Friday, February 24, 2012

Women's Views on News

Women's Views on News

Domestic violence becomes criminal offence in Pakistan

Posted: 23 Feb 2012 01:00 PM PST

Jale Arif
WVoN  co-editor 

The senate in Pakistan passed a landmark bill this week, making violence against women and children a criminal offence.

The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, introduced by female Senator Nilofar Bakhtiar, was passed unanimously on Monday by the upper house of the federal parliament.

The bill had already been passed by the National Assembly (the lower house of Pakistan’s parliament) in August 2009.

The law classifies domestic violence as all acts of gender based or physical, sexual and psychological abuse, force, confinement and deprivation of economic or financial resources.

Previously, if a man beat his wife or children, police could not arrest him and it was considered a domestic affair.

With the new law, those found guilty of beating women or children will face a minimum of six months imprisonment and a fine of at least 100,000 rupees (£700 approximately).

Pakistan has one of the highest rates of domestic violence in Asia, with four in every five women facing some form of domestic violence.

Human rights groups say women suffer severe discrimination, domestic violence, including cases of horrific disfigurement and murder, usually in the name of "honour".

The bill was passed shortly after the the Muttahida Qaumi Movement held what it billed as the ‘world's largest women’s political rally‘ in Karachi.

World’s ‘largest women’s rally’ held in Pakistan

Posted: 23 Feb 2012 11:00 AM PST

Jale Arif
WVoN co-editor 

Around 100,000 women gathered in Karachi last Sunday at a rally for improved rights and gender equality.

Entitled: ‘Empowered women, strong Pakistan’ and billed as the largest women’s political rally in the world, it was organised by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), a political party in Pakistan.

Women attending the rally carried placards reading:  "Say no to Domestic Violence" and "We Condemn Domestic Violence".

They also waved MQM flags and carried posters of the founder and leader of the MQM, Altaf Hussain, who addressed the rally from London by telephone, saying:

“The world over, women are considered equals in every sense. Unfortunately and sadly in Pakistan they continue to be treated worse than animals.

“Women in Pakistan are subjected to treatment meted out to second-or-third-class citizens. Worse, they are treated like animals. Crimes like honour killing, wani and marriage to the Quran are rampant under the veil of tradition."

He added that political and religious parties should bear witness to the revolution of women and that the empowerment of women would mean a better Pakistan.

Somali women fear they will be left out of negotiations

Posted: 23 Feb 2012 09:00 AM PST

Lucy Miller
WVoN Co-Editor

Representatives from more than 40 governments are meeting in London today to discuss the future of Somalia and its transition to a new caretaker government.

Somali women in the UK are calling on UK prime minister, David Cameron, to ensure that they aren't left out of negotiations.

Leaked conference documents did not mention women's rights or their place in the future politics of the conflicted country.

The concern that women will also be ignored at today's conference come despite efforts by the United Nations in the past to recognise women's essential role in conflict resolution.

Formal negotiations on the transition process have so far been dominated by foreign governments and Somali elites, who are overwhelmingly male.

British Somali women are concerned that unless they are given the chance to voice their opinions, their rights could be ignored.

Sheffield born activist Amina Souleiman has spoken to a number of Somali women about their concerns. She says: "Somalia has been a failed state for 20 years, and all along, men were in charge.

“David Cameron must call on the international community to support the participation of Somali women in the political process, to protect women's rights and to find a lasting peace in Somalia."

Asha Ahgi Elmi, of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government, points out the essential roles that Somali women have taken on in recent years.

She says: "If women are not part of the process they cannot be part of the outcome.

“For the past 20 years, Somalia has been a living example of humanity neglected. Piracy, terrorism, humanitarian catastrophe and a lack of effective leadership are all by-products of prolonged negligence.

“During all those years of conflict in Somalia, women have had to take up non-traditional roles as breadwinners and entrepreneurs, and it is the courage of women that keeps Somali society in existence.

“The London Conference must recognise the important role of women in building peace and stability in Somalia."

Chitra Nagarajan, Director of Gender Action for Peace and Security UK, added: "The UK government is failing to join the dots here.

“If the conference communique doesn't include support for women's participation and put in place ways to protect and promote their rights, it will be a huge missed opportunity to help build a real peace for Somalia, one that has true meaning for both women and men."

Rape ‘normal’ in gangs, former member says

Posted: 23 Feb 2012 07:00 AM PST

Lucy Miller
WVoN co-editor

Young girls on the periphery or already involved with gangs in the UK view sexual violence as a means to gain respect, a former gang member has claimed.

Isha Nembhard, a former member of an 80-strong gang in Peckham, south east London, told the Observer newspaper that low self-esteem and a craving for acceptance were leading to rape and sexual violence becoming normalised.

She said: “Girls who are getting treated very badly know what they are getting into. They sleep with a boy and the boy asks if she will sleep with all his friends.

“It’s about low self-esteem and a craving for attention. Even if they know it’s wrong, they will do anything to get acceptance.

“A lot of girls are sort of prostituting themselves to have sexual relationships within a gang and get treated in a bad way. For example, she might know about what happens to girls in the gang but still sleeps with all of them just for the status.”

She believes social networking sites such as Facebook exacerbate the problem, as they allow young girls to post pictures of themselves posing promiscuously – "exposing themselves" and "making it normal, so others follow suit."

Nembhard's admission comes as police voice concerns that girls as young as 13 are posting suggestive photographs of themselves on the internet in a bid to "advertise" themselves to older male gang members.

Petrina Cribb, the Metropolitan Police officer tasked with protecting girls from gang culture, said:

“You have very young girls putting inappropriate pictures of themselves – often of sexual poses and inappropriately dressed – that is associated with this gang phenomena.

“We need to get in at an early enough age to try and correct these skewed ideas and make them realise they do have a choice and they do have rights and it does not need to be this way.”

Research by the Race on the Agenda charity has also shown that rape is often used as a punishment within gangs.

The Metropolitan Police's Heart Programme, standing for Healthy Relationships Training, was launched in June last year in three London boroughs – Waltham Forest, Newham and Lewisham – to address the dangers that involvement in gangs can pose.

Mentoring began in September, and it is hoped the scheme will educate at risk girls about respect within relationships and the alternatives to life in a gang. The programme will run for two years.

Detective Allen Davis, of the Metropolitan Police, said:

“Girls need to know they are used and abused within gangs, that they are passed around and are second class citizens.

“Ultimately girls are disposable; it’s the boys that gain status and respect by putting in work and that means committing crime and hurting people.

“Girls get status in this world by who they have sex with and it makes them very vulnerable, the boys have the power to use and abuse them.”

Earlier this month the government announced it would make £1.2m of funding available to help girls involved with gangs who had fallen victim to rape or sexual abuse.

Rights group calls on Saudi Arabia to let women play sports

Posted: 23 Feb 2012 05:00 AM PST

Lindsay Carroll
WVoN co-editor

A human rights organization has called on Saudi Arabia to not only send women to this year’s Olympic Games in London, but to put an end to the systematic barriers that prevent women from taking part in sport.

In a report last week called “Steps of the Devil“, Human Rights Watch also recommended that the International Olympic Committee stops the kingdom from participating in the games if it does not end the ban.

The group says Saudi Arabia might be the only country without professional women players in sports, and it’s one of only three countries that hasn’t sent women to the Olympics.

“The policy reflects the predominant conservative view that opening sports to women and girls will lead to immorality: ‘steps of the devil,’ as one prominent religious scholar put it,” the report says.

On Saturday, International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said he was “cautiously optimistic” Saudi Arabia would send women to the games in London this summer, according to ESPNW.

But Human Rights Watch and commentators this week questioned why the committee has allowed the kingdom to compete in the games despite the ban.

Instead, it should set conditions for Saudi Arabia to participate and uphold the Olympic Charter, which bans discrimination, the rights group said.

The committee prevented Afghanistan from participating in the Olympic Games in 1999 when the country’s Olympics committee practically banned women from sport.

An International Olympic Committee conference last week on women and sport pledged to promote gender equality in sports.

“Steps of the Devil” features interviews with Saudi women who want to play sports despite having little access to gyms or competitive teams as well as a society that discourages them.

“Norah A. said that from family conversations she knew that schools for boys had much bigger sporting facilities, offering a wider range of activities. …

“By contrast, Norah’s school did not take seriously the physical education classes for girls,” Human Rights Watch said.

While equal access to physical activity obviously threatens women’s health, it also plays a role in the empowerment of women and girls.

A United Nations report from 2007 said women and girls’ involvement in sport can empower women for a variety of reasons. Sport benefits women psychologically and challenges gender stereotypes, it said.

“In particular, women in sport leadership can shape attitudes towards women’s capabilities as leaders and decision-makers, especially in traditional male domains,” the report said.

“Women’s involvement in sport can make a significant contribution to public life and community development.”

In a column for The Daily Beast, two-time Olympic swimmer Nikki Dryden said the International Olympic Committee should not allow the kingdom to violate its ban on discrimination, and pointed out that gender inequality still exists in the committee itself and at the games.

She described the role of sport in her life from an early age.

“Some of my fondest childhood memories are of playing tag with my brother and the neighborhood kids – something wholly out of reach for girls in Saudi Arabia,” Ms Dryden wrote.

Story links, February 23, 2012

Posted: 23 Feb 2012 04:00 AM PST

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

They won't necessarily be from that day, but usually will not be more than a few days old.

The following are the ones we’ve found today.

Story links:

Santorum trails among women in poll, New York Times, February 22, 2012

Why women’s health issues are in the political spotlight, Washington Post, February 21, 2012

Doha debates to debate Arab women in post uprisings, Gulf News, February 23, 2012

US senator supports women in combat, Boston Globe, February 23, 2012

UN experts call on Morocco to implement gender equity policies, UN news centre, February 21, 2012

Plans afoot to scrap maternity fees in Zimbabwe, Herald Online, February 22, 2012

WHO recommends use of hormonal contraceptives, Herald Online, February 22, 2012

Is the US the only country where more men are raped than women, Guardian, February 21, 2012

Abortion – gender claims probed by Department of Health, BBC, February 23, 2012

Where have all the women gone, Channel 4, February 23, 2012

Delhi police reach out to women via new website

Posted: 23 Feb 2012 02:43 AM PST

Mariam Zaidi
WVoN co-editor

Police in Delhi launched a new website on Tuesday aimed at women and children.

The Special Police Unit Women and Children (SPUWC) will serve as a medium for better relations and act an easier point of contact for women in Delhi who may feel too intimidated to contact the police directly.

The website will give women access to information and help them register complaints and encourage those experiencing violence, cruelty and dowry demands to get police help.

Despite some high-profile success stories – such as Sonia Gandhi, president of the ruling Indian National Congress and Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo CEO – India has a poor human rights record when it comes to the equal treatment of women.

Crimes against women in India are rampant, especially against those from rural communities, lesser social standing and those who have little or no education.

According to the Azad India Foundation, in 2006, more than 32,000 women were murdered, 19,000 raped and more than 36,000 cases of molestation were registered.

And 2012 was not much better.  The Hindustan Times reported 25 cases of rape, including several brutal gang rapes, and 42 molestations in Delhi, this month alone.

Relations between women and the police in India are generally not good either, with many reports of police brutality and intimidation.  In November last year, a woman was raped and tortured while in police custody in West Bengal.

The launch of the new SPUWC website has been praised by the Chair of India's National Commission for Women, Mamta Sharma who hopes it will be replicated across the whole of India.