Women's Views on News

Egypt group tracks female candidates’ experiences
Thousands of Iranian women are training to become female ninjas
Egyptian blogger and activist Salma Said is latest to be shot during protests
Industry giants pledge to give a billion women fair access to the global economy
Female talent remains top secret at Amnesty’s Policeman’s Ball
Church of England synod rejects ‘compromise’ over female bishops
Story links, February 9, 2012

Egypt group tracks female candidates’ experiences

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 07:30 AM PST

Lindsay Carroll
WVoN co-editor

An Egyptian women’s group has released a documentary, “She and Elections,” which describes the experiences of female candidates in the country’s recent parliamentary vote.

The findings of Nazra for Feminist Studies come at a time when the future of women’s rights in revolutionary Egypt seems grim, with scarcely any representation in the government and reports of widespread sexual assault during some protests.

The organization filmed and interviewed women who ran in the elections, such as 28-year-old Teriza Samir.

“I have decided to run for the elections because I believe it is a very important stage in the history of Egypt, and I also see that my role in Upper Egypt, when I say, ‘I am going to run,’ this will break many taboos,” Samir said in a YouTube clip of Nazra’s film.

Only eight women won seats in Egypt’s lower house of Parliament, the People’s Assembly ‒ less than two per cent. Elections for the upper house, whose role is largely advisory, will end later this month.

Nazra found female candidates faced obstacles that put them at a disadvantage to male candidates.

A significant factor was women’s placement on party lists. Egypt’s ruling military council passed an elections law for the transition period that required parties to put women on their lists.

But most parties of all ideologies chose not to risk putting women at the top of their lists, making it less likely for them to win seats.

Nazra found women’s representation on lists about equal between Islamist and civil parties, with 16 and 17.5 per cent respectively, the organization said in its report.

“A look at the party lists and the placement of female candidates reveals that no one political bloc was more woman-friendly than others,” it said.

Religious discourse that dominated the parliamentary elections also hurt female candidates for civil-oriented parties because it made women’s issues a priority.

Nazra said the situation forced female candidates for civil parties to raise women’s issues as a social problem but simultaneously present themselves as candidates who would represent their constituencies, not just women.

Large constituencies drawn up by the military hurt both women and Coptic Christians and made it difficult for them to win individual seats in particular. No women running as individuals won.

Of the 16 women Nazra worked with for its report, only Sanaa el Said, a candidate in the Upper Egypt governorate of Assuit, won.

She said in the documentary that she hoped all women could run in the elections and participate in political life.

“This is the natural role of women in the society,” Ms el Said said.

Nazra will issue a final report after parliamentary elections end.

Thousands of Iranian women are training to become female ninjas

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 06:30 AM PST

Jale Arif
WVoN co-editor

Thousands of Iranian women are training to become Kunoichi (female ninjas) in a small Ninjutsu club in Iran.

The school opened in 1989 and now has 3,500 women mastering the increasingly popular form of martial arts.

In a video recently uploaded to YouTube, reported by Iranian TV station Press TV, the women are shown practising their skills in the club and outdoors in what could be mistaken for a martial arts film trailer.

In an intense training session the women demonstrate choreographed combat moves with kicks and chops and impressive gymnastics.

They are also shown brandishing dangerous weapons such as bows, swords, nunchucks and shurikens – allowed to be used after two years of training. Reporter Gisoo Misha Ahmadi calls the shurikens "the most iconic weapon in Ninjutsu."

Ninjutsu was established in Iran by Sensei Akbar Faraji when he set up the club 22 years ago; it now has 24,000 members.

Mr Faraji told Press TV: "’In Ninjutsu, we call men Ninjas, while females are called Kunoichi."

He added: "Being a ninja is about patience, tolerance and fortitude…It literally means the art of becoming invisible."

Ninjutsu, considered to be the deadliest form of martial art, is reported to have become increasingly popular among women because it teaches them how to maintain a healthy mental and physical balance.

Ninjutsu instructor Fatima Muamer told Press TV: "the most important lesson is respect and humility."

“They learn to respect themselves. First respect their existence and then the art they are mastering.

"Calmness is the most important lesson they learn."

Looking past the combat moves and production of the video, the most important point is how seriously the women take the sport as a means of self-empowerment.

In a society that seeks to rob them of power, it is perhaps not surprising that it is proving so popular.

Egyptian blogger and activist Salma Said is latest to be shot during protests

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 05:00 AM PST

Julie Tomlin
WVoN co-editor

Prominent activist and blogger Salma Said has joined the growing numbers of protesters injured by Egypt's security forces using rubber bullets and bird shot.

Said claimed she was shot while filming an armoured personnel carrier (APC) after police responded violently to a peaceful protest in Cairo, following the Port Said football stadium tragedy on February 1 that left at least 74 people dead.

"We were protesting to denounce police negligence, and to signal that we believe they deliberately plotted this crime against innocent football fans," said Said in a video posted on Youtube by film collective Mosireen.

Said was first shot in her face and in her hand by a masked man as she was filming shots being fired at protesters from an APC.

"My right side wasn't shielded, as I was trying to film what the APC was doing, which wasn't very smart," said Said, who was shot again in her legs after she fell and a third time as people were carrying her away.

"I was shot with shotgun pellets in my face, arm and chest and in my stomach, pelvis and legs, both right and left," she said. "I don't know how many are still left, but there are about 33 in my right leg."

Said added she was "so lucky" that a pellet missed her eye by about 4 mm – many have lost eyes after being shot in what is claimed is deliberate targeting of protesters’ heads by Egyptian security forces.

"People rose up and revolted because they were living in misery, and here we are a year into the revolution and nothing has changed," said Said, who said the revolution had reached an "impasse" because its tactics of peaceful demonstrations and sit ins had failed against the regime.

She called on “all sectors”, including "industrial workers, teachers and doctors" to take part in a campaign of civil disobedience that is scheduled to begin on 11 February unless the Military Council responds to its demands (See WVoN story).

Their participation was key to the success of the partial strikes that could build to a general strike to bring down the "dictatorial state that is killing and wounding us every day" Said said.

Announcing she was "leaving hospital and going home" on Twitter yesterday, Said added: "what I’ve been through is nothing in comparison to the many heroes lying in many hospitals. Let’s visit them".

Industry giants pledge to give a billion women fair access to the global economy

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 03:50 AM PST

Polly Trenow
WVoN co-editor

A coalition of top industries and non-government organisations (NGOs) have come together to back a global initiative aimed at expanding women's employment, access to finance, markets and education.

These are lofty aims, but who better to promote women’s economic participation than industry giants such as Goldman Sachs, the Coca-Cola Company, Ernst and Young and the World Bank who all pledged their support to the Third Billion Campaign launched last week in New York.

An initiative of La Pietra Coalition, the Third Billion Campaign is a decade long initiative which aims to tap into women's economic potential as employees, entrepreneurs, producers and consumers.

Senior Director, Sandra Taylor said, "Women are the emerging market with the greatest potential for accelerating global economic growth over the next decade. Investing in women will transform their lives and lead to prosperity for their families, their communities and for business globally."

The Third Billion Campaign was a result of work carried out by Booz & Company's analysis of International Labor Organization data on women in the global workforce.

The Booz report found that around 860 million women worldwide are "not prepared" (lacking sufficient secondary education) and/or "not enabled" (lacking support from families and communities) to take part in the world economy.

The vast majority of these women, between the ages of 20 and 65 (822 million) live in emerging and developing countries and the rest (47 million) live in North America, Western Europe and Japan.

Counting female births and those under age twenty, this number will add up to a billion in the next decade.

Dr. Victoria Kisyombe, founder and CEO of Sero Lease and Finance Corporation (SELFINA) of Tanzania and panelist at the launch event said, "The urgency of the situation is clear: Women are expected to help support their families but, particularly in rural areas, have virtually no employment opportunities.

“Small enterprises – selling produce, groceries or other items – are often the only alternative. But women lack access to productivity-enhancing technology, let along the basic assets necessary to start these businesses. We are ready, if we receive the tools, the skills and the financing to grow."

The first action of the Third Billion campaign is a petition to the G20 member states ahead of the meeting in June 2012 in Mexico. The petition is demanding action on women's economic participation.

Specifically they are asking governments to make commitments to a seat for women on the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion, and that central banks and other national financial authorities develop methods for the collection and dissemination of gender-disaggregated data.

The petition also calls for research to determine reasons why so many women do not have access to banking services and for commitments to increase procurement of goods and services from women-owned enterprises.

You can add your name to the petition here.

Female talent remains top secret at Amnesty’s Policeman’s Ball

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 02:29 AM PST

Russell Brand part of the all-male line up for the Secret Policeman's Ball

Polly Trenow
WVoN co-editor

Amnesty International has come under fire after announcing the line-up for its popular annual event, the Secret Policeman's Ball.

Critics have expressed their concern that the line-up of comedians and musicians for this important annual event is all male and virtually all white.

The event, which is being held in New York for Amnesty’s fiftieth anniversary year, will feature comedians Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and Russell Brand. Comedy duo Armstrong and Miller have also voiced an animation to promote the event.

Two all-white and all male bands, Coldplay and Mumford and Sons are also set to headline.

Reggie Watts is the only non-white performer set to appear.

Prominent feminist bloggers Bidisha and Cath Elliot raised their concern about the lack of diversity in the line-up when it was announced at the end of last month.

Bidisha claims she has been contacted by a high up "charity world insider" who expressed concern at Amnesty's lack of cultural diversity.

The anonymous source is quoted on Bidisha's blog as saying “[Amnesty] don't learn from their mistakes – or perhaps they don't think it was a mistake – they have been known to rely on such sayings as ‘it's not about political correctness it's about quality.’

“It's a shame but basically Amnesty is not standing up for everyone.”

Apparently without irony, the press release announcing the line-up for the event quotes Amnesty International Spokesperson, Andy Hackman, as saying,"This year's Secret Policeman's Ball brings together an incredible representation of the best comedians and musicians in the world."

Amnesty International say their vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.

The Secret Policeman's Ball is an event dedicated to free speech which was started in 1976 by John Cleese.

Examining the history of poor representation of women at the Secret Policeman's Ball, prominent feminist writer and blogger Bidisha says,

"Amnesty are demonstrating with typical conviction and more than 30 years’ countable commitment to cultural femicide that when putting together an event in support of global human rights and free speech, you must get as many white men to perform as humanly, globally, rightfully possible."

In 2008, Amnesty international came under fire when the newly launched Amnesty TV was led by an all white and all male team.

The news of the line-up came in the same week the BBC released a report criticising panel shows including Mock the Week and QI for their lack of female representation.

Church of England synod rejects ‘compromise’ over female bishops

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 01:57 AM PST

Lucy Miller
WVoN co-editor

The Church of England's General Synod is once again under pressure over the question of female bishops, after rejecting the ‘compromise’ amendment put forward by the Manchester Diocesan Synod yesterday.

The amendment was an attempt to further allay the concerns of those opposed to the appointment of female bishops in traditionalist parishes. Those in support of equality in the church said that, if passed, it would turn women into 'second class' citizens within their jobs.

The motion proposed by the Manchester Synod would have increased the authority given to alternative male bishops in the most conservative parishes, giving them “co-ordinate jurisdiction” roles, with authority to intervene.

The powers would be different to those envisioned by the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, which give traditionalists the right to access a male bishop – but intervention would be at the discretion of the female bishop.

While rejecting the concessions to traditionalists yesterday, the General Synod did agree to back possible further amendments.

A final vote on female bishops will be held by the General Synod in July at the earliest. A two thirds majority would be needed for it to progress to Westminster for full approval.

The question of whether women should be given the authority to become bishops is one that has split the Church of England for years. Many traditionalists oppose female bishops on the grounds that, in the Bible, the head of the church is synonymous with the 'head' of the house.

The Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Right Reverend Peter Price, warned that there was no backup plan if the compromise was not accepted – and that the church would be left in 'shock'.

It seems though that no one was satisfied with the proposal:

"They produced a code for two bishops to work together, neither of whom believes in principle in what they are called to do – one to receive delegation from a person they might not regard in Episcopal orders, the other to give delegation to which they in principle object," said Canon Chris Sugden, of the orthodox Anglican Mainstream.

The lobby group Women and the Church have stated their opposition to further amendments which would see women as second class bishops.

Story links, February 9, 2012

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 12:38 AM PST

Every day we'll post up a number of story links that we think are interesting.