Arab Women must fight back - Sophie Ghaziri

We are now supposed to be in the midst of celebrating the 2nd anniversary of the Arab Spring. However, there is a legitimate question of whether or not there is actually anything to celebrate; particularly for women.

Well, take a look at the Arab world today, most Arab Spring countries are still witnessing sporadic violence and political instability. The thing they have in common, to a degree, is that Islamist parties were brought into power to fill the vacuum left by the secular dictatorships that preceded them.

Women and the ‘Arab Spring’

The way I see it, the revolutions which kicked off in these countries and is still ongoing in Syria was the people rising up against oppression. Three pillars drove this movement; Freedom, Liberty and Equality. Let’s look at Egypt, have any of these seen fruition?

The new constitution that was passed in December 2012 in a 2 part referendum touched on these things briefly, but more importantly did they touch on women’s rights. The preamble of the 2012 constitution says Egypt adheres to the principle of equality “for all citizens men and women, without discrimination or nepotism or preferential treatment, in both rights.” But, some critics believe it isn’t precise and is full of loop holes, which gives the current ruling party a chance not to live up to its promises. This fiasco in Egypt is just one example, it is however one of the most prominent incidents since the country ousted Hosni Mubarak. It sparked both local and international condemnation and was picked up by large amounts of the media.

Talking about the revolution in Egypt, let’s mention the 17 women arrested at a Cairo protest on March 9, 2011 as the army violently cleared Tahrir square and were then detained for four days. Some spoke to renowned human rights organizations like Amnesty International after their release and confessed to be subjected to abuse. The head turner is the fact they were forced to undergo virginity tests or else were threatened with prostitution charges.

Women have filed copious complaints of violence used against them during peaceful protests from the start of the uprising until today.

The most recent and most public announcement of this charade was when a television channel owned by an Egyptian cleric saw him go to air and make derogatory and outrageous statements, one being raping women in Tahrir is not a “red line.”

He gave people the green light to sexually abuse women in broad daylight because in his eyes they were asking for it. Abu Islam as most know him was able to get away with making that statement and even had to time to release more defamatory commentary towards Egyptian women and their, already, minor freedoms.

We can all now thank the Egyptian authorities for finally arresting him, but the question is; should he of been allowed to make those remarks and why did it take so long for the government to react.

Isn’t this enough to say that freedom, liberty and equality is still null and void?

As a result of this Egyptian women and a movement called "Tahrir Bodyguards" have taken matters into their own hands. Women are now joining free self-defense classes that have been set up in order to confront the country’s growing phenomenon of sexual harassment. The aim is to combat “systematic political suppression against women,” activist Jumana Shehata told Al Arabiya. She said just a couple of days ago “We’ll continue to take to the streets of Tahrir, no matter the price.”

Sexual harassment is not new in Egyptian society, but its increase has raised many questions. At least 25 female protesters were subjected to sexual abuse in Tahrir Square during demonstrations held earlier this month to mark the second anniversary of the revolution.

Is this the first step Arab women have taken to defend themselves? I don’t think it is the first the second or the third. I feel Arab women will continue to suffer from inequality no matter what uprising or call to freedom is happening in their country. Women’s rights have just been pushed aside.

A women’s ‘Winter’

What I mean by this, is whose fault is it? Are women’s rights organizations and NGO’s just not doing enough? Or are they being suffocated by the governments. In Tunisia’s case is its constitution slowing down the process of gender equality. Aug. 13, 1956 women’s right to equality was passed under the tutelage of Habib Bourguiba, after 56 years and a “jasmine revolution” the U.N. is even calling for the reconsideration of the written document. Articles upon articles have been written about this and how the Arab spring will take years to bring about and improve the rights of women. Queen Noor of Jordan has even echoed these statements. Another example is Libya; it just passed a law, which under the days of Qaddafi seemed fairer. In this North African country, husbands may marry another without their wives' prior consent, which was illegal under the iron-fisted dictator. This just goes to show you, that the outlook of the so called "Arab Spring" on Arab women has had somewhat of a negative effect.

I want to end here by mentioning Saudi Arabia, a country that is always perceived to be curbing rights on women (and they still are yet to gain many, such as the right to drive). It is ironic that whilst the situation is deteriorating in most Arab Spring countries for women, this Middle Eastern kingdom on the other hand has just sworn in 30 female Shura council members. Is this a good thing? Well YES, it is definitely a sign of progress... will it make a difference? We are yet to see.

Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi : 100 Most Powerful Arab Women

Is it tough at the top? Ask Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi. For the second year running, the UAE’s first female minister tops our women’s power list. And it’s not just any ministerial position; Sheikha Lubna’s brief involves promoting greater trade ties with international partners, which is a vital part of the UAE’s diversification strategy.

The Emirati national’s background lies in IT; she won plaudits for developing a system that slashed cargo turnaround times at Dubai airport, and in 2000 founded Tejari, the Middle East’s first business-to-business online marketplace. The firm, which is now one of Dubai World’s most successful units, has franchises across the Middle East and was initially funded by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, and prime minister of the UAE. Sheikha Lubna was appointed to her first ministerial post in November 2004 – becoming Minister of Economy and Planning, before taking the Minister of Foreign Trade brief afterwards.

In January, Sheikha Lubna met with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to discuss enhanced trade ties. The Gulf country is already the largest export market for US goods in the Middle East. The minister is also currently working hard to sign off the US Middle East Free Trade Area by next year. But amidst her whirlwind tours around the world, Sheikha Lubna has still managed to retain her own business interests, which have included setting up a perfume line. The minister also sits on the board of directors at the Dubai Chamber for Commerce and Industry, and is on the board at the National US Arab Chamber of Commerce.

Israeli-Arab female politician urges Arab citizens to vote in Israel's elections

In the past four years, Haneen Zoabi has been threatened, spat at, manhandled, accused of being a terrorist and subjected to attempts to expel or disqualify her from the Israeli parliament. The vilification of the feisty Israeli-Arab politician comes mainly as a result of her participation in the flotilla of ships attempting to breach the blockade of Gaza in 2010.

But in the next few days, she faces a different battle, this time within her own community: to persuade Arab citizens of Israel to exercise their right to vote. Polls predict that possibly fewer than half of Israeli-Arabs will vote in the elections in Israel next Tuesday, a far smaller proportion than the Jewish population, which is expected to see a turnout of around 70%.

Of the non-voters, the vast majority cite reasons of "apathy and disappointment". "[They say]: 'We can change nothing, we don't want to be involved in politics,'" says Zoabi, a member of parliament for the Israeli-Arab party Balad. A much smaller minority "don't vote as an ideological boycott".

She listens to what all sides have to say, whether they intend to vote or not. But she believes, at present, there is no serious political alternative to participating in Israeli elections.

"A boycott now is an act of weakness, not an act of active struggle. We would be out of politics. We need to develop another political struggle, for example civil disobedience, while also using our voice inside the Knesset [parliament]." Challenge, she says, is sometimes more effective from the inside than the outside.

At the same time, some criticise her for not solving problems faced by Israeli-Arabs, such as unemployment, crime, poor housing and entrenched discrimination. "They think I'm [prime minister] Binyamin Netanayhu, they think I'm the government," she says wryly, acknowledging her limited power to effect change.

Neither Zoabi nor any other representative of an Israeli-Arab party is likely to come anywhere close to government in the foreseeable future. Although Israeli-Arabs make up 20% of the country's population, no Arab party has ever been part of the ruling coalition.

Even so, Zoabi is expected to be re-elected next week for her second term as a member of the Knesset. The past four years, her first term, have taught her to react more coolly, she says: "But I am not less passionate, not less determined. I'm not optimistic or pessimistic, I just know that we must continue to struggle because there is no other way.

"Here in Israel, a 'good' Arab – those whom they don't hate, those whom they accept – is a very humiliated Arab. If you want to feel as a human being, you must be a 'bad' Arab."

An effervescent 43-year-old, Zoabi is undoubtedly a "bad" Arab in the eyes of the Israeli establishment and much of the public. Her participation in the 2010 "freedom flotilla" to Gaza, which ended in Israeli commandos shooting dead nine Turkish activists on board the Mavi Marmara, led to her being accused of treason and terrorism. She was stripped of her parliamentary privileges and assigned special protection following death threats. An attempt to bring criminal charges against her failed. Last month, the central elections committee disqualified her as a candidate, citing her flotilla participation, a decision later overturned by the supreme court.

"My main 'crime' was to try to break the siege on Gaza, and to struggle against the occupation. The minute you challenge something relating to the rights of Palestinians and the policies of Israel and the army, you are a threat," she says.

But she did not fully anticipate the political repercussions. Few people wanted to hear her account, she says. "We face a kind of society which has a lot of hatred towards Palestinians, a lot of ideological fear. In order to justify your violence and aggression, you must convince yourself that they are terrorists."

Political parties on the Israeli left offered no support, she says. Meretz, the most leftwing party, "made sure not to open their mouths. They care more about legitimacy within their own society".

Zoabi describes the regime governing Israel and the Palestinian territories as apartheid. "If the definition of apartheid is to preserve privileges for one people at the expense of another people, in terms of land, resources, citizenship laws – then this is apartheid. There are differences between South Africa and Israel. But apartheid is how to control, how to keep the dominance. Even if apartheid is a narrow definition of segregation, you can still find a lot of apartheid policies in Israel – roads, land confiscation, checkpoints."

She cites the 2011 Admissions Committee Law, which allows small communities in Israel built on state land to reject applicants who "do not suit the lifestyle and social fabric of the community". It denies Arab citizens the right to live on the majority of the land in Israel, she says. "This is an apartheid law."

Zoabi, who comes from a Muslim family, is the first woman to sit as a representative of an Arab party in the Israeli parliament. Explaining how she navigates the complex circles of her life, she says: "I'm not married, I still live with my parents because I don't like to live alone, but I go out, I meet my friends at restaurants, and no one can criticise me. This is a kind of partial freedom, because there are borders – and I know the borders. There are limits, but I don't see my society as either conservative or liberal. And it's changing all the time.

"Part of my vision is to have a modern, liberal, secular society. For me, that's not less important than fighting against Israeli racism. The issues of equality and injustice between men and women are as important as issues of equality between Jews and Arabs. I want my freedom as a woman – I cannot say no to inequality with Jews but yes to inequality with men. Dignity is very important to human values, and part of that is my dignity as a woman."

100 Most Powerful Arab Women 2012

Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi has topped CEO Middle East magazine’s list of 100 Most Powerful Arab Women for the second year running. The UAE’s Minister of Foreign Trade beat Yemeni Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkul Karman to rank in first place.

Among the other notable public figures that made it on to the countdown was Princess Ameerah Al Taweel, wife of HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, who was the list’s highest ranking newcomer in fourth place.

Out of the top 100, 43 were from a culture and society background, with the likes of Emirati film maker Nayla Al Khaja, Lebanese singer Fairuz and Arab Business Women’s Council Sheikha Hessa Bint Saad Abdullah Salem Al Sabah also featuring.

1 Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi
For the second year running, the UAE’s first female minister tops our women’s power list. And it’s not just any ministerial position; Sheikha Lubna’s brief involves promoting greater trade ties with international partners, which is a vital part of the UAE’s diversification strategy.

2 Tawakkul Karman
Tawakkul Karman is undoubtedly the female face of the Arab Spring. The youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize – aged just 32 – Karman has found herself touring the world, bringing Yemen’s plight before diplomats and fighting for women’s rights.

3 Lubna Olayan
As the CEO of the Riyadh-based Olayan Financing Company, Lubna Olayan is one of Saudi Arabia’s most prolific businesswomen.

4 Princess Ameerah Al Taweel
The wife of HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, Princess Ameerah is now one of the world’s most recognised philanthropists through her work at her husband’s foundation. She supports a wide range of humanitarian interests both in Saudi Arabia and across the world.

5 Raja Easa Al Gurg
Raja Easa Al Gurg wears many hats. Not only is she the managing director of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, the firm of which her father is chairman, but she is also president of the Dubai Business Women’s Council.

6 Dr. Amina Al Rustamani
Many in Dubai will be familiar with the name Dr Amina Al Rustamani, the CEO of TECOM Business Parks, the umbrella organisation for nine of Dubai’s free zones.

7 Sheikha Munira Qubeysi
Sheikha Munira Qubeysi is the founder of Qubeysiat, an Islamic group created for women, focusing on organising religious lessons for them.

8 Sheikha Al Bahar
Sheikha Al Bahar started at the National Bank of Kuwait, one of the region’s largest financial institutions, as a trainee.

9 Hayat Sindi
Hayat Sindi’s astonishing medical career started with a lie; worried that her family would not let her study abroad, she told her father that she had already been accepted into a prestigious university in the UK.

10 Kholoud Faqih
Kholoud Faqih made history in 2009 as one of the first women to be appointed as an Islamic judge in Palestine.

By Daniel Shane
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/revealed-100-most-powerful-arab-women-2012-448409.html

Arab women’s virtual uprising goes physical

In late 2011 four Arab women, inspired by the success of the Arab Spring demonstrations but horrified by the backlash against the women who had protested side-by-side with men in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Syria, decided to start their own Facebook group. They called it “The Uprising of Women in the Arab World.”

Founded by activists Daila Haidar and Yalda Younes from Lebanon, Sally Zohney from Egypt and Farah Barqawi from Palestine, the group calls on men and women from all ethnic, social and religious backgrounds to unite in the face of discrimination “to say no to violence against women, no to their allegiance to men, no to repression and abuse, no to their treatment as second class citizens” and to demand the full application of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for Arab women as well as men.

Over the past year the women have worked together to construct a wide-reaching and effective virtual uprising, continually evolving new strategies to reach out to like-minded activists regionally and internationally and to create a community of supporters with numbers large enough to ensure real influence.

“The initial aim of the page was to get to the point where we can create synchronized events,” explained Younes, “because the most incredible thing about the Arab Spring is not only the fall of the dictators but it’s this global solidarity created between the citizens, which doesn’t exist at all at a state level. The governments never support each other — the Arab League is a joke.”

Fifteen months after founding the group, the organizers have reached the point where they are ready to make the virtual uprising physical, thanks to a photo campaign launched last October. The organizers asked members of the group to post photos of themselves holding a sign explaining why they support the women’s uprising. Until that point the page had attracted 20,000 supporters over the course of a year. Within two weeks of the photo campaign’s launch that number had doubled and over the last four months it has continued to steadily rise, with the total number of supporters currently standing at just under 100,000.

Thousands of women from across the Arab world have taken part — the majority of them from Palestine and Saudi Arabia, two societies relatively unchanged by the Arab Spring. Many non-Arabs, as well as men, have sent in messages of support. While the organizers welcomed the support, they were also wary of some non-Arab members of the group who they say did not fully understand the problems facing women in the Middle East and who tried to impose their own cultural and social expectations on them.

“It’s very patronizing,” said Younes. “We don’t want anyone to liberate us.” She added, “We don’t want this projection of the West that it is poor veiled women who are primitive, or a lack of education. Not everything is a lack of education and these campaigns have shown that women are very much aware of their rights.”

The group received international media attention after a Syrian girl named Dana Bakdounis posted a controversial photo of herself with her hair uncovered, holding up her passport to show the photo, in which she wears the veil, and a handwritten sign that read in English and Arabic: “I am with the uprising of women in the Arab world because for 20 years I wasn’t allowed to feel the wind in my hair and my body.” Facebook removed the photograph from the group page and the girl’s own profile after it was reported as “offensive,” and the organizers accused Facebook of censorship after their accounts were suspended. Facebook later told the BBC that it was a misunderstanding, restoring the photo and lifting the ban after a few days.

(Facebook/The uprising of women in the Arab world)
The four women have consistently allowed the needs and suggestions of the group’s supporters to drive the direction of their campaign. When they began receiving stories from women who wanted to share their experiences, they decided to launch a call for true accounts of sexual discrimination and abuse. “We’ve received 65 stories so far for this campaign from all over the Arab world and we’re still receiving stories,” said Farah Barqawi. “Some women even started posing questions at the end of their stories about what they should do.”

The next step, she says, is a campaign to systematically document the laws pertaining to women across the Arab states so that supporters can easily research which laws are already in place to protect them from abuse, which laws are contributing to ongoing sexual inequality, and what more needs to be done to ensure safety and equal rights for women. Though this campaign will start online, the organizers are hoping to manifest it physically by printing out the information and arranging talks at universities and schools across the region.

In the meantime the group is about to undertake its first physical demonstrations, protesting sexual violence against women in Egypt, which has escalated exponentially since the 2011 uprising.

“We were thinking for a long time what the suitable time to go to the street is and it was pretty hard to decide,” said Barqawi. “Just protesting on one day with no real cause, just for the general cause, is not really what we thought of as intifada [uprising, or literally “spilling over”]. But we felt like the media is not really concentrating on what’s happening to Egyptian female protesters.”

Some people have asked why the protest is being held for Egyptian women in particular, when women in Syria and other parts of the Arab world are also struggling with sexual abuse. “If it’s necessary that this global protest becomes a weekly or monthly one it will become a weekly or monthly one, like the Tahrir Friday protests,” Barqawi explained. “The thing about Tahrir is that it became kind of the Kaaba [a Muslim holy site in Mecca] of revolutionaries.”

“People iconize Tahrir,” she continued. “I have a postcard of Tahrir in my room. I want to wake up every day thinking that my country and every country will reach the point that millions of people decide to topple the ruling system. But finding this icon destroying women instead of empowering them — it’s really painful and it deters us from going to the streets. So this is why Egypt: Egypt is umm al-dunya [the world’s mother] in a way.”

She and the other organizers have made plans to protest outside the Egyptian Embassy in Beirut at 6 p.m. on February 12 and have reached out to activists in other countries to organize similar protests in their own cities. Currently demonstrations have been organized in Cairo, where participants are voting on the best location to hold the demonstration, as well as outside the Egyptian embassies in Tunisia, Yemen, Palestine, Morocco, Syria, Jordan, Mauritania, Thailand, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, Australia, New York and Washington, D.C.

The protesters will hold the Egyptian ruling party responsible for not “taking measures to prevent organized thugs attacking, stripping, raping, injuring and killing peaceful protesters” and demand that laws be put in place and be strictly enforced to prevent sexual harassment in all its forms. They also condemn the common perception of sexual abuse in Egypt, which often involves shaming the victim rather than the aggressor.

“We’re doing the exact opposite of what the traditional Egyptian society and other Arab societies tend to do, which is shaming and silencing,” said Younes. “You can’t put pressure on these women anymore, because we are more numerous. They may seem to control the square, but we are the ones who stand strong together.”

L'Oreal-UNESCO recognises exceptional Arab women scientists

Eight researchers from Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Sudan, Syria and Tunisia were selected in this year's L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women In Science Pan-Arab Regional Fellowships Program. Each received a US$20,000 grant to further their careers.

Heba Salama, the Egyptian fellow, is an agronomist with a PhD in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Agricultural and Nutritional Science in Kiel, Germany. Now a professor of crop sciences at the University of Alexandria, Salama is researching yield performance and nutritional value of forage crops in a bid to provide higher quality feed for livestock which would improve the nutrition of milk and meat.

Salama is concerned by the lack of food security in Egypt and said she would use her grant to study the possibility of introducing non-native forage crops to the country and to experiment with hybrids. "Egypt does not lack brilliant minds and researchers," she stresses, "but the facilities to conduct proper science are terrible."

Since its inception, the programme has awarded 22 female postgraduate fellows from 17 Arab countries across all branches of science. This year, the fellowship received 180 applications – about twice as many as the previous two years.

Role models

"Female scientists' perseverance during this difficult political period across the region sends a clear message and should be applauded," says Bechir Lamine, director of UNESCO Cairo office.

Lina Al Kanj, 30, the fellow from Lebanon, is working towards a post-doctorate at the American University of Beirut (AUB), researching ways to reduce the energy consumption of mobile devices.

"Not only would the battery last much longer, but it would also lower the contribution of the telecommunication sector to global warming," says Al Kanji, who hopes to be an example to aspiring female scientists.

Lamine said that the fellowship hopes to promote women in science and is integral to UNESCO's gender policies. "It sends a clear message that women can spearhead amazing discoveries that will have a strong impact on the community." He said the awards also improve international visibility for scientists.

Sumaya Abbas, from Bahrain, is an environmental engineer working on waste management and the conversion of waste to energy. "Because oil and gas resources are depleting [in Bahrain], we are looking at alternatives sources of energy, and waste is one of them," she says.

The Iraqi fellow Reyam Naji Ajmi is also working on environmental pollution, focusing on the exposure of Iraqi women to mercury from contaminated fish.

Noura Bougacha-Elleuch from Tunisia, Alia Shatanawi from Jordan and Hiba Al Helou from Syria all research health-related issues, ranging from cancer to dentistry.

Rounding up the list of fellows is computer scientist Rasha Osman from Sudan, who is working to enhance the performance of computer software.

"Some of the researchers who were honoured tonight are married and have a family. To me, they are the true role models as they prove that an exceptional career in science can be coupled with a family life," says Al Kanj.

Shariah-compliant fund for Arab women

British commodity trading and finance investment firm DVK Group and a Qatari royal are currently in negotiations to launch a Shariah-compliant investment fund targeted solely at Arab women.

With a capital target of up to USD 500 million, the fund will be aimed at encouraging women to invest and seek greater opportunities in the business area. Findings of a Barclays Wealth survey also point out that Arab women have grown tremendously in confidence and are highly likely to invest in funds. Global investment firms, such as Merrill Lynch, have also launched special programs to attract Arab women investors.

A pilot study project will be launched by the end of this year. The company will expand the project in other Gulf and Asian countries if it receives a positive market response. The fund is targeting a lucrative and largely untapped segment of the population as women in Middle East are now actively managing their family fortunes.

A 2011 report highlighted that women controlled an estimated USD 700 billion (22 percent) of the region’s assets. This figure was expected to jump a further eight percent in the next four years.

Talking about the project, Deepak Kuntawala, the company’s founder and chairman, says that, “we meet [contacts] in London and their advice to one of the princesses out in Qatar was the synergy was there. There has been a lot of discussion around developing an investment vehicle to enable women in the Islamic GCC regions to have the opportunity to invest and do something with their capital”.

In 2012, the DVK Group launched its set up in the region with DVK Saudi. A member of the Saudi royal family was nominated as its non-executive chairman. The firm has recently expanded into Bahrain and has aggressive plans to enter other Gulf countries. On the back of high public and private spending in construction, the firm plans to target infrastructure projects in the Gulf, China, Russia and North Africa.

Arab women and affordable housing: falling short?

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) governments are meeting the challenge of providing affordable housing for low- and average-income nationals through some bold initiatives and strategies. But women still face discrimination under most GCC regulations for getting land, housing or interest-free construction loans.

Although international conventions recognise the right of all human beings to equal access to land and housing, including women and those living in poverty, women in the GCC countries still face legal and social discrimination in their access to housing, as they are not granted the same rights as men to the affordable housing services provided by their governments. Gender discrepancies are emanating from the patriarchal system favouring men over women and giving priority to adult males in housing distribution. Some GCC governments have acknowledged the problem and issued new legislative and administrative reforms to improve the access of poor, divorced and widowed women to affordable housing, but these measures don’t go far enough.

The Bahrain Ministry of Housing does not grant women the same rights as men for getting housing units or receiving loans to purchase housing. Bahraini women are granted houses from the government only if they are widowed or divorced with custody of their children. New amendments in 2004 to the Housing Law granted housing services for working women with stable incomes supporting their family and with no real estate. However, this only partially benefits women as they still need their husbands’ permission to request assistance to own a housing unit, which they may not be entitled to in the case of divorce.

The Kuwaiti Housing Law excludes Kuwaiti women, whether single or married, from taking advantage of the government’s low-interest housing-loan policy, which is usually provided to Kuwaiti men who are heads of families. Divorced or widowed women from low-income groups suffer the most as they lose their claim to homes purchased initially through this programme even if they made previous payments on the loan. Exceptionally, divorced women with children can claim a rent allowance if they do not remarry and have no financial support. A Kuwaiti woman married to a non-citizen cannot by law qualify for a government housing loan programme.

Arab women donates sons organs to Israelis

An Arab women living in the port city of Jaffa has donated the organs of her two sons, who tragically died in car accidents, to Jewish-Israeli citizens, despite opposition to the move from within her community.

Mother Yusra Ashur:

"Many years ago, my nephew needed a kidney transplant. I saw the pain he was going through at that time. Eventually someone donated a kidney to him and gave him a new life. If our organs can save lives, it is definitely worthwhile to donate them to others in need after we die.

When you make the decision to donate an organ, you won't consider whom it will go to. We will give it to whoever that needs it. This is humane."

Organ donation is an extremely sensitive issue for Israelis and Palestinians as both maintain a belief in the purity of the body after death, while further barriers to donations have arisen due to the ongoing diplomatic and military tensions between the two groups. Despite this, more than 400 families in Israel have donated organs in the past five years, a figure which is increasing annually.

Saudi woman student conducts advanced solar energy research at Masdar Institute

RIYADH: A Saudi female student from the US has conducted advanced research in solar technology at the Abu Dhabi-based Masdar Institute of Science and Technology.

Samar Alqatari is an engineering physics student with a focus on renewable energy at Stanford.
As a research assistant, Alqatari has spent the summer in the nanoelectronics and photonics labs of Dr. Ammar Nayfeh and Dr. Matteo Chiesa.

Her research focuses on the characterization of zinc oxide using a process called atomic force microscopy, which has the ability to analyze the surface and electric properties of nanomaterials, to look at the topography and conductivity properties of a zinc oxide thin film coating on a silicon wafer.

The results have many applications in electric devices, flexible electronics, and most importantly solar cells, according to a statement from Masdar.

Alqatari received her scholarship from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia to study at Stanford University.

Nayfeh said: “The nanoelectronics and photonics labs at Masdar Institute is the perfect location for promising students such as Samar Alqatari to conduct advanced research.” “Her research has already produced significant results, which we hope will benefit the academia and the solar energy industry.”
Alqatari said the research she conducted at Masdar has many applications in renewable energy, specifically solar power.

She added the institute has provided a stimulating environment for research and innovation.
She added: “The lab environment is very relaxed but at the same time their work on cutting-edge projects remains productive.”

She said Masdar Institute helped her decide on pursuing a career in academia with a focus on solar energy.

Women's Voices on the Arab Spring: Lara Ayoub



Lara Ayoub - News Director, Jordan

 1. Were women’s roles in the Arab Spring more or less meaningful than men’s roles?
Women played an essential role in the Arab Spring that was as important as the role of the men; however, in a region that has always been known to be male dominant, that equivalent role had much more meaning. This had a huge impact on the overall international perception and credibility of the uprising.

2. Have the revolts of the Arab Spring improved the position of women’s rights in the region?
For sure, her role in the Arab Spring forced the respect and acknowledgement of her rights within transformed/reformed countries such as Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen, and the entire region as well. However, women need to continue playing their vital, visible roles in the development of their communities, as the current transformations happening may compromise her rights.

3. How can the women of the Arab Spring turn this activism into long-term/sustainable gains?
By continuing to voice their opinions and playing their essential roles in their communities on a social, economical and political level, without accepting any compromises, women today can demonstrate that they are an active 50% of the population and will always have 50% of the say.

Women's Voices on the Arab Spring: Fida Ouri



Fida Ouri - Media Strategist, Palestine

 1. Were women’s roles in the Arab Spring more or less meaningful than men’s roles?

I think this depends on the country. For example, we haven’t noticed the presence of women in the Syrian revolt as much as we saw it in Egypt, Yemen, and, maybe, Libya. Women's roles in Egypt in the revolt have been as important as men's, and we saw them as university students, housewives, elderly women — united and all fighting for the same cause.

2. Have the revolts of the Arab Spring improved the position of women’s rights in the region?

I think it is too early to tell; time will show, as we see changes in legislation in favor of women. Generally, I believe women are taking part in the Arab Spring to improve their position on all levels, whether economic, social or political. In Tunisia, now we have seen that women are skeptical of their future and of their rights being reversed after the Arab Spring.

3. How can the women of the Arab Spring turn this activism into long-term/sustainable gains?

Women in the Arab world should ensure that policies and regulations are changed on the long run in their favor. Also, women must ensure their full participation in the political, economic and social life to guarantee that those gains or achievements are there forever.

Women's Voices on the Arab Spring: Manal Al-Sharif



Manal Al-Sharif - Driving Advocate, Saudi Arabia

 1. Were women’s roles in the Arab Spring more or less meaningful than men’s roles?

It's unfair to put men and women opposite to each other in any comparison. So we should shift from the competitive "more" and "less" to see how they complement each other in the Arab Spring! Each play a vital and unique role that can't be played by the other. I believe if the Arabs succeeded in achieving liberty and human and political rights in their spring, women's rights would be part of that for sure.

2. Have the revolts of the Arab Spring improved the position of women’s rights in the region?

It's too early to tell, as each country and revolution is different. But so far, my thoughts about it go to the favor of countries like Tunisia, which granted women the freedom of choice to wear hijab, or veil. But they are not in the favor of allowing parties like the Muslim Brotherhood their goal of canceling Egypt's Family Law (known as Suzanne's Law) because they claim it's against Islamic Sharia. In countries like Saudi Arabia, where we lack any form of "Personal Status Laws," we are pushing to regulate it as soon as possible, while it makes me concerned that Egypt could go backwards. In Libya, they are canceling the women’s quota in the Parliament, and that also takes women’s status backwards.

3. How can the women of the Arab Spring turn this activism into long-term/sustainable gains?
This is the best time for women to claim their rights and to be fully engaged in the human and political rights movements in their countries. I am hoping this will lead to the placing of more and more active women in decision-making bodies when things settle down. More women will be inspired to speak up and break the societal restraints imposed on them. Those women should then act as the guardians and voices for women's rights in the new governments. I am also hoping to see the first Arab woman president. All these can be factors to sustain gains for women's rights.

The Colors of the Arabian Woman

Her house in Amman is like a fashion hall, an artistic museum. Fine artistic works by Arabs, mostly Iraqis - paintings, jewelry and accessories - furnish the house. In a corner of the living room is a decorated wooden closet. The Iraqi artist and fashion designer, Hana Sadek, greeted us in her house in Amman in the basement which is like Ali Baba's cave. She is no ordinary clothes designer. She entered the profession via the plastic arts. Before she designed clothing, she traveled the Arab world in search of traditional fashion and she ended up writing an academic study of Arab dress and jewelry. She is a painter and a poet. Al-Jamela met her in her house in Amman for the following interview.

Q: Is it necessary to use a designed dress?

A: The question is related to art. Someone could ask if it is necessary to hang a painting in your house or have sculpture there? Is it necessary to listen to music? The same thing applies to fashion. Artistically designed fashion is an elegant and fine art; it is not a need but it becomes a necessity when we wear it. As for me, I do not want to wake up in the morning and see things reflecting bad taste and ugliness. When I go to an occasion, I want to see women wearing beautifully designed clothes. Women have a tendency to change and if the change is beautiful, they will accept it.

Q: Do you think that Arab women know how to choose the right dress?

A: No they do not. I try to draw out the beauty of the Arab woman's body. Arab women's bodies have unique features that we do not see in western bodies. Bodies have flaws and my job is to conceal them and show beauty. Some women ask to hide the hips. Due to the types of food we eat and the fact that we do not exercise regularly, many of us do not have good figures.

Q: In your mind, what are the standard measurements of the Arab woman body?

A: Arab women walk attractively. When they wear western clothes, their walk changes because western clothes were not designed for them. When they wear Arabic styles, they feel that the walk suits the clothes and adds softness and gentleness. They have their own magic but unfortunately most clothes designers do not concentrate on that magic. When I asked why I had received a fashion award in Rome, I was told, "Because you succeeded in showing women's femininity without showing their bodies."

Q: You mentioned femininity. What do you mean?

A: I am of the sixties generation, a generation that asked for freedom and equality with men. We strove hard not to show our femininity, thinking if we did that we would lose our case against men. I regretted this when I grew up because I was not able to enjoy and display my femininity and coquettishness. I regretted not dressing in Arab clothes which illustrate sweetness and mystique. The most beautiful thing in a woman is mystery.

Q: Other than clothes, do you design accessories and jewelry?

A: I have loved silver ever since I was a child. When I grew up, my mother refused to let me wear silver jewelry because I was from a family which believed I should always wear gold. I bought silver pieces, especially old ones with symbols that do not exist in gold jewelry. I began collecting silver pieces from Arabian cities. Sometimes I design my own silver pieces to go with a dress. At the beginning, customers refused to accept these pieces, thinking they were old or because they preferred gold. Later, customers began asking me for the right piece for their dress. The most important thing is to put the right piece with the dress, a piece that has meaning.

Q: Arab design is very poor in terms of color but you use colors generously and your designs are extremely colorful.

A: I got the idea of using a lot of color from the bedouin who use contrasting colors in their dress. They use the natural colors surrounding them.

Q: Are there specific colors that Arab women prefer?
A: Arab women love colors in general. They love bright colors so I would say red and yellow.
.

New TV channel run exclusively by fully veiled women

After graduating from the mass communication department of Cairo University, Heba Seraq-Eddin couldn't find a job. Potential employers turned her down, she says, because of her veil. Heba wears the niqab, the black fabric that covers her whole face, except for the eyes.

"I used to tell them I won't appear on camera, my niqab won't be visible," recalls Serag-Eddin, trained as a director and camera operator. But there were no job offers and she felt that the networks rejected the very concept of the niqab in the workplace.

Then she came across an ad for a new TV channel called Maria, run exclusively by niqab-clad women. She was hired right away.

Maria, the first channel of its kind anywhere, kicked off with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on July 20. Until it gets more funding and staff, it's a daily four-hour broadcast on its mother channel, Al-Omma, an independent channel seen in the Middle East.

In an apartment in the eastern Cairo district of Abasya, the female volunteers of Maria share two studios with Al-Omma's staff. Men occasionally help move the colored wooden panels on set and perform other technical chores. And Islam Abdallah, Al-Omma's executive director, steps in to offer advice on how to talk to the camera.

While new hires are being trained, the station is using the skills of other women who favor the hijab -- the veil that's more like a head scarf -- to help. But the objective is to depend solely on niqab-clad women. So far, they all work as volunteers.

"I felt that we finally have a place in society after being marginalized. As women wearing niqab, we had no rights, and no one to talk about us. Through Maria, we'll find people like us talking about us, with no discrimination," Seraq-Eddin says.

The niqab has sparked many debates about discrimination over the years. Public universities' ban of them during exams or in dormitories were the subject of numerous court battles and were condemned by advocacy groups. Women often complain of an unwelcoming job market with an unwritten discrimination.
Maria director Alaa Abdallah says that being part of the TV project showed her and other team members that they did, indeed, have the skills for the job.

"We are trying to create a better society after the earthquake of freedom that was January 25," Alaa Abdallah explains. She says Egypt's intellectuals should support her right to speak up and her right to give a marginalized segment of society a voice.

One of those intellectuals is not convinced. The network taps into the rhetoric of women's empowerment, says Adel Iskandar, media scholar at Georgetown University, but there is a "very strong case to be made that it's a gimmick."

Others are worried that the rise of political Islam in Egypt will radicalize the society. They argue that a TV network that features only women with covered faces is a "U-turn" on the path of the so-called Arab uprising.

Alaa Abdallah says she avidly supports freedom of expression, but wouldn't grant her critics the same leeway she demands. "I stand by freedom of expression as long as it isn't hostile to Islam," she says, arguing that "secular and liberal" channels are "destructive" in the way they are promoting ideas that would reshape society.



Abu Islam Abdallah, Alaa's father and the owner of Al-Omma, believes he's restoring the balance. By stressing the niqab, he believes he evens out what he describes as the "racism" against these women.
He describes as heretic the type of democratic system that allows women "to dress immodestly, work as dancers and even be members of Parliament." That's "pandemonium," he says.

Al-Omma -- which means the nation -- is full of "anti-Christianization" rhetoric. There is less of that on Maria, named for the woman thought to have been the prophet Mohammed's Coptic wife. Its female-oriented, cultural programming "within a religious framework," as Alaa Abdallah describes it, might even have greater potential than Al-Omma and its donation-based funding model.

Maria caters to a niche market untapped even by ultraconservative channels, according to Iskandar. But normalizing the appearance of women covered from head to toe in black could be a double-edged sword. "It takes away from their mystique, their exoticism," he argues.

Others believe Maria might end up isolating the niqab "community" and only underline the controversy over the full veil.

Either way, the biggest challenge, according to Iskandar, will be to overcome what may be visually dull presentation with creative content.

2012′s Most Influential Arab women revealed

The 2012 Arabian Business Power 500 contains more women than ever before, with a record 105 making the list of the world’s most influential Arabs.

Reem Asaad, the Saudi women who launched a campaign for women to be allowed to work in lingerie shops in the Kindgom, is the highest ranked woman in third spot. Another Saudi woman, the children’s cancer specialist Dr Khawla Al Kuraya is ranked 9 on the list, one place ahead of UAE Minister of Foreign Trade,  Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi.

The Bahrani doctor Rular Saffar, who was jailed by the authorities during last year’s riots, is ranked eleventh, with two more women in the top 20 – the Yememi activist Tawakkul Karman in thirteenth place, and Saudi medical researcher Hayat Sindi in 19 place.

Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed topped the Arabian Business Power List for the eighth successive year.
Emirates Airline chairman Sheikh Ahmed was ranked second. Emaar chairman Mohamed Alabbar was fourth on the list, with the Libyan activist Mohammed Nabbous in fifth place. Nabbous was the founder of Libya Al Hurra TV in Benghazi,  the first independent broadcast news organization since Gaddafi took power in Libya. The 28 year old was killed last year by Pro-Gaddafi forces.

Arab women in sport: 'There will be no more barriers for us'

From Saudi basketballers to Qatari shooters, a new exhibition celebrates Arab sportswomen in all their diversity. Huma Qureshi hears their inspiring stories.

Maysan Mamoun has a dream that one day she and all other Saudi women will be able to play sport openly.
"I don't think this will last forever," she says, referring to the restrictions in place on Saudi women, who are not even allowed inside sports clubs, let alone to play for them. "We are pioneers. We will open doors."
Mamoun is the co-captain of the Green Team, a women's basketball team in Saudi Arabia. The only way the team can play is in private - they practice in the back garden of their other captain, Maysan Al Sowayigh. Al Sowayigh persuaded her parents to convert the space into a court for her so that the team would have somewhere to play.

Mamoun is speaking directly into a camera, filmed by a French documentary maker, Marian Lacombe. The interview forms part of Hey'Ya (which translates as 'Let's Go'), a free exhibition in central London that celebrates Arab women in sport, from amateurs to Olympians.

The videos complement dramatic large-scale photographs of more than 50 Arab sportswomen taken by Marian's sister, the photographer Brigitte Lacombe.

The footage was taken long before Saudi eventually agreed to send two women to the Olympics and gives an insight into the determination of Saudi women fighting for the simple right to play sport, despite the discrimination they face.

The Green Team is trying to convince families to let their daughters train with them, but says it's not an easy task in a country where sport is banned for girls in public schools.

"There was a sense of frustration among some of the women," says Brigitte, who travelled with her sister to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Morocco to photograph and film the women. "But what is so remarkable is how they kept their focus. They will do what it takes to be able to participate in sport. I was humbled by their determination, smartness and dignity."

The Lacombe sisters were commissioned by the Qatar Museums Authority, which will be showing Hey'Ya in Doha next spring. Recently, Qatari authorities have been making an effort to prove to the International Olympics Committee that they are not discriminating or restricting women from participating in sports, as they prepare to bid for the 2024 Games. This year, Qatar is sending four women to the Olympics for the first time ever.

One of them is Noor Al Malki, a 17-year-old sprinter who is competing in the women's 100m. She has also been photographed and filmed for the exhibition. In one portrait, Al Malki is on the floor, stretching out in her sports gear, while in another, she poses side-on in the tight bandana she wears to cover her hair while running. In a video clip, Al Malki says she was too shy to run without her normal veil at first, but her brothers encouraged her. "They said just be strong."

Also featured in the exhibition are Hania Fouda, an Egyptian archer whose hands are painted with henna, and Feta Ahamada, an athlete from Comoros, a majority Muslim country off the coast of Mozambique who will also be competing in the women's 100m at the Olympics. Ahamada runs in a cropped athletic top and shorts. "If covering your body or your hair makes you feel comfortable, it's not a handicap," she says to the camera. "It's only sport. Everyone should do want they want."

Some of the women photographed are fully covered but most are not. "I want people to see the diversity of women in the Arab world. They are not all the same," says Lacombe, who spent seven months on the project.

Seventeen-year-old Reem Al Sharsani from Qatar missed out on an Olympics place this year in her sport, shooting, but has come to London for the start of the Games. She believes things are changing for young women of her generation; her older sister Yasmian plays golf and set up the Qatar Golf for Women club. Both were photographed by Lacombe.

"Before, women couldn't go out or do sports, but then everything changed when the Asian Games came to Qatar in 06. That's when women started realising it was possible to play too. Now I have a lot of support."
Yasmian, who wears a flowing black robe, agrees. "I'm so proud of all these women. I want to show the world we can do anything, even if we are covered. There will be no more barriers for us."

Jordan’s Queen Rania on Arab women

Many of the questions and stereotypes received had to do with women — specifically empowerment, violence, and honor crimes. Here’s a clip where Queen Rania discusses these issues.

Saudi women begin work in cosmetics shops

Six months after Saudi women were granted the right to work at lingerie stores, Saturday saw them achieve another first when they began work as saleswomen in cosmetic shops.

By implementing this decision, the Saudi ministry of labor hopes to open new employment opportunities for women.

Last year, Saudi King Abdullah had issued a resolution concerning women’s employment in stores ordered the withdrawal of all male employees from store premises within six months.

Hundreds of the ministry’s inspectors placed commercial stores under intensive surveillance to assess their situation and their commitment to the King’s directive.

While larger stores were able to implement the directives, smaller stores chose to remove the cosmetic sections from their premises.

The development assistant deputy minister of the ministry of labor, Fahd al-Takhifi, said “We sent clear instructions to the ministry of labor and business men to clarify the requirements needed for the future. We will not allow any man to sell lingerie or cosmetic products to women anymore,” he added.

Takhifi said it would take a few months to know how many women had benefitted from this resolution. “It is impossible to compel an employer to hire a definite number of female employees. Some stores will be working part-time and others will close their doors. But only women should work in these shops,” he said.
He said the labor offices will start their inspection tours on Sunday. “The conditions of implementation are strict; the number of women working in a section of a store including more than one department should not be less than three. The department where women work should be independent from other departments. It is wrong to just replace men with women employees, women’s departments should also be isolated,” he said.

Commitment and closure

Large perfume and cosmetics stores have committed to the directives without committing to the ministries conditions.

The manager of Bakshan Perfume Company in Al Waha Mall in Dammam, Jalal Mahdi Bashir, said they were working to implement the ruling, adding that they had “started hiring Saudi women. We hired one this morning and will be recruiting another one tomorrow in accordance to the new system.”

Small shops on the other hand have had to close their cosmetics and make-up departments because they were not able to meet the new resolution’s provisions. These shops’ income does not allow them to hire more staff.

The owner of Nahr Al Fayrouzi perfume shop in Dammam, Muhammad Ali, said: “We decided to close our cosmetic section because we cannot afford hiring women in this section; work is already slow and low in revenue.”

In the same context, owner of a small perfumery in Riyadh Hussein al-Shuweia said that he couldn’t hire Saudi women in the cosmetic section because he has a small shop that merely generates income. Thus, he preferred to close the cosmetic section and keep the perfume section. “With all due respect to the new resolution, I couldn’t commit to it. Many of my colleagues who own small shops did the same which will pave the way for megastores to monopolize the market.”

Strict conditions

The ministry of labor has set strict rules and conditions to guarantee the success of this venture, especially in light of the differences in the concept of multi-sections stores and the appropriate mechanism to change the stores’ conditions.

Last Saturday, the ministry issued a circular for all offices and businesses in which it gave clear guidelines on how to implement the resolution. For example, it is prohibited to hire men in lingerie and cosmetic shops and all employees should be Saudi women. The store owner should only allow access for families or women provided that women accessories sections are equipped with shutters to segregate men.

A female employee should wear decent clothes in her work place.

Multi-sectional stores (that sell both cosmetics and women’s lingerie) can either employ 100 percent Saudi female staff or remove the products targeted by the ministerial resolution on “lingerie and cosmetics stores”, unless the store owner is willing to hire Saudi female employees.

Saudis are starting to accept this new resolution more than they did when the resolution on women selling lingerie was issued. A female vendor is no longer a strange phenomenon in Saudi society but the resolution needs some time to be fully accepted.

Kingdom’s career women search for extra Ramadan housemaids

As Ramadan draws near, many working women begin the relentless search for housemaids, focusing mainly on illegal workers.

Sawsan, a service representative at a local company, told Arab News: “During the holy month, there are extra demands such as cooking, cleaning and entertaining visitors.
“It is very difficult for me to accomplish all that is required and report to work daily without extra household help.”

She stated that she already has a maid, but has been searching for a second one for three weeks to no avail.
“Most maids I have spoken to usually ask for SR 1,000 to SR 1,200, but now want at least SR 3,000 for the month if cooking is included and SR 2,500 if only cleaning is required.

“This is a very high price as my salary is only SR 4,500.”

Due to the opportunities to earn a fat paycheck, often triple what they usually make, many maids deliberately wait until Ramadan to run away from their sponsors.

Some families, afraid of losing their domestic workers, even resort to locking the maids inside during Ramadan.

Enas, a Saudi doctor at a government hospital, said: “I have experienced problems in the past with runaway maids, especially during Ramadan.

“This is why I began locking all the outside doors and have barred the windows to create a secure environment and keep the maid from running away when I am at work and during the night.” She added the maid is free to move about the home as she pleases, but she cannot go outside.

When asked why she thinks locking the maid in is acceptable, she replied: “I feel I have the right to do what is necessary since I am the sponsor responsible for the housemaid.

“If she runs away I will be the one who has to pay the extra charges and burdened with extra household chores.

“I will also have to wait months before a replacement can be recruited.”

The pool of illegal maids is believed to have dwindled this year due to tighter restrictions on Umrah visas, often used by foreigners to gain access to the Kingdom for employment purposes.

This is in addition to the Kingdom’s ban on the recruitment of domestic workers from the Philippines and Indonesia implemented last year.

According to the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), sponsors of runaway maids can be fined up to SR 10,000 and the maid deported if caught by local authorities.
.