NEWS & ARTICLES

WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVISM
Palestine - West Bank - First Woman Mayor – Interview
Southern Women Struggle for Justice
Rare Woman-Owned & Run Cafe-Coffeehouse in Iran
Human Rights Commission Calls Against Marriage of Minors in KSA

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
“Iran Steps Up Assault on Female Activists”
Egypt: 'Homophobic Crimes in Egypt?'
Kuwait - Abuse of Migrant Workers in Sponsorship System – Gender
FGM - Egypt - Female Genital Mutilation - Update
Deportation of Nobel Peace Prize Woman from Israel

GENDER & ISLAM
Court Rules that Wife-Beating Allowed Under Sharia Law in UAE
Saudi Arabia: Ottawa Won't Help Woman Held Against Her Will Under Guardianship System

GENDER & PERSONAL STATUS LAW 
Ambiguities in Lifting of CEDAW Reservations in Morocco
Tunisia - Marriage & Divorce - Women's Rights

BOOKS & REPORTS

WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVISM
Saudi Arabia - Human Rights Assessment of Five Years of Reforms - Gender

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
Judiciary Failing to Protect Domestic Workers in Lebanon

GENDER & ECONOMY
Gender Inequalities at Home & in the Labour Market
Women's Control over Economic Resources – UN
Women's Labour Migration in the Context of Globalization
 

NEWS & ARTICLES

WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVISM
Palestine - West Bank - First Woman Mayor – Interview
"Women are very insightful on how to run a city, ensure its improvement and cleanliness and take care of supporting women, children and families, through cultural centers, parks, and social projects."
Ms. Janet Mikhael, the first female mayor in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. What challenges has she faced as a woman in a leadership position? How have her background and prior experience helped her?
Full interview: http://www.iknowpolitics.org/node/21484

Southern Women Struggle for Justice
If there is one group that faces special challenges in Southern Sudan, it is women. Principal among them is gender-based violence, which is under-reported and spreading given the long history of conflict, certain traditional practices and weak judicial systems, say specialists. Below are some key obstacles to tackling GBV in Lakes State. http://www.wluml.org/node/6691

Rare Woman-Owned & Run Cafe-Coffeehouse in Iran
High on a hillside north of the Iranian capital, a traditional coffeehouse stands out from the other cafes dotted around this tourist route for one thing – it is run by a woman.
Catering businesses in Iran are normally the domain of men, but when Marziyeh Abshari’s father died, she decided to take on the coffeehouse herself.
http://iwpr.net/report-news/iran-marziyeh’s-mountain-café

Human Rights Commission Calls Against Marriage of Minors in KSA
The Human Rights Commission (HRC) has called upon individuals, civil groups and the media to stand against the marriage of minors, describing the marriage of young girls to older males as a “violation of children’s rights found in the Convention on the Rights of the Child of which the Kingdom is a signatory”. Full article:
http://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-11&...

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
“Iran Steps Up Assault on Female Activists”
As Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited the U.N. General Assembly in New York last month, the spotlight was once again on Iran. And true to form, the Iranian president made his fair share of provocative statements for the Western media. But while Ahmadinejad's mercurial rants captured our media's attention, back in Iran a coordinated strategy against the women's movement continued. http://www.wluml.org/node/6704

Egypt: 'Homophobic Crimes in Egypt?'
I have to admit it's always hard to ever approach homosexuality in Egypt. Homosexual people (or behavior) here is usually seen as one of three views: deviant people who deserve to be punished or even executed; sick people who need medical attention; or normal people only with a different sexual orientation (hardly ever adopted or expressed, even by gays themselves). I hesitated to write about the upcoming account of events, but I felt it's too disturbing to ignore. The story goes as follows: A young boy, Kareem (16 year old) was walking by in downtown area, Cairo. He was followed by four guys who were shouting insults to the young boy calling him a faggot… full story:  http://www.wluml.org/node/6678

Kuwait - Abuse of Migrant Workers in Sponsorship System – Gender
 This report describes how Kuwait migrant workers become trapped in exploitative or abusive employment then face criminal penalties for leaving a job without the employer’s permission. Government authorities arrest workers reported as “absconding” and in most cases deport them from Kuwait – even if they have been abused and seek redress.
http://www.hrw.org/node/93334

FGM - Egypt - Female Genital Mutilation - Update
Female Circumcision in Egypt
•    Officially banned in 2008
•    Number of girls aged 15 to 17 who have been circumcised has dropped from 77% in 2005 to 74% three years later
•    Nine out of 10 Egyptian women have been circumcised
Nermeen's family lives in a rural area, where female genital mutilation is widely practiced
 There are giggles and shouts as little children play boisterously in the dusty street by the Hadad family home in the village of Abu Nashaba. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11143144

Deportation of Nobel Peace Prize Woman from Israel
Irish Nobel Laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire was deported from Israel Tuesday after spending more than a week in detention at Tel Aviv Airport as she attempted to fight the deportation order. http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=53057

GENDER & ISLAM
Court Rules that Wife-Beating Allowed Under Sharia Law in UAE
Islamic sharia law allows a man to "discipline" his wife and children provided that he does not leave physical marks, according to a ruling by the supreme court in the United Arab Emirates. The judgment was made in the case of a man who slapped and kicked his daughter and slapped his wife, injuring both slightly. But the federal court in Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, also said that their bruises were evidence that the father had abused his legal right. For more information, please click on the link http://www.wluml.org/node/6718

Saudi Arabia: Ottawa Won't Help Woman Held Against Her Will Under Guardianship System
The Canadian government says it cannot bring home a Quebec woman who claims her husband is refusing to allow her and her three children to leave Saudi Arabia. Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon discussed the case of Nathalie Morin with his Saudi counterpart during a visit to Saudi Arabia on Saturday. After his return from Riyadh, Cannon said he considered the case to be a private matter that must be resolved by Saudi officials. http://www.wluml.org/node/6688

GENDER & PERSONAL STATUS LAW 
Ambiguities in Lifting of CEDAW Reservations in Morocco
Following the royal statement issued on December 10, 2008 marking the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which announced the lifting of Morocco’s reservations to CEDAW, we have continued to receive congratulatory messages from individuals and national and international organizations about the new step taken by our country to emphasize its dedication to the principles of equality. http://www.learningpartnership.org/blog/2009/10/morocco-cedaw/

Tunisia - Marriage & Divorce - Women's Rights
 Fifty four years ago, in 1956, Tunisia adopted its Personal Status Code, the most progressive legislation in terms of women’s rights in the Arab world. What provisions of this law safeguard women’s rights and interests within marriage and in the event of divorce? How does the Code promote equality between men and women?
http://www.awid.org/eng/Issues-and-Analysis/Issues-and-Analysis/Marriage...

BOOKS & REPORTS

WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVISM
Saudi Arabia - Human Rights Assessment of Five Years of Reforms - Gender
Systematic discrimination against women persists, Human Rights Watch said. Under the Saudi guardianship system, women still have the legal status of minors, unable to make basic decisions without a male guardian's consent, including decisions about marriage, education, employment, certain types of health care, or travel. The government has failed to deliver on its promise to abolish this guardianship system......
http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2010/09/27/looser-rein-uncertain-gain-0

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
Judiciary Failing to Protect Domestic Workers in Lebanon
Lebanon's judiciary is generally failing to hold employers accountable when they violate the basic rights of migrant domestic workers, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The government should adopt a plan to ensure that these workers can rely on Lebanese courts to protect their rights, Human Rights Watch said.
The 54-page report, "Without Protection: How the Lebanese Justice System Fails Migrant Domestic Workers," reviews 114 Lebanese judicial decisions affecting migrant domestic workers. For more information please click on the link http://www.e-joussour.net/en/node/5742

GENDER & ECONOMY
Gender Inequalities at Home & in the Labour Market
Part of UNRISD Report: Combating Poverty & Inequality: Structural Change, Social Policy and Politics. Direct Link to Full 25 Page UNRISD Chapte/Research Article:
http://bit.ly/9V0JOr 

Women's Control over Economic Resources – UN
2009 World Survey on the Role of Women in Development Women’s Control over Economic
Resources and Access to Financial Resources, including Microfinance http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/public/WorldSurvey2009.pdf

Women's Labour Migration in the Context of Globalization
Direct Link to Full 83-Page WIDE Report:
 The new publication from WIDE, entitled “Women’s Labour Migration in the Context of Globalisation” offers an introduction to important contemporary political analysis on the influence of globalisation on women´s work, mobility and empowerment. Authors of the report Anja K. Franck and Andrea Spehar highlight how globalisation shapes women´s labour migration.
http://62.149.193.10/wide/download/WIDE%20Migration%20report%20final.pdf...