs.

- Saudi Gazette report

Morocco: Women in Parliament seek to change public image

The last elections in Morocco swept 34 women from six political parties into Parliament. The new legislators now plan to work together, regardless of party differences, to advance women's issues and prove they can perform as well as the male MPs.

National elections last October in Morocco brought 34 women to the first chamber of Parliament, but while the female MPs have proven effective legislators, their task has not been easy. Along with their work responsibilities, they must battle stereotypes which consider women to be weak politicians.

"Although it is still low, the number of women elected could still be quite a force to be reckoned with. What matters is discourse, the quality of their contributions to the debating chamber and their ability to convince," says Fatiha Lyadi, the only independent candidate elected last fall. She is now Information Director at the Ministry of Communications.

Bassima Hakkaoui, an MP for the Justice and Development Party, agreed it is time to destroy the negative clichés. "Women are just as competent as men. I think we should judge their performance by their presence in Parliament, their effectiveness and their perseverance," she said.

In fact, this new wave of elected women is "young and knowledgeable", and made up of many successful administrators, according to Moustafa Zaari, a journalist for the Arab-language daily Assabah. "This is a good thing for the country," he told Magharebia.

Female politicians recognise they have a long way to go before they can reach their objectives. Since the start of the current legislative year in October 2007, no women have been chosen to chair parliamentary committees. In the previous parliament, by contrast, two women were appointed; one to head the foreign affairs committee and the other to oversee the social sectors committee. In the current Parliament, only one woman has been awarded significant responsibility.

That female legislator is Latifa Bennani Smires, who, after securing an appointment to head up the Istiqlal party’s parliamentary group, has effectively demonstrated her political skills. To achieve more, however, she said that women serving in the Moroccan Parliament need to work together.

Political relations professor Mohamed Katiri also feels that women in the legislature would do well to pursue greater co-ordination in order to stamp their presence on the institution. "In the last Parliament, very few women MPs were known through their actions. During this one, women must join ranks to prove what they are capable of doing. This is how women will win the confidence of the voters," he said.

The 34 women MPs come from six political parties belonging both to the majority and opposition. Despite this diversity, they expect to pull together in the "Women in Parliament Forum". The group was set up in 2005 but its powers were limited. Now, however, the more experienced women parliamentarians and the new arrivals hope to identify common objectives to help women and recognise the principles of democracy.

The revitalised forum aims to highlight the work of women in parliament, to strengthen their presence and representation in the centres of decision-making, and to use legislative mechanisms to promote women's issues.

When it comes to politics and comparisons to male legislators, Hakkaoui said with conviction that women are up to the challenge.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat

Saudi Arabia: Women complain of discrimination, abuse

RIYADH - A UN expert on women’s rights said on Wednesday she had heard accounts of serious discrimination against women and abuses by religious police during a visit to ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia.

There also appears to be no timeframe for lifting a ban on women’s driving, Yakin Erturk, the United Nations special rapporteur on violence against women, told reporters at the end of a 10-day visit to the Muslim kingdom.

Erturk said that while some Saudi women she met during her visit at the government’s invitation expressed satisfaction with their lives, ‘others have raised concerns of serious levels of discriminatory practices against women that compromise their rights and dignity as full human beings.’

Others related ‘the domestic abuse they systematically encounter with little prospect of redress.’

Erturk said that progress had been made in women’s access to education, but there has been no comparable increase in their participation in the labour force, mainly due to sex segregation in the workplace, and they are ‘particularly excluded from decision-making positions.’

She said many of her interlocutors complained about the behaviour of the religious police, or Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice who are commonly known as Muttawa and enforce a strict Islamic moral code.

‘The Muttawa are said to be responsible for serious human rights abuses in harassing, threatening and arresting women who ‘deviate from accepted norms’,’ the UN official said, citing an incident reported during her visit in which they arrested a businesswoman for sitting in a coffee shop with a male colleague in Riyadh.

Erturk said she had not met any officials from the religious police during her visit, which followed a report by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women which stated that women in the kingdom were the victims of systematic and pervasive discrimination across all aspects of social life.

Women in Saudi Arabia, which applies a rigorous doctrine of Islam known as Wahhabism, face a host of constraints, including the driving ban. They are forced to cover from head to toe in public, and cannot mix with men other than relatives or travel without written permission from their male guardian.

Erturk, who met officials and human rights groups, said she had raised the driving ban during her talks but did not feel there was a specific timeframe for solving the issue.
What matters in enabling women to drive is that this would give them freedom to move and work, she said.

Erturk, who will report to the UN Human Rights Council, said recently adopted judicial reforms which foresee the establishment of family courts, together with a draft law on domestic violence, were ‘promising initiatives,’ but more needed to be done to combat violence against women.

This includes adoption of a legal framework based on international human rights standards that would cover violence and family matters, establishment of a ‘national machinery for women’ to intervene in cases of violence, and ‘positive action policies and plans’ to empower women.

(AFP)

Saudi Arabia: Cancer Screening Targets 75,000 Qassim Women

JEDDAH — The Health Affairs Department in the Qassim Region has introduced a complete program for early detection of breast cancer. The program, staffed by women oncologists, pathologists and radiologists, targets 75,000 patients — aged 35 to 60 — in the region.

Dr. Mohammed Al-Habdan, executive director of the program, described the program, which began last year, as the first of its kind in the region. The Health Ministry is likely to expand the program to other regions after reviewing its success.

“There are five permanent centers and one mobile center in the program,” said Habdan. King Fahd Specialist Hospital in Buraidah, King Saud Hospital in Unaizah, and the general hospitals in Al-Rass Bakeriya and Mudnib are permanent centers, he explained.

He said the program required special budget allocations in order to carry out its mission in an efficient manner and expand its services to other areas. “Some centers in the program still lack necessary equipment and medical facilities,” he explained.

“So far we have been able to cover 14 percent of targeted women in the region,” he said.

“We are providing comprehensive medical services to the targeted group. Patients are diagnosed by a multi-disciplinary-team (MDT) after taking mammograms,” he added.

Mammograms are the most important tool doctors have to help them diagnose, evaluate and follow women who have had breast cancer.

Safe and highly accurate, a mammogram is an X-ray photograph of the breast. The technique has been in use for about 30 years.

Leading experts including the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society now recommend annual mammograms for women over 40. Detecting breast cancer early through mammography means many more women are being treated for breast cancer and are able to protect their breasts.

“Under this program we have so far been able to detect four cancer cases in the early stages. We also found some non-cancerous tumors in some women,” Habdan said. “In order to avoid possible mistakes, mammography images are checked by three experts,” he added.

Habdan emphasized the significance of the program in the wake of growing breast cancer cases among Saudi women as a result of both hereditary and environmental factors.

“We have a relatively young population and we recommend mammography for women aged 35 and 60 every 18 months,” he said.

A public awareness campaign was organized in the region as part of the program in order to enlighten women on the benefits of early diagnosis.

A well-equipped vehicle with oncologists and other experts tours remote areas of the region that do not have hospitals or health centers in order to provide mammography tests.

Breast cancer accounts for 20 percent of all cancers among Saudi women. “About 10 to 15 percent of all breast cancers are thought to be familial and only two-thirds to three-fourths of these cases are due to an inherited mutation,” one expert said.

P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News