Women have made strides, but…

There have been positive developments and achievements when it comes to women’s rights in Arab and Muslim countries, and in the rest of the world. This must be noted in any overview of this topic: In Saudi Arabia, a decree was issued allocating 20 percent of the Shura council’s 150 seats to women, and appointing 30 women in the advisory body that submits recommendations and proposes legislation to the king for approval. In addition, I have in front of me a list of the Most Powerful Arab Women of 2012, published by ArabianBusiness.com. I am honored to be acquainted with many women mentioned in the list, including the top three names, Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Tawakul Karman and Lubna Olayan, who are Emirati, Yemeni and Saudi respectively. These women come from a region that has managed to unleash the potential of its women in a single generation, allowing thousands of them to pursue their education abroad, and return with the highest educational achievements. Near the end of 2012, Iraq even held a conference on the economic empowerment of women, and this in an Arab country that suffers from terrorism every day. In the West, there are better results. Each week, I read the list of bestselling books in Britain; last week, eight out of the top ten bestselling works in the list are authored by women, including the top three books. At the same time, women in the U.S. armed forces were being granted combat roles for the first time, while I read in a British newspaper articles about the role of women in major espionage operations on behalf of the UK, and how women proved to be more successful than men. I try to be objective and say that for every positive development, however, there are a thousand setbacks in our countries and around the world. At the end of February, the U.S. Congress renewed the Violence against Women Act. On the face of it, the act is a good effort, but it also means that violence against women in the United States is a major issue. So one can only imagine what the situation in our countries is like. In Britain where I live, statistics reveal that domestic violence takes place in one of every four families. In Zambia, 47 percent of women are affected by violence, and each new day brings with it frightening news about this – which I happen to see without me asking for it, as it is part of the material I read every day. - In the Maldives, a 15-year old girl who reported she was raped subsequently received 100 lashes, because the court found that she had a lover. I did not read that her rapists were punished either. - In London, a prostitution ring made up of a majority of Asian immigrants, from Pakistan and other countries, received long prison sentences. At present, another similar ring is on trial, and a 14 year old girl testified in court about how she was dragooned into prostitution. - Before this and that, there was the scandal about the late British television personality Jimmy Saville, who assaulted hundreds of underage girls without anyone daring to report or prosecute him during his life. Saville’s scandal unleashed other similar scandals, involving politicians and film and TV stars, some of whom are currently facing trial. This, mind you, is taking place in a country that enjoys sexual freedoms and an independent rule of law. - In Afghanistan, everyone has heard the story of the young student Malala Yousafzai. Taliban terrorists attempted to kill her because she called for women to be educated. She survived the attempt, was treated in Britain, and was then discharged from hospital after making a recovery. There is a similar story from Afghanistan every day. Recently, I read about a nearly successful reconstructive surgery for Aesha Mohammadzai. The Taliban had cut off her ears and nose, to punish her for demanding freedom for women. Another woman, Gul Meena, was attacked and mutilated by her brother, who suspected her of an illicit affair – not because anything was proven against her. - In India, three underage sisters were raped and murdered. In Papua New Guinea, a woman was burned alive on charges of practicing witchcraft, and in the entire Middle East, maids are mistreated, and sometimes denied their wages, though this is not as serious as being raped and tortured. Furthermore, there are gangs in the Far East who lure girls into working in the Middle East, only to force them into prostitution after arriving there. - Ethiopian women in Israel were given contraceptive pills without consent, so that Black people do not reproduce there. I have kept all the source material on what I wrote today. All I say in conclusion is that while our women have made strides, they are still denied the right to real equality. I believe that many of the misfortunes of the nation are punishment from God for our abuse of our other half. --- The views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent or reflect the editorial policy of Arabstoday.