International Women's Day- World Voices
International Women's Day reminds us why feminism must not lose its bite
The feminist movement is constantly changing, but it is an unfinished revolution. There is a long way yet to go.
Natasha Walter guardian.co.uk,
This is International Women's Day and it is a great moment to take the temperature of the women's movement in the UK. For quite a while it's been clear that the long-predicted demise of feminism has not happened; on the contrary, over the last few years there have been sparks of new life that have surprised many observers.You can map those sparks in the growth of grassroots events, such as the Million Women Rise march, launched three years ago, and the Feminism in London conference, whose thousand cheering delegates surprised me with their numbers and energy last year.You can also map them in the increasing readiness of influential organisations and individuals, from the UN to Judi Dench, to be associated with what might once have been seen as stridently feminist rhetoric. To see the grassroots and the establishment coming together is to witness a movement with a great legacy taking on new energy.International Women's Day has not, historically, been a huge deal in the UK. It kicked off in 1911 in more idealistic and embattled times, when women all over the western world were seeking basic political and employment rights. With its roots in the international socialist movement, it is perhaps unsurprising that we hear it has more of a profile in China and Russia than in Britain.But it has shifted up a gear this year to mark the centenary, and has been boosted in the UK by the new Equals coalition, which has brought together a raft of charities, arts organisations and individuals to join the celebrations and protests.When I first clicked on Equals' promotional film I laughed out loud to see Daniel Craig being questioned by Judi Dench on gender equality. It's hugely pleasurable, for those of us who have been banging on about equal rights for years, to see these arguments being taken on in a mini-Bond film directed by Sam Taylor-Wood.The arguments have jumped out of the ghetto; they're in the mainstream now. As I wrote in The New Feminism in 1998 I'd prefer to see feminism not as a separate movement, but as part of the very air we breathe. We should all, women and men, young and old, be concerned about the ways in which women across the world are still prevented from realising their dreams simply because they are women.But we still have to be careful that as feminism broadens its appeal, it does not lose its force, its bite, its ability to create real change. International Women's Day began in a solid socialist movement, and as it moves more towards the middle ground that obviously changes its temper. But I am heartened by the strength of the demands being made on all sides.Although my first reaction to the Equals film was a laugh, when I listened to it I felt grim again. The facts that Dench tells us are not new to many of us, but it still hurts to hear again that millions of girls worldwide are deprived of a basic education or that two women a week in the UK are killed by a current or former partner. These realities remind us that for all its achievements, feminism has produced an unfinished revolution.Too often it is implied that feminism is some kind of western construct that we should be wary of exporting to the rest of the world. This argument is simply ignorant of the work that women have done and are doing throughout Africa, Asia, and South America to fight for their rights. In the charity I founded, Women for Refugee Women, I work alongside women from many different countries and cultures who have come to the UK for sanctuary from persecution. None of them would have any truck with the idea that human rights are less important to them because Mary Wollstonecraft didn't write in their language.So it's good to hear Annie Lennox, who is taking a leading role in International Women's Day activities this year, point out that "from India to Illinois women face violence just for being female", or to realise that if you join one of Women for Women International's bridge events today you will be at just one of hundreds of events worldwide, from Afghanistan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.If today shows something of the strength of those who seek genuine equality, as well as the scale and importance of what remains to be achieved, then it will be a day well spent. guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2011
THE HUFFINGTON POST
THE ARAB WOMAN YOU DONT SEE
BY QUEEN NOOR OF JORDAN
Throughout the extraordinary events of the last few months, across the Middle East and North Africa, long-silenced voices demanding change are being heard worldwide -- and stalwart among them are the voices of women. From the bereaved mother of the first tragic Tunisian protester, to Asmaa Mahfouz, the 26-year-old whose YouTube video brought Egyptians into the streets, to Sally Zahran, a passionate 23-year-old Egyptian woman who was bludgeoned to death on January 28, to Tawakul Abdel-Salam Karman, the activist whose arrest sparked demonstrations in Yemen and countless others, women have joined with men in peaceful protest, braving beatings, rubber bullets, and worse. In Egypt, considered the birthplace of Arab feminism in the 1920s, an estimated quarter of the million protesters at the height of the demonstration were female. In all the pictures from the protest, none was as powerful as that of the woman standing face to face with an Egyptian soldier in a pose of utmost defiance. One young female protester stated, "There are no differences between men and women here. We are all one hand." In more conservative cultures such as Bahrain and Yemen, fewer women have demonstrated, but for that very reason their presence is perhaps even more significant.This should come as no surprise. Women are consummate peacemakers, and civil protest has always been one of their most powerful tools of expression.I have been privileged to work with numerous networks of courageous women who have suffered the worst consequences of war, conflict and discrimination; in Jordan and Palestine, in Israel, in Colombia, in Central Asia, in Africa and the Balkans, raising their voices and joining forces for change.Many countries that are struggling to recover from harrowing civil war, including Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Chile, Bosnia, and Liberia, have turned to women leaders for stability, security and peace. After the genocide of 1994 in Rwanda, Hutu and Tutsi women joined together to support each other and the war's victims and to lead the search for truth and reconciliation as official members of government.In Liberia, I have witnessed the inspiring force of the market women who, throughout 16 years of civil war, sustained their families, saved lives and kept food supplies flowing while they marched and successfully negotiated for peace and, then ensured the election of Africa's first woman president.
And, in the former Yugoslavia, the site of the worst carnage in Europe since World War II, I have sat and wept with Bosnian, Serb and Croatian women as they struggled to come to terms with the deaths of their husbands, sons and fathers -- killed, in some cases, by the husbands or sons of women sitting across the table.Why such compassion to the widows of their enemies? As one woman put it simply, "We are all mothers." They came to our meetings to search for threads of human connection amidst the chaos of conflict.Today, women raising their voices in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Bahrain and Yemen are not all mothers, but they are also daughters, wives, sisters. They are fighting for their families, but they are also fighting for themselves; and in Palestine, the women of the occupied territories are fighting for the freedom to be included in the greater Palestinian struggle.Heartening though this may be, as revolution gives way to realpolitik, women's rights are all too often the first things to be compromised on and bartered away. For example, although these protests present an unprecedented opportunity for women, some of the results are less than encouraging. In Egypt, while the protests themselves were marked by a sense of unity, it did not take long for sexual harassment to reassert itself. And women returned to protest when the Supreme Council for the Armed forces, designating a committee to amend the country's constitution, neglected to appoint a single woman.Women's new empowerment will not be suppressed easily, however. So far, these have not been the traditional stories about women -- especially Muslim women -- that tend to show up on the news. Many do not imagine Arab and Muslim women have much in common with their counterparts in the West because of the selective, damaging and stereotypical images that the media commonly present. When I married King Hussein in 1978, reporters were constantly asking me how a progressive, educated, American woman could go live in such a repressive culture. Those reporters did not know the Arab women I did -- the doctors, lawyers, professors and entrepreneurs -- many of whom became friends and advisers as I set my priorities for public service. The dedication and ambition of the increasing numbers of such women gives great cause for optimism about their prospects for shaping the future of the region. Providing these women with opportunities for partnering with international institutions and networks can enhance that transformative potential both within their own societies and for the benefit of our larger world.Too many in the Western world still equate the images and soundbites describing women under Taliban and restrictive rule in other countries with the teachings of our faith and conditions throughout the Muslim world. Many worry that greater democracy in the region will give reign to more restrictive interpretations of Islam and a rollback of women's rights. I think, however, that there is reason for hope for women within our faith itself.Most westerners -- and even some in our region -- do not recognize that women were granted political, economic, legal and social rights by Islam in the 7th century -- rights then unheard of in the West; rights that women were still struggling for in the 20th century in so many parts of the world -- such as the equal right to education, to own and inherit property, to conduct business, to participate in decision making, to be elected to office and not be coerced into marriage. The oppression of women in parts of the Muslim world is not because of Islam, but contrary to it.Male and female equality is enshrined in numerous places in Islamic scripture, such as the Quranic verse: "I waste not the labor of any that labors among you, be you male or female -- the one of you is as the other." And from the later teachings: "For the white to lord it over the black, the Arab over the non-Arab, the rich over the poor, the strong over the weak or men over women is out of place and wrong." The true application of fundamental Islamic principles can actually empower women to play a crucial role in the process of peaceful change.As popular demands progress to political and social transition in the MENA region, it is of critical importance that the women who have played such an important role not be relegated to secondary status yet again. They must not simply be forced to exchange an old for a new set of oppressions. Any reforms must continue the progress toward full human rights for women that our region so desperately needs, not only for the women's sake. It is vital that MENA countries more urgently recognize that the status of women is the key determinant to the development of their societies. In turn, the international community can play a critical role in helping to build bridges that can further integrate women both locally and globally.It is fitting that in Egypt, where Arab feminists first made their voices heard, women have played such an integral role, and have set something of a precedent, by courageously fighting for their unequivocal rights.On this anniversary of International Women's Day, almost a century since those Arab feminists raised their voices, it is time for women everywhere to take their proper place beside men as equal parents of new societies born in democracy and justice.Read more on International Women's Day at www.huffingtonpost.com
ARAB NEWS
Imagine if women could drive
By SOMAYYA JABARTI
Heeding John Lennon, imagine it’s the year 3000 and women drive in Saudi Arabia.
Dropped off children at school, did some grocery shopping and now heading to work.
It’s the end of the week, so much to do and so little time to do it in. Today’s TO-DO list:
1. Police station,
2. Passport, department,
3. Bank,
5. Beach resort, boat and jet-ski rental and reservation.
First things first: The police station.
“Salam aleikum, I’m Muna Ahmad, lawyer of Laila Ibrahim who ran a red light,” the uniformed man did not flinch.
I continued, “She completed the consequential one night in jail and here’s the fine payment so she’s free to go.”
Still, silence.
“Excuse me, I’m talking to you.”
“Where is he?” he barked.
“Where is who?” I replied.
“Her ‘wali amr’ (legal male guardian)?”
“I’m her lawyer,” I said handing him a copy of my license.
“Even if you were her mother. If there’s no legal male guardian, then she stays jailed,” he spat without even looking up.
“But she’s done the time,” I argued.
“She’ll do more time until her legal male guardian comes for her. Go complain to a qadi (judge) if you don’t like it.”
Drove to court. Bribed the court’s entry points and approached the judge.
“Sheikh Saeed, I need a court order because my client’s being illegally kept beyond her due time.”
The judge turned to the clerk/plaintiff. “Tell the woman to cover her face!”
“Cover your face woman!” ordered the clerk.
Fine. Face covered, I stated my case again.
“Tell her a woman’s voice should not be heard,” said the judge to the clerk.
Having had enough, face still covered I walked up to the judge and placed my client’s papers in front of him.
“Step back!” shouted the judge. “How dare you trespass God’s boundaries and approach me!”
“Women spoke directly to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and to the caliphs,” I retorted. “Surely, what of their abidance by God’s laws? Or are you better?”
I was shouted out and forcefully removed from court.
“Anyway, women — lawyer or not — are not allowed in here!” were the clerk’s last words.
Fuming, I drove to the Passport Department to renew my passport.
“Where is your legal male guardian?” asked the employee.
“It’s just for passport renewal, not a first time,” I replied.
“Where and who do you think you are?” said the employee. “Where’s the man responsible for you? No husband? Then get your brother, son, father or uncle.”
“But I’ve a national ID,” I said.
“Doesn’t matter,” he replied. “You can’t issue or renew any passport. Only a man can.”
Unbelievable. Blood pressure is a few degrees higher.
On the way to the bank, I received a call from my friend Sarah, in Bahrain for basic lingerie shopping where women work in such departments. Sarah, like many women avoid the local shops where only salesmen are allowed to work. A salesman can size you up (& down), even discuss in-depth, the best lace, the best silk and the best shades. She’d missed her flight back and asked if I could cross the bridge and pick her up?
“Can’t,” was my answer. “My passport’s expired. No passport means no male guardian travel-consent paper.”
At the bank, my 17-year-old daughter wants to open a bank account for her savings.
“I’m sorry you can’t,” apologized the employee. “As a minor only her legal male guardian can.”
“But I’m also her parent, here’s the form verifying my employment status and I’m an old client here!” I said.
“Doesn’t matter. For a minor, the legal male guardian needs to come with the required paperwork,” she replied. “If he’s self-employed, he needs to bring a chamber of commerce license. If not, he should bring an employment status verification paper from the company he works for.”
“And what if he’s unemployed?” I asked.
“Then that’s it,” the employee answered.
“I pay her school tuition fees, save for her university education, buy her clothing, accessories, pay her allowance, pay for her leisure activities, travel expenses, tickets, mobile bills — all that counts for nothing? On what basis?” I asked.
“Wallahi (I swear), it’s not the bank but SAMA policy”, she replied.
Blood rising to a boil, my disappointed daughter (and savings) and I returned to the car and drove out to an Obhur beach resort for the weekend. It will be therapeutic after such a day.
“Can I help you?” the receptionist cordially asked.
“We’re here for the weekend, two nights”, I said.
“Is your legal male guardian with you?”
“No, only the two of us”, I answered.
“Your legal male guardian has to sign the required forms, in person,” he said.
“But I’m paying,” I said.
“Doesn’t matter,” he answered.
“OK then, we’d like a boat ride and to rent a jet ski,” I said.
“With a ‘mahram’ (male guardian again)?” he asked.
“I told you, just us two,” I retorted.
“Sorry madam, you can’t.” Absolutely livid, we drove back home.
So let me get this straight:
Only a man can bail a woman out of jail regardless of time served or paid fines.
Only a man can speak to and be seen by a judge.
Only a man can practice law.
Only a man can sell women’s lingerie.
Only a man can open a bank account for his child.
Only a man can check into a beach resort (regardless if the fact that women can check into hotels).
Only a man can rent a boat (ride) or jet-ski (in person or on paper).
Only a man can facilitate a woman’s traveling (in person or on paper).
BUT I’m allowed to drive? Must be a toy car, the wheel merely a pacifier?
All of the above is FACT. The only fiction is driving.
What illusive independence!
Adults are we?
Driving: What is our God-given right and due?
Mothers. Wives. Daughters. Sisters. Doctors. Educators. Writers. Researchers. Scientists. Journalists. Marketers. Bankers. Nurses. Financial analysts. Therapists. Architects. Lawyers. Pilots. Students. Designers. Mathematicians. Entrepreneurs. Businesswomen.
What were their words? “Doesn’t matter”.
Says man.
Not God.
— sjabarti@arabnews.com
Read more at arabnews.com
