Global
Afghan Women's Movements Deserve More From the West
Time magazine's moving portrayal of the plight of Afghanistan's women is a tribute to their heroism and silent suffering. However, the poignant images and story fail to reflect the determined achievements of a women's movement that has battled cultural and Islamist misogyny. They deserve more from the West.
Ironically, women in Afghanistan had greater opportunities for education and employment under colonial rule, including that of the Soviets. Tribal traditions and a male-dominated reading of Islam have produced a deeply rooted ideology of women as temptresses, who must be kept under control to avoid "fitna" or social strife, thereby safeguarding the "peace of Islam." In this patriarchal society, a man's honor, bound by the behavior of his female relatives, may be defended with violence. Girls are traded to settle family disputes, and rural tribal courts dispense summary justice that can overrule central authority.
Campaigning must continue to end stoning
SAKINEH Mohammadi Ashtiani could be stoned to death or hanged in Iran within days.
Facing arrest, her lawyer, Mohammad Mostafaei, fled to Norway via Turkey, where he was briefly detained. His wife and two relatives were held hostage in Tehran's Evin prison. They have since been released on bail. Non-government organisations campaigned forcefully on their behalf. However, few Muslim or non-Muslim leaders have spoken out against the criminalisation of adultery and its punishment by stoning.
Dr Mohammad Javad Larijani, Secretary General of Iran's High Council for Human Rights, believes the ancient custom, revived after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, is consistent with Islam. Article 104 of the Iranian Penal Code states: "The stones should not be too large so that the person dies on being hit by one or two of them; nor should they be so small that they could not be defined as stones." Members of the community, often family and in-laws of the accused, carry out the deed. According to Larijani, international protests are part of a destabilising political campaign orchestrated by Western nations, an argument the UN appears to accept without dispute.
Amnesty: Bosnia and Herzegovina must reject Burqa ban
Amnesty International has urged the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina to reject a draft law, set to be debated on Wednesday, prohibiting the wearing in public of clothes which prevent identification.
"If adopted, such a law would violate the human rights of women who choose to wear a full-face veil as an expression of their religious, cultural political or personal identity or beliefs. It would violate their right to freedom of expression and religion," said Marek Marczynski, Amnesty International's researcher on Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"At the same time, a general ban on wearing full-face veils in public could result in some women being confined to their homes and unable to participate in public life."
The draft law envisages imposing penalties such as a fine of 100 KM (50 euro) or imprisonment between one and seven days.
Feminists on the Frontline: Case Studies of Resisting and Challenging Fundamentalisms
This collection of case studies is a testament to the women and men around the world who have stood up to reject the imposition of norms and values in the name of religion as well as to expose and challenge the privileged position given to religion in public policies. In 2008 AWID launched a call for proposals to document the strategies of women's rights activists confronting religious fundamentalisms. The final 18 case studies presented here are drawn from a wide range of religious and geographical contexts, and cover various fields of activism. We hope that this collection will inspire, inform and encourage discussion and debate. Please visit this page again for updates, as finalized case studies and a brief summary of each case study will be posted on a rolling basis. We will also soon be posting a paper that introduces the trends and themes that are threaded through the various case studies.
Unveiled Views: Muslim Women Artists Speak Out
In this revealing documentary five extraordinary women talk about their occupations, aspirations, and the rights and status of women in their Muslim countries.
Islam without veil
Since the recent controversy surrounding the French government’s ban on total face coverings (burqa or niqab), the head scarf issue has once again attracted the world’s attention.
Review: Velvet Jihad—Muslim Women’s Quiet Resistance to Islamic Fundamentalism
The book catalogues a long list of hurdles and restrictions that millions of Muslim women across the world are subjected to in the name of Islam.
Petition against Vatican`s miscategorization of Women’s Rights Advocates with Child Abusers
On July 15, 2010, the Vatican issued a clarification of its canonical procedures for how dioceses should handle priests who sexually abuse children. As part of the statement, they have added that the “attempted ordination of a woman” has now been added to the list of “delicta graviora,” or most serious crimes in church law, alongside the sexual abuse of minors.
Catholics denounce Vatican putting female ordination on par with sex abuse
Women's groups describe Vatican's decision on female ordination as 'appalling'.
It was meant to be the document that put a lid on the clerical sex abuse scandals that have swept the Roman Catholic world. But instead of quelling fury from within and without the church, the Vatican stoked the anger of liberal Catholics and women's groups by including a provision in its revised decree that made the "attempted ordination" of women one of the gravest crimes in ecclesiastical law.
The change put the "offence" on a par with the sex abuse of minors.
Advancing Gender Justice: A Call to Action
At a press conference held on 31 May 2010 during the Review Conference of the Rome Statute, the Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice released an advocacy paper titled Advancing Gender Justice - A Call to Action. Joining Women's Initiatives' Executive Director Brigid Inder to speak at the launch of the paper were three women's rights activists from ICC conflict situations who comprised part of the Women's Initiatives delegation: Gladys Oyat, Greater North Women's Voices for Peace Network, from Kitgum, Northern Uganda; Jeanine Bandu, Director of the Collective of Indigenous and Vulnerable Households, from Goma, Eastern DRC; and Albertine Tonnet, Coordinator of the Women's Section of the United Trade Union, from Bangui, Central African Republic. Susanah Sirkin, Deputy Director of the US-based NGO Physicians for Human Rights, also offered her reflections on the Call to Action.
At the press conference, women from the conflict situations spoke of the urgent need for justice through both international and national accountability mechanisms. Gladys Oyat from Northern Uganda asked, 'Shall the (Ugandan) victims get justice within the given time frame? We have evidence in Uganda that sometimes issues of importance may not be taken with the seriousness they deserve. They start with high flames but soon die out like a candle in the wind. Who can give assurance to the hurting people that justice will be done as fast as possible? Remember, Justice Delayed is Justice Denied.' Read Gladys' full press statement.