Monthly Archives

January 2023

NEW; Female Authorities From Latin America Shared Thoughts On Centering The Planet

by Narges Mohammadi January 31, 2023

Latin America and the Caribbean Must Move Towards a Care Society that Puts the Sustainability of Life, and the Planet at the Center

Women’s Affairs Ministers and representatives of international organizations, academia, and civil society; are participating in the Special Meeting of the Presiding Officers; of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Points said in the Conference

An emphatic call to avert setbacks on gender equality; and women’s autonomy in today’s global crisis scenario and to move towards a caring society in the region; which would put the sustainability of human life and the planet at the center.

The event – held in the Summer of 2022- spanned two days and includes the participation of Ministers of Women’s Affairs; and authorities from Mechanisms for Women’s Advancement in Latin American and Caribbean countries; along with representatives of international organizations, academia, and civil society. Attendees prepared the XV Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina on November 7-11, precisely with the main theme of “The caring society: horizon for a sustainable recovery with gender equality.”

Guest speakers at the Conference

Participating in the opening session of the conference we had Raúl García-Buchaca, Deputy Executive Secretary for Management and Programme Analysis of ECLAC; María-Noel Vaeza, Regional Director for the Americas and the Caribbean of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Woman (UN Women); and Antonia Orellana, Minister of Women’s Affairs and Gender Equity of Chile, in her capacity as Chair of the Presiding Officers of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the end, we have Ana Güezmes, Director of ECLAC’s Division for Gender Affairs, present progress on the drafting of the XV Regional Conference’s position document.

“The theme of this Regional Conference on Women was about how to move towards a caring society where time, work, resources, and power are redistributed. For this reason that a sustainable recovery with gender equality is urgently needed. We need to change the course of this configuration; which is based on inequality and adopt a different development pattern; one that would recognize people’s interdependence; and put the sustainability of human life and the planet at the center,” García-Buchaca affirmed.

María-Noel Vaeza, Regional Director for the Americas and the Caribbean of UN Women, likewise sustained: “Care is critical. If we do not have care systems; we will not have time to participate in politics, the economy, or the negotiating table, which is our right. We need academia, the private sector, civil society, and, primarily, the political will of States. Our hope this will be very present at the XV Regional Conference on Women.”

Ending

The Regional Gender Agenda encompasses the commitments to women’s autonomy and rights that the region’s governments; have approved at the Regional Conferences on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean; organized by women in the region and women’s and feminist organizations.

Source: UNWomen Website

January 31, 2023 0 comment

Asia Women Pioneers

AMAZING/Iranian Female Diver; From Breaking Records to Exhaling in Life©

by Narges Mohammadi January 30, 2023

IRAN/ Before, it may have seemed impossible to imagine the presence of women in mountaineering; football, paragliding, rock climbing, diving, motorcycling, or car racing. However, Iranian women have proven that sports have no walls or fences; preventing women from creating surprises by being present and winning medals in various sports fields.

She set two national records in the disciplines of “nofin to a depth of 30 meters” and “monofin to a depth of 35 meters”. Being part of the global rankings of the World Federation; the female diver from the south of Iran proved that women in the Islamic Republic of Iran; can compete in hard sports and gain success.

Samira Kamalfard, despite starting a family and having a child; continues to be proud of herself and encourages young and teenage girls in this way.

Details about her field of sports

She explains her sport saying: “The field of no fin is a specialized field in which having a record in it is very important. The choice of the meter (water depth) is in the hand of the athlete; we must go to the depth we chose without using any equipment. Only by holding our breath and returning without making any mistakes and not holding the rope along the way. When we reach the bottom, we bring the desired mark with us to the surface of the water. In this field, I went to a depth of 30 meters; and came back and was able to set a record.”

Her other record was the 35-meter depth Monofin; which in this discipline is a container that accompanies a diver and has to go back and forth to the depth with the movement of a dolphin; a record that has not yet been set among men.

Since childhood, she pursued swimming intending to become a champion; but she was always interested in diving and therefore went entered this field. Considering that swimming is done in a closed and safe environment, but diving deals with the infinite sea, her family was against it, but she was able to accompany them with all these problems.

Although she is currently the mother of a 5-year-old child, she is more interested in this activity with the support of her husband and family.

Remembering that she has been diving since she was 16 years old and her husband is still engaged in freediving; Kamalfard believes that the presence of women in the championship is a reflection of disciplines. She is more enthusiastic when her family sees her active and disciplined despite having family and children to take care of.

Source: IRNA Agency

January 30, 2023 0 comment

Asia Politics

INTERESTING; US envoy claims “PROGRESS” made on Afghan women’s situation

by Narges Mohammadi January 30, 2023

AFGHANISTAN/UN delegation Amina Mohammed, who held talks with the Taliban, tells Al Jazeera some progress in the health sector made but much remains to be done.

A UN delegation, which held talks with senior Taliban officials in Afghanistan, has made headway on women’s rights. The UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said a week ago, cautioning that much remains to be achieved.

The high-level meeting earlier this week comes amid widespread criticism of the governing Taliban; for banning women from universities and NGOs last month. Millions of high school girls have already been confined to their homes as schools remain shut. The Taliban has gone back on its promises of women’s rights; and media freedom since they stormed to power in August 2021 after the West-backed government collapsed.

What did the UN delegation say?

“There has been some progress. Some exemptions have been made to the edicts that have covered the health sector,” Mohammed, who led the delegation, said, referring to the resumption of work by three NGOs last week.

“I think that’s because the international community, and particularly the partners who are funding this; were able to show the implications and the impact of the woman-to-woman services, particularly childbirth,” she added.

Not enough, she said, adding that was just the very beginning. “We’ve opened up a crack and we hope that through the reversals we can eventually get to a stage. A stage where you neutralize those edicts; and women are back in school and girls and of course in the workplace.”

The 61-year-old UN diplomat said her delegation met with cabinet members; including the foreign minister, deputy prime minister, and the minister of refugees and returnees.

The group also met the governor of Kandahar, as well as the Shura; (leadership council) that is responsible for taking many key decisions in the country.

“I was always very clear that I am going there as an opportunity to air the voices of Afghan women. We heard from young women who said; ‘We do not need your voice, what we need is you amplify ours,’” Mohammed said in an interview.

“I was very focused on getting those messages across.”

‘Important to have a conversation

Mohammed, the UN’s top-ranking female official, described the current laws on women’s education; and workplace as an “aberration” to the teachings of Islam but emphasized the need to engage with the Taliban.

“It’s very important to go in there and try to have a conversation with them, and they did,” she added.

“What we did see was an understanding … of how important it was for girls’ rights and women’s rights in education. They all didn’t … didn’t push back on that. But what they said was that … it is a work in progress and they’re going to come back to us with the new framing; around which they would protect women that would be accessing education and also the workplace,” Mohammed, said.

Last week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced the “unprecedented, systemic attacks on women’s and girls’ rights”; which he said, “are creating gender-based apartheid”.

Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the spokesman for the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; said some NGOs were trying to create what he called ‘social change’ in Afghanistan.

But he says the Taliban is allowing organizations to operate if they align with the country’s values.

Those NGOs which were committed to the “cardinal principle of NGO work [such as] impartiality and neutrality” were given exemptions in some areas, including health, Balkhi said last week.

OIC Cooperation

Mohammed, a former minister of environment in the Nigerian government, before she visited Kabul; reached out to the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which expressed concern about restrictions on women.

The OIC, the grouping of Muslim nations; issued a statement saying that what is happening in Afghanistan is against the holy Quran and Islam.

Moreover, Mohammed, said she was “surprised” by the Taliban’s “need and want to be recognized”.

To date, no country in the world has recognized the Taliban-led government since they stormed to power 17 months ago weeks in advance of the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces after 20 years of war and occupation.

Asked if the UN itself would recognize the group, Mohammed, the UN envoy, said, “I hope there is a day that we do recognize this government, provided it is based on the principles that they need to understand and uphold as part of the international family.”

“But I do fear that what we are doing is having women and girls caught in the crossfire, and it’s really important we don’t do that. We heard the stories of many Afghan women who, because of this, are not able to feed their children,” she added.

“They’re painful stories of women who don’t know where the next meal is coming from.”

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) the humanitarian crises in the country were affecting 28 million people.

Dozens of Afghans have died in the severe cold wave sweeping the country.

Source: Al-Jazeera

January 30, 2023 0 comment

Europe Society

NEW; A revolutionary surgical OBJECT that “smells tumors”

by Narges Mohammadi January 29, 2023

Exclusive: iKnife can reliably diagnose endometrial cancer and help thousands of healthy women get the all-clear quicker A revolutionary surgical knife that “smells tumors” can diagnose womb cancer within seconds. Researchers have found in a breakthrough that could enable thousands of healthy women to get the all-clear quicker.

Womb cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women and affects about 9,000 a year only in the UK. Now experts at Imperial College London have discovered that the iKnife, can accurately detect it and any other endometrial cancer.

What is iKnife?

“The iKnife reliably diagnosed endometrial cancer in seconds, with a diagnostic accuracy of 89%, minimizing the current delays for women whilst awaiting a histopathological diagnosis,” the team of researchers wrote in the journal Cancers. “The findings presented in this study can pave the way for new diagnostic pathways.”

The iKnife uses electricals to differentiate between cancerous and healthy tissue by analyzing the smoke that is emitted; when the biopsy tissue is vaporized after it has been removed from the womb.

The researchers said its effectiveness was proved using biopsy tissue samples from 150 women with suspected womb cancer; and the results compared with current diagnosis methods. The team plans to launch a major clinical trial, which could lead to its use becoming widespread.

Athena Lamnisos, the chief executive of the Eve Appeal cancer charity, which funded the research, said: “Waiting for test results is stressful; especially if that test is to find out whether or not you have cancer. When you hear that the ‘c-word is even a possibility, the days can’t pass quickly enough until a clinician gives you the all-clear.

iKnife & tumors womb

“Womb cancer has one ‘red flag’ symptom of postmenopausal bleeding; that should always get checked out on a two-week referral from your GP. Waiting a further two weeks for the results can be hard for patients.

“There are many reasons for abnormal vaginal bleeding after menopause – womb cancer is just one of them; the ability to provide a diagnostic test that rules cancer in or out immediately; and with accuracy, could make such a positive difference.

“This Eve-supported research has the potential to create a step change in faster diagnosis; and for the 90% of women with postmenopausal bleeding that isn’t cancer, a effective way to put their minds at ease. We know how important this is for patients.”

Comments from diagnosed patients

Alison, a 57-year-old from west London who had symptoms of womb cancer earlier this year; but eventually got the all-clear, said the iKnife would have made a huge difference to her experience.

“Thankfully, I was one of the people with postmenopausal bleeding lucky enough to find out it wasn’t caused by cancer. It was frustrating waiting for the results, which was almost three weeks for me.

“I was asked to go in person to receive the results too, which to me was a clear indication that it was bad news and I did have womb cancer. It was terrifying.

“It would have made such a difference to know straight away that I didn’t have cancer and not have to wait three weeks.”

Prof Sadaf Ghaem-Maghami, who led the research at Imperial College London, said getting a diagnosis within seconds; could enable women confirmed to have cancer to start treatment sooner, while those deemed healthy would avoid weeks of anxiety.

Accuracy

“With its high diagnostic accuracy of 89% and positive predictive value of 94%, one could immediately reassure the person of the very low likelihood of having cancer if the iKnife result is negative and expedite further tests and scans and treatment for people whose biopsies indicate the presence of cancer. This could happen whilst await confirmation from standard pathology, which can take up to two weeks.”

Source: The Guardian

January 29, 2023 0 comment

Asia Women Pioneers

SMALL businesses, BIG dreams; These are Iraq’s female entrepreneurs

by Narges Mohammadi January 28, 2023

IRAQ/The sewing machines and fabric that surround Alaa Adel at her “Iraq couture” studio in Baghdad; are a testament to her success in deeply patriarchal Iraq.

Adel, 33, counts herself among a limited number of female entrepreneurs; in a country where most women don’t work outside the home.

“We have a social tradition that prevents many women from working,” Adel said at her studio in Baghdad’s Karrada commercial district.

Even for those who do, “it is not always that easy,” she added.

The International Organization for Migration said in an October report; that “prevailing customs and traditions… limit women’s activities to their domestic and nurturing role”.

Adel said such prejudices, as well as practical difficulties, posed a challenge to fulfilling her dream.

A graduate of the University of Baghdad who specialized in fashion and design; Adel wanted to create her own fashion house.

“I went to see the patrons of organisations that support art and culture. But my idea was systematically rejected because I had no experience in the conception of projects,” she said.

Thanks to an Iraqi foundation, The Station, and its “Raidat” (Female Entrepreneurs) programme financed by the French embassy in Baghdad; Adel got training which, she said, gave her the confidence to start her own business.

Obstacles

Iraq’s private sector is still embryonic, making more tedious and lengthy the steps to set up a company.

The country, which is trying to move past four decades of war and unrest, is also plagued by endemic corruption, widespread unemployment and a poverty rate of around 30 per cent.

Almost 38 per cent of people with jobs work in Iraq’s public sector — one of the highest rates in the world, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). Adel eventually secured a loan from a private bank and created her “Alaa Adel” brand last summer.

In the beginning, she had to deal with sexism from some fabric suppliers who were reluctant to do business with a woman, she said.

Then there was a lack of public childcare facilities, in a country where tradition says children should be taken care of at home — by the mother — until they go to school.

Adel got help from family members who look after her two boys, aged nine and four, while she is at work. Iraq has 13 million employment-aged women “yet only around one million are working”, said ILO country coordinator Maha Kattaa, presenting a report in July last year.

Complications in business

The female labour force participation rate “was particularly low” at 10.6 per cent, the ILO report said, compared with 68 per cent for men.

In contrast, neighbouring Saudi Arabia — until a few years ago one of the world’s most restrictive countries for women — had a female workforce participation rate of 35.6 per cent in the second quarter of 2022.

Most of Iraq’s working women are teachers or nurses. A rare few are members of the police or armed forces.

For Shumoos Ghanem, men “dominate numerous sectors whereas women are relegated to the margins”.

The 34-year-old is the owner of a dietary food business and founder of the Iraqi Women in Business initiative; which provides professional guidance to women online. She is also a mother to a 14-month-old son.

Ghanem says most of those she advises are mothers. Mothers who have been out of the workforce and “wonder if society will accept them” again as working women. Over the past five or six years, Iraqi women have had increased opportunities; she said, but the space for them “to develop is very limited still”.

“Some regions are more traditional than others,” she added, which further restricts women’s chances to have “careers or to open projects”.

Surrounded by men, Ghanem said she experienced sexism and was worried about harassment.

“When I went to see suppliers for the first time, I saw how complicated it was,” she recalled.

Now she works from home, but she too has a dream ; to have her health, conscious restaurant where she can help bolster the ranks of female Iraqi businesswomen.

“I want to make it a place to support women who want to work in this sector,” she said.

Source: Al-Monitor

January 28, 2023 0 comment

Europe Society

EXCLUSIVE; An increase in discrimination & violence against women in France©

by Narges Mohammadi January 28, 2023

FRANCE/ The assessment of the French advisory body published on Monday shows that the level of misogyny, discrimination; and violence against women in this Western European country has sharply increased to an alarming level.

The results of the High Council for Equality (HCE) surveys of 2,500 French citizens; indicate that many young men in this country consider discriminatory and violent behavior against women to be acceptable.

Sylvie Pierre-Brousslet, head of HCE, has asked the French authorities to pay attention to the attitudes and behaviors of men from an early age; including extensive action in education and the approval and implementation of stricter regulations in social media.

Nearly 80% of the French female citizens questioned in this survey said that they thought they were treated less well because of their gender.

The Assessment

The assessment of this institution adds: “Although most of the respondents to this survey condemn the principle of sexism, they do not refuse to implement it in practice. Despite the increasing awareness of French citizens about gender inequality, which is partly due to the movement “Me Too“; prejudice, sexual and gender stereotypes, and sexism are all still going on in daily life.

Brousslet also called for the creation of a high-level independent public institution; to combat gender-based violence in the world of politics. Further, he added to allocate more financial and human resources to the fight against domestic violence in France.

Based on this assessment; French society is still highly prone to gender bias in all aspects; and even some of the most violent manifestations of gender bias have intensified. While older men still adhere to conservative views about the roles of men and women in society, younger men sometimes show aggressive “ideological male superiority” tendencies.

This institution has also recommended the banning of gender toys for children; and the allocation of subsidies from the public resources of the government to companies obliged to progress and improve in the field of gender equality.

Actual Statistics

Nearly 20 percent of men aged 25 to 34 in this survey found it necessary to brag about sexual issues to gain respect in society, and 23 percent said that men must sometimes use violence to gain respect.

A quarter of the men asked, underestimating the importance of sexual violence, said that sexual assault is overstated.

Source: IRNA

January 28, 2023 0 comment

Australia and Oceania Politics

New Zealand’s 1st female opposition leader resigns ©

by Narges Mohammadi January 26, 2023

Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation from the position of Prime Minister and leader of the New Zealand Labor Party. She said that more than 5 years of leadership have exhausted her and she can no longer continue. This female politician will resign by early February at the latest and seek re-election.

While trying to hold back tears, Ardern said that she had spent five and a half years as prime minister; she is also human and needs to step down.

Ardern, 42, said in a news conference: “This summer, I was hoping to find a way to prepare not just for another year, but for another term; but impossible. I know that after this decision there will be many discussions about what is the real reason for my work. The only interesting thing you will find is that after six years of some big challenges is that I am also a person; politicians are humans too. We give everything we can, as long as we can, but in the end, the time comes. And for me, the time has come.

This role needs responsibility

“The responsibility is to know when you are the right person to lead and when you are not,” Ardern told attendees at a Labor party meeting in Napier. I know what it takes. And I know I don’t have enough left to do justice. it’s simple.

Support for New Zealand’s Labor Party is at its lowest since Ardern took office in 2017 as the world’s youngest female head of government, a recent poll shows.

Ardern will leave the prime minister’s office by February 7 at the latest, with the New Zealand Labor Party voting for a new leader on Sunday. The party leader will be the prime minister until the next general election. Ardern’s leadership period will end on February 7 at the latest, and the general election will be held on October 14.

Future of the Labor Party

Ardern said she believed Labor would win the next election.

Grant Robertson, New Zealand’s deputy prime minister who also serves as finance minister, said in a statement that she is not seeking to be the next leader of the Labor Party.

Ardern’s successor as party leader and prime minister faces a tough test in a general election, with the country expected to plunge into recession in the next quarter.

Commentators point to several of Ardern’s ministers as possibilities for the role, including former Covid minister and current education and police minister Chris Hipkins and current justice minister Kerry Allen.

Ardern said she was not resigning because the job was difficult, but because she believed others could do a better job.

She addressed her daughter Niv, who was looking forward to her mother’s presence when she started school this year; and told her longtime partner Clarke Gifford that it was time for them to get married.

Ardern entered the world stage in 2017 as the youngest female head of state in the world at the age of 37. She passionately fought for women’s rights and to end child poverty and economic inequality in the country.

Eight months after becoming the prime minister, her child was born; and she was the second elected leader of Pakistan, after Benazir Bhutto, who became a mother during the country’s presidency.

Great Leader with a big heart

Her compassionate leadership style was reinforced by her response to the mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch; in 2019 that left 51 dead and 40 injured. Fareed Ahmed, a survivor, and husband of a Christchurch attack victim said: “Her global call for human unity with compassion made me cry with joy then; and it makes me cry now.

He added: “Her kindness, wisdom, and efforts for a peaceful world have been remarkable examples for world leaders. I understand that she needs to rest and I wish her the best in life”.

Ardern was quick to call the attacks terrorism, and the day after the attack; she donned the hijab in a meeting with the Muslim community, telling them the entire country was united in grief. She promised to carry out fundamental reforms in the gun law within a month.

Responses from other politicians

“Jacinda Ardern showed the world how to lead with reason and strength. She has shown that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities”, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday.

Ardern has been praised across the political spectrum for her handling of the Covid-19 pandemic; which saw the country face some of the toughest measures globally but resulted in one of the lowest casualties.

Her popularity also declined last year. As inflation has reached its highest level in three decades; the central bank has sharply increased interest rates and crime has increased.

The country has become increasingly politically divided over issues such as the government’s overhaul of its water infrastructure; and the introduction of a plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Ardern and Labor have seen support slip away in the polls. Political commentators say Ardern’s resignation will strengthen the national opposition Conservative Party; but could also give Labor a chance to reconsider and change its position before the election.

Former Labor candidate Josie Pagani said: “There is the potential for a Labor leader to come in and return Labor to a party that focuses on the issues that voters care about; the cost of living, inflation, and making sure that wage earners; the more they receive, the more concentrated it is”.

Source: ISNA News Agency

January 26, 2023 0 comment

Europe Health

NEW FOUND; UK poorly Falls behind China & Saudi Arabia on Women’s Health Index

by Narges Mohammadi January 26, 2023

A new survey shows that women’s health care in the UK worsening and has sunk to a level on par with Kazakhstan.

The UK ranked 30th out of 122 countries in the latest Hologic Global Women’s Health Index; falling behind China and Saudi Arabia. Hologic Inc. and its partner Gallup interviewed women to rate multiple measures from mental health to prevent care.

The report strikes a chord in the UK, where the cash-strapped National Health Services is battling staff shortages and massive backlogs; raising concern about healthcare quality and its funding. Ambulance workers held their biggest strike on Monday; while junior doctors voted for industrial action last week.

The US ranked 23rd in the report, behind Germany, New Zealand, and Singapore but ahead of France. Taiwan and Latvia scored the highest and Afghanistan the lowest. The survey showed a decline in women’s ability to meet their basic needs as well as record levels of stress, worry, and anger.

“Women’s health has taken a back seat to nearly everything else going on in the world”, said Stephen MacMillan; chairman of Hologic, a US maker of medical devices and diagnostic products.

The UK dropped three points in the latest index; ranking on par with Poland, Slovenia, and Kosovo besides Kazakhstan. It was among the fastest-declining countries for emotional health.

The US meantime remained an exception because higher health spending didn’t translate into better outcomes, the report said.

The 2021 findings are based on interviews with almost 127,000 women and men; with questions encompassing preventive care, emotional health, opinions of health and safety, and basic needs. The higher the score, the more women reported positive experiences.

Source: Bloomberg

January 26, 2023 0 comment

Asia Society

by Narges Mohammadi January 25, 2023

ISRAEL/Although Israeli institutions refuse to disclose the actual statistics of violence against women; the data shows that the female victims of sexual violence in 2022 was 50% raised from 2021.

Violence against Israeli women is an usual issue. The information published about it is mostly related to the news of violations; and mistreatment of female soldiers in the Zionist army. According to the report published by the Hebrew media in 2022; the rate of sexual assault on female soldiers has increased significantly since 2020.

Also, 1,500 cases of sexual assault against women in the Israeli army have been reported so far; which only 31 cases of them have been dealt with. Additionally, most of these violent sexual outbreaks are not disclosed and do not reach the complaint stage. This issue has caused an increase in drug and alcohol addiction among female soldiers.

But “abusing women” in the occupied territories is not only limited to the Zionist army; rather, dozens of Israeli women are killed every year with different means and motives, and statistics show that Israel has a black record in massacring women.

50% increase in the murder of Israeli women

The “Women’s Lobby in Israel” association announced that the murder of Israeli women in 2022 has increased by more than 50% compared to 2021.

According to this report, 24 women were intentionally murdered in 2022 alone. Of course, this statistic does not include female soldiers or those who died due to natural causes or accidents. This is while the previous cases related to the murder of Israeli women are still open and investigations are ongoing.

The Women’s Lobby Association in Israel published an article on its website and wrote that more than 200,000 Israeli women are victims of violence every year; and only a quarter of these crimes are reported. Also, on average, 20 women are killed every year because of their gender; and the data shows that more than half of these women are killed by their acquaintances and relatives.

News Reports about this issue

In this regard, the Hebrew website i24 News quoted Shalva Weil, a researcher at the Faculty of Education at the Hebrew University, as saying: Most of the murders of Israeli women are related to marital and family disputes, but there are also cases where mothers are killed by their children. . Killing a woman destroys the whole family, we must stop the violence and fight against this terrible phenomenon.

In June 2022, after 4 women were murdered only in two weeks, Israeli women’s associations held protest demonstrations and declared that Israel is in a state of emergency. They also must prioritize the fight against violence against women. Furthermore, this association also objected to the performance of the Zionist government’s cabinet at the time; headed by Yair Lapid, regarding women’s rights. Plus, they demanded to take serious measures in this matter.

According to these facts, the different cabinets of the Zionist regime have been trying to eradicate the phenomenon of “femicide” for years to keep their image. Thus, the programs designed for this purpose are often canceled due to insufficient budget allocation. Even the Knesset Research and Information Center points out the lack of a special organization to investigate and solve the big problem of “femicide” in Israel.

Some Cases of “Femicide”

Among the clear examples of the murder of Israeli women, we can mention the Haaretz newspaper report that was published last August. At that time, the body of a 27-year-old woman named “Elena Greenberg” from Rishon Letzion town was found in a field near the Rahofrat area with signs of violence on her body. It was determined that she had been murdered by a man in his twenties.

In another report, this newspaper mentioned the murder of a 24-year-old girl named Sabir Nahum, who disappeared about a month before her body was found, and later it was found that she was abused by her ex-husband and then killed. it has arrived. He had two children.

The next case is related to the murder of a 61-year-old woman by her husband who was killed in February 2022. The poor woman had bruises on her body.

In addition, the report of Hebrew sources shows that in 2022, the number of women who received medical and psychological treatment due to violence has increased by 40%. Also, in the past year, more than 160 Israeli women have been hospitalized due to sexual and family violence.

Women’s rights organizations report that more than one million women and children, who constitute approximately one eighth of the Israeli population, are victims of violence by various means. So, in addition to women, half a million Israeli children also suffer from domestic violence.

Also, the majority of women who are victims of gender-violence are under 30 years old. The significant number of them are teenagers.

Current Situation

This situation has intensified especially during the last decade; and every year protest campaigns are established to condemn violence against women in the occupied Palestine. Of course, the researchers of human rights institutions emphasize that in most cases; violence against women is carried out in the shadow of the silence of certain Israeli authorities and institutions. Not forget to mention that the heads of this regime in relevant ministries and institutions; refuse to disclose the real statistics of victims of violence against women.

Source: Fars News Agency

January 25, 2023 1 comment

Europe Society

“Rotten to the core”; 5 Women express their views of the Met police

by Narges Mohammadi January 25, 2023

UK/The arrest of David Carrick, a serving Metropolitan police officer, follows a series of cases of abuse perpetrated by police against women in recent years that have called public trust into question.

Here, 5 women describe how their perceptions of the Met have changed in light of Carrick’s arrest; and other recent scandals involving serving officers.

Alexandra McTeare, 65

“I perceive the Met to be racist & misogynistic”

I have always perceived the Met police to be a racist and misogynistic organization; and have distrusted them throughout my life. My mistrust is based on my own personal experiences and that of friends. For example, on demonstrations at Greenham Common; I’ve had female friends who have been arrested and strip-searched for no good reason. I was at Greenham Common in 1983 and saw women charged by police on horseback.

However, events and inquiries over recent years have made me realize how inherent its attitudes are. I know we don’t want to create more layers of management; but the Met police should be reorganized into smaller entities where it will be easier to root out. Also, it would be easier to manage the appalling behavior of a number of its employees. I also recognize that the police, like health and social care where I used to work; have been deeply impacted by the 12 years of austerity that have necessitated significant cuts to personnel and weakened the organization’s ability to manage itself.

Kate, 40

“They need tighter vetting procedures”

I’ve worked in the police as a victim care officer and for a rape crisis service for about 10 years so I’ve always known that sexual violence is rife, especially across institutions that work with vulnerable people. But what’s shocking with the Met is how victims’ claims were dismissed even when there were multiple complaints about the same person.

That has been repeated because no one is held accountable when complaints are made against them. How other staff members collude with one another; sharing messages and images, makes it really scary for a woman, or anyone that’s experienced this, to go through these processes. This is why the stats of women reporting to the police are going down, it feels very unsafe.

We need tighter vetting procedures, a shift in culture and easier access for colleagues to raise concerns about people they’re working with.

Ellie Watson, 24, translator, London

“Discoveries about the Met in recent years have worsened my opinion of them”

I never had a particularly high opinion of the police as an institution in society generally, but discoveries about the Met in recent years have worsened my opinion of them even more. All of the news stories that have come out about Sarah Everard, the more recent police officer and Child Q are just absolutely horrendous.

I think we should be defunding them. I don’t think they should have the money and the power they have and that they should put that money into causes that would stop people going into crime in the first place, like education and levelling up society.

Anonymous, 74, London

“I do not trust the service”

I was brought up in the very middle-class West Country with no reason to doubt that the police were straight and fair. As far as one could see, people got picked up but not unnecessarily. In the past 30 years, I have had more personal work contact with – mainly Met – police and I have been shocked by the lack of respect expressed, quite openly, for people of colour and those who are “different” in any way.

As to attitudes about women, what we have been seeing and hearing is unspeakable. I do not trust the service and I think that reform is overdue. But while we have the current government, and particularly the home secretary, I have little faith in what reform might bring.

“My feelings about the police haven’t changed”

My feelings about the police haven’t changed, because we already knew about their negative bias towards other minorities, such as the high rates of stop and search for black people. It actually is naive to think that misogyny is not an inherent part of the culture, too. I appreciate rape and sexual abuse is not the same as “everyday misogyny”, but the covering up of it, by colleagues and those in power, does involve that.

There are certain crimes I simply would not report to the police, being female. I would also insist on seeing a female officer, if the need arose. My own personal interactions with the police have always been OK. So … my comments are not based on my own personal experience. They’re based on my knowledge of reading the press and my knowledge of being a social scientist.

It’s very hard to whistle-blow for anybody in the police. But I don’t know how they can reform something like this. That sort of locker room language, that’s the kind of thing that you can’t fix with one conversation. You can’t just chuck everybody out and start from scratch.

Source: Guardian

January 25, 2023 0 comment

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