From April 19 to April 24, the Association of Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) organised a forum in Istanbul, Turkey on the theme of transforming economic power. Women activists from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in particular spoke about the ongoing struggle to enshrine women’s rights into new constitutions and increase female participation in new political systems. Many Arab women are worried about the increasing influence of conservative Islam in post-revolution countries, and the effect this will have on women and women’s rights. In a session on “Men as Providers,” Dr. Ziba Mir-Hosseini argued that it is key to fight medieval interpretations of the Quran with modern scholarship, such as in how we understand verse 4:34 in the Quran, which addresses the man as a provider for his wife and family.

Amnesty International published a report last week in which it finds an anti-Muslim bias in Europe, especially when to comes to the exclusion of Muslims wearing religious forms of dress, which affects in particular Muslim women. In Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland, Amnesty International has found that discrimination towards Muslims exists in numerous forms. [Read more...]

Addressing sexual harassment in Tunisia is a real challenge, as it is often considered to be a non-issue, especially as Tunisia is viewed to be such an advanced country, when it comes to women’s rights. For many women though, sexual harassment is a daily reality.

Afghan Massoud Hossaini was awarded a Pulitzer price for his picture of an Afghan girl, Tarana, in the immediate aftermath of a bomb attack on Ashura.

Bangladesh is often thought of a poverty-stricken country, suffering from frequent natural disasters, but Bangladeshi women have made much progress in recent years, with two strong female political leaders; ten years ago Bangladeshi women were allowed to join the army, which is unthinkable in many other Muslim countries. [Read more...]