CONFERNCES & OPPORTUNITIES

Call for Proposals - Fund for Gender Equality - UNIFEM

NEWS & ARTICLES

WOMEN’S RIGHTS CAMPAIGN
Europe GEAR Campaign Calls for Ambitious Funding for New UN Gender Entity

WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVISM
The Injustice of Poverty - Women
Women & Men: Discrimination or Justice - Status of Women in Bahrain

GENDER RIGHTS
Op-Ed: "Saudi Women Can Drive, Just Let Them"
Muslim academic Claims Homosexuality Can be Compatible With Islam
Profile of a Woman Suicide Bomber - Baida – Iraq
Jordan Fatwa Bans 'Virginity Checks'

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
Interviewing Men in Prison for 'honour killings' in Turkey
Young Woman Killed by Father in the Name of Honour in Palestine
Lubna Hussein to be Tried on 7 September for Wearing Trousers
Woman Killed for Marrying Without Permission in Jordan

CITIZENSHIP & SECTARIANISM
'Racism' Claims at Lebanon Beach Clubs
Domestic Workers Denied Access to Local Beach Resorts
First Saudi Women Work as Maids

GENDER & PERSONAL STATUS LAW
Introduction of the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill
Temporary Marriages Over Email and Text Messaging in Bahrain
Informal Marriages - Not Legal - High Risks for Women
No Exceptions for "Honour Killings" In Syria (Human Rights Watch)
Proposal to Allow Lebanese Mothers to Open bank Accounts for Children

DEVELOPMENT
Unprecedented Water Rationing in Yemeni Cities

BOOKS & REPORTS

GENDER RIGHTS
Teenage Marriage & Motherhood

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
Report: "‘They Want Us Exterminated': Murder, Torture, Sexual Orientation and Gender in Iraq"
Crimes of Honor - Jordan & the Arab World

GENDER RESOURCES

Egypt - Games Booklet Combats Sexual Harassment of Children
9 Parts of Desire – Women of Iraq – Play by Heather Raffo

GENDER & CONFLICT

Women on the Frontline of War - Bosnia, Lebanon, Thailand, Palestine/Israel

CONFERNCES & OPPORTUNITIES

Call for Proposals - Fund for Gender Equality - UNIFEM
UNIFEM is pleased to announce the first call for proposals for the Fund for Gender Equality.
The Fund will accept applications from governmental and non-governmental organizations and/or partnerships between or within these sectors. Grants from the Fund for Gender Equality are highly competitive. The Fund will prioritize a maximum of 30 innovative, impact-oriented programmes from around the world.
http://www.unifem.org/partnerships/fund_for_gender_equality/application_...

NEWS & ARTICLES

WOMEN’S RIGHTS CAMPAIGN
Europe GEAR Campaign Calls for Ambitious Funding for New UN Gender Entity
The European Working Group of the UN Gender Equality Architecture Reform Campaign believes that the effectiveness of the future UN gender equality entity will largely depend on the level of funding that is made available for the work of the future entity.
In a position paper on funding the new gender equality entity, the European Working Group points out that in 2008 less than 1 % of the entire UN expenditure was allocated to the current gender equality bodies. For more information: http://www.un-gear.eu:80/

WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVISM
The Injustice of Poverty - Women
“Like many others around the world, I recently read about the Austrian man who abused his daughter and imprisoned her in a basement for years. I could not imagine what it would be like to live in a basement and never leave the house until today, when I visited a woman named Evan in Baghdad, Iraq. As Women for Women International's assessment team in Baghdad was attempting to identify potential participants for our program, every woman we talked with in the neighborhood told us that we must visit Evan and her family if we were truly looking for the women most excluded from society”. For more information: http://www.womenforwomen.org/news-women-for-women/summer-newsletter-2009...

Women & Men: Discrimination or Justice - Status of Women in Bahrain
In the context of Bahrain Women Association (BWA) project " Women: A New Paradigm" launched on 21st of March this year, the second open discussion will be held in Manama on August 15, 2009 with the slogan: "Women and Men ... Discrimination or Justice". Expertise and researchers know with their valuable contribution in this field will participate in the discussion of such complicated issues concerning the status of women and their ability to carry out their various roles. More info are available via this link: http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/08_09/08_10_09/081009_bahrain.htm

GENDER RIGHTS
Op-Ed: "Saudi Women Can Drive, Just Let Them"
Wajeeha Al-Huwaider writes, "Who is that woman who returns day after day to the border crossing, seeking to pass from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain, only to be turned away? She is me." "Who am I? A native of the city of Hufuf in eastern Saudi Arabia, where the world's best dates are grown, a 47-year-old divorced mother of two teenage sons, and an employee of the vast Saudi oil company, Saudi Aramco
http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-565174

Muslim academic Claims Homosexuality Can be Compatible With Islam
A leading Muslim academic has said there is evidence in the Koran that homosexuality can be compatible with Islam. In an interview with the Times, Dr Amanullah De Sondy, 29, said that despite the evidence, conservative Muslims will not accept homosexuality as they are “deeply homophobic”.
http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-565121

Profile of a Woman Suicide Bomber - Baida – Iraq
In Baquba, the Iraqi police detective flipped pointlessly through a file on his desk; the daylight was too faint to read by and the electricity had long since gone off. He seemed about to say something. Then a bomb exploded a few blocks away, and his office shook. The radios on his desk crackled. He nodded to his colleagues, and they ran into the hall to join police officers already rushing to the bomb site. As he rose to follow them, the detective tried to reassure me.
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/08_09/08_10_09/081009_iraq.htm

Jordan Fatwa Bans 'Virginity Checks'
A Jordanian institute has issued a fatwa, or Islamic ruling, banning the practice of pre-marital virginity examinations for women. The Jordanian Committee of Religious Decrees and Islamic Studies said that such examinations were haram, or prohibited under Islamic law, Al-Arabiyya reported. The fatwa said such examinations were a form of abuse against women.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7015984315

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
Interviewing Men in Prison for 'honour killings' in Turkey
"One of the men interviewed in prison told Onal, "It's easy for women's charities and the EU to say 'stop killing' from afar, but people will not stop. If you live in our neighborhoods, you would kill. We have to change our neighborhoods..."
http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/4014/context/jounalistoft...

Young Woman Killed by Father in the Name of Honour in Palestine
The International Secretariat of the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). "The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, a member of the OMCT SOS-Torture Network, regarding the case of Ms. Fadia Jawdat al-Najjar, 27 years old, who was allegedly killed by her father in a matter of ‘family honour’.
http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-565171

Lubna Hussein to be Tried on 7 September for Wearing Trousers
13 women were arrested in Khartoum, Sudan and charged with violating the public dress code by wearing trousers. Ten have already been flogged and one of whom, journalist Lubna Ahmed Hussein, has rescinded legal immunity. The trial of Sudanese journalist Lubna Hussein, who faces 40 lashes after being arrested a month ago for wearing trousers, has been postponed again, until 7 September.
http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-565059

Woman Killed for Marrying Without Permission in Jordan
A man has been charged with shooting dead his pregnant sister for marrying without family permission, after luring her to another brother's wedding in a conspiracy with him, police said on Thursday. "The 30-year-old suspect shot his 23-year-old pregnant sister, who worked as a nurse, four times in the head and other parts of her body Wednesday, while she was attending the wedding of another brother," a police spokesman told AFP. http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-565137

CITIZENSHIP & SECTARIANISM
'Racism' Claims at Lebanon Beach Clubs
Beirut Summer is at its peak in Lebanon. Each weekend its famous beach clubs are heaving with people seeking some relief from the oppressive heat.
Thanks to the relative peace in the country, many clubs are now having their best season in years - with thousands of tourists joining the beachside throng.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8200001.stm

Domestic Workers Denied Access to Local Beach Resorts
Imagine you’re a domestic worker who, after six days of working full-time, decided to head to the beach for a well-deserved day in the sun. You purchase a ticket to enter, find the perfect spot, but then, right as you’re about to jump in the pool, the resort manager approaches and tells you to stay out of the water because “people are not used to the sight of workers swimming.” More information are available http://nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=105489

First Saudi Women Work as Maids
The first group of Saudi housemaids has begun work under a government scheme, say reports from Saudi Arabia. Until now, the job - which is regarded by many Saudis as demeaning - had been mostly restricted to Asian women. The Saudi Ministry of Labour permitted Saudi women to work as maids two years ago, but there has been strong resistance to the move. For more information:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8181241.stm

GENDER & PERSONAL STATUS LAW
Introduction of the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill
The bill outlawing domestic violence passed by the National Assembly on August 4 in Pakistan is a step in the right direction. "The abuse of women and children is endemic in the country, particularly in the domestic sphere where some estimates put the figure over 95 per cent for various forms of physical and emotional violence taken together. http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-565163

Temporary Marriages Over Email and Text Messaging in Bahrain
Internet and mobile phones have spawned a new kind of marriage in the Gulf. Young couples are saying "I do" via email and text messages in the presence of two witnesses - a practice, which like the older informal marriages of Mut'a' and Misyar, has no legal approval.
http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-565179

Informal Marriages - Not Legal - High Risks for Women
Young couples are saying "I do" via email and text messages in the presence of two witnesses - a practice, which like the older informal marriages of Mut'a' and Misyar, has no legal approval.
Muta'a or pleasure in Arabic is a 14-centuries-old marriage custom that is common among Shiites. Misyar, which can be traced to some 10 years ago, is prevalent among Sunni Arabs.
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/08_09/08_17_09/081709_gulf.htm

No Exceptions for "Honour Killings" In Syria (Human Rights Watch)
A recent penal code change is positive, but call for equal punishment for all murders, including 'honour killings'. "The Syrian government should treat all murders alike and not make exceptions for so-called "honor killings," Human Rights Watch said. On July 1, 2009, President Bashar al-Assad abolished Article 548 of the Penal Code, which had waived punishment for a man found to have killed a female family member in a case "provoked" by "illegitimate sex acts," as well as for a husband who killed his wife because of an extramarital affair.
http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-565097

Proposal to Allow Lebanese Mothers to Open bank Accounts for Children
Lawyer Ghassan Mahmoud suggested a solution to allow mothers to open a certain type of bank accounts for their children without violating current Lebanese laws. “Banks can launch a special program concerning this type of accounts” Mahmoud said, adding that the program would be similar to home, education and medical loans.
The proposed solution suggests that a mother open a savings account in her name for the benefit of her child. The account will publicly hold the child’s name but will be controlled by the mother, according to Mahmoud. For more info plz chek the article http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=3&article_...

DEVELOPMENT
Unprecedented Water Rationing in Yemeni Cities
Water and sanitation companies in Yemen are adopting unprecedented water rationing in major cities including the capital Sanaa, Taiz, Mukalla, al-Beidha, al-Dhalea and Lahj, local council officials said.
Urgent action is needed to halt depletion of the country’s water resources, Abdulqader Hanash, deputy minister for water affairs, told IRIN. Some 90 percent of available water is used for agriculture, leaving just 10 percent for industrial and household use, he said. For more information: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=85734

BOOKS & REPORTS

GENDER RIGHTS
Teenage Marriage & Motherhood
Too many teenage girls are getting married in Bangladesh today, say health specialists. According to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) State of the World’s Children 2009 report, more than 64 percent of girls marry before they are 18.
But with early marriage comes early pregnancy. One-third of teenage girls aged 15 to 19 are mothers or pregnant in Bangladesh today, with adolescent mothers more likely to suffer birth complications than adult women, the British Medical Journal reports. http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=85516

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
Report: "‘They Want Us Exterminated': Murder, Torture, Sexual Orientation and Gender in Iraq"
The report "‘They Want Us Exterminated': Murder, Torture, Sexual Orientation and Gender in Iraq", published by Human Rights Watch August 2009, documents a wide-reaching campaign of extrajudicial executions, kidnappings, and torture of gay men in Iraq. Iraqi militias are carrying out a spreading campaign of torture and murder against men suspected of homosexual conduct, or of not being "manly" enough, and Iraq authorities have done nothing to stop the killing, Human Rights Watch said in a report released 17 August 2009. http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-565156

Crimes of Honor - Jordan & the Arab World
"With cursing and pleading eyes, the victim gave her murder a farewell look, casting an eternal spell over him, his family, and whoever encouraged him to commit such a shameful "Crime of honor!".
"Crimes of honor"! What a horrifying and paradoxical title! Are they really "crimes of honor", committed in the name of honor? They are crimes, but certainly not of honor; they are against honor, nullifying it from its noble reference. http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/08_09/08_03_09/080309_crimes.htm

GENDER RESOURCES

Egypt - Games Booklet Combats Sexual Harassment of Children
In light of ECWR's campaign, "Making Our Streets Safer for Everyone", ECWR has published a games booklet entitled "Very Important". This booklet is one of the simple and innovative tools created as part of ECWR's campaign to help raise awareness about sexual harassment. The booklet and accompanying animated movie help raise important questions about sexual harassment while encouraging creativity through simple and easy games such as painting and coloring.
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/08_09/08_10_09/081009_egypt.htm

9 Parts of Desire – Women of Iraq – Play by Heather Raffo
A portrait of the extraordinary (and ordinary) lives of a whole cross-section of Iraqi women: A sexy painter, a radical Communist, doctors, exiles, wives and lovers. This work delves into the many conflicting aspects of what it means to be a woman in the age-old war zone that is Iraq. An unusually timely meditation on the ancient, the modern and the feminine in a country overshadowed by war.

GENDER & CONFLICT
Women on the Frontline of War - Bosnia, Lebanon, Thailand, Palestine/Israel
In the last of our current series of Al Jazeera's Everywoman we meet the brave women making a difference on the frontline, women who are putting their own lives in danger to help others, women who are fighting to save lives, and fighting for reconciliation.
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2009/08_09/08_03_09/080309_women.htm
Part of the episode – Everywoman Prorgram: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fPTpgZYK9o