Now that president Saleh has agreed to step down, this could be the moment to ban child marriage in Yemen, Nadya Khalife argues. But the unrest and instability has put the whole issue of child marriage on back burner, according to a report by Human Rights Watch.
Last week, the Egyptian unrest has been in the news, and the picture of a woman, ripped of her clothes and showing a blue bra, has been making headlines. Rights watchdogs say that women are systematically targeted. Thousands of women went to the streets and protested against the army violence. Some wonder if the footage is authentic. The real question though, according to one Muslim sheikh, is: “Why was she there in the first place?” Victim-blaming at its finest.
Fear of losing custody of their children is the main reason that many Saudi women decide to stay in unhappy marriages. In the KSA, custody battles are almost always won by the father.
Bahrain police arrested rights activist Zainab al Khawaja during a sit-in, last week. Another woman, Masooma al-Sayed, was arrested during another sit-in. Both Zainab and Masooma were released on bail on Tuesday.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Newsday interviews local Muslim artist Navita Siddiqah Hanooman on her inspirations and future goals.
Amie Sofia Ahmed is the winner of Malaysia’s Solehah TV show, which aimed at finding the best female Islamic preacher in Malaysia. The station is thinking of running this show again and including international contestants. Anyone up for it?
Now that a new era is starting in Iraq, question is what this will mean for Iraqi women and their rights.
A Bangladeshi husband cut off the fingers of his wife, who enrolled into higher education without his permission. She is determined though to continue her studies, without her husband. May Allah ease her pain and give her strength!
Just in the first nine months of 2011, the number of Pakistani honor killings reaches 675.
The government of Quebec, Canada, will allow female prison guards to wear hijab on the job, following a complaint four years ago.
A sharp rise in rape cases in Somalia’s camps create a climate of fear.
A Kuwaiti woman had her car smashed, because she ignored an admirer. Harassment of women is an increasing problem in the Gulf State, the usual punishment: getting your head shaved. That will teach them!
The Guardian features a “conversation” with two Arab women on the Arab Spring and its conquences for Arab women. Another article on the Arab Spring and women focuses on women in Libya, Tunisia and Egypt, and their thoughts on the future of women in their countries. A newsletter from The School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution features a piece on the portrayal of women during the Arab Spring.
FIFA is considering changing its laws so women can wear hijab on the soccer field.
Some of Fiji’s Muslim women will provide meals for female prisoners to spread the ‘holiday cheer’.
Zainab Magdy explores the power of story telling, from a feminist perspective and in the context of post-Mubarak Egypt.
The National features a piece on Pakistani activist and 2005 Nobel Peace Price Nominee Maryam Bibi.
In the UK, a baby girl, born out of wedlock from an affair between a married Muslim man and an unmarried Muslim woman has to be adopted, a court ordered. The mother had already given up the child for adoption, but when the father found out about the child, he wanted custody. Out of fear that the child would become victim of a honor killing, the court deemed adoption the best option.
Aisha Khan, the KU student who was reported missing last week, is found and safe. Details around her disappearance are still unclear, but thank God for the good news!
In Morocco, an increasing number of women propose to men whom they would like to see as their future husbands.
77 years after women gained the right to vote in Turkey, women are still struggling for gender equality in politics.
A national Pakistani Peace Prize is named after 13-year old Malala Yousafzai, who defied the odds, decided to acquire education and helped others to do so as well.
In Saudi Arabia they are counting down, in about one and a half week, all lingerie stores have to employ women, and only women. Some stores have stopped selling lingerie, so that they don’t have to comply with this new law.
A BBC video report tackles the question why an increasing number Pakistani women, and especially the younger ones, are covering their faces.
The Guardian’s shortlist of women 0f the year 2011 features also some Muslim women.
Veena Malik, the ‘I was not nude’ model/actress on the Indian FHM cover, disappeared last week, re-emerged from a 30 hour ‘beauty sleep’ and a had a fatwa issued on her and her actions. A successful week, I would say.