This week, gang-rape victim Mukhtar Mai gets married, Iran sends a female skier to the upcoming Winter Olympics, and the UAE’s campaign to counter the prevalence of “manly” women. More news briefs for the week of March 16, 2009.
This week, Pakistani gang-rape victim became the second wife of a police officer assigned to protect her. Mukhtar Mai rose to international fame in 2002 for defying custom by challenging her attackers in court and became a women’s rights activist. Her husband was enamored by her “extreme courage.”
On Monday, March 16th, Iran announced it will send a female skier to next year’s Winter Olympics for the first time. Iranian women have participated in past Summer Olympic sports.
Announcement this week of a “Gender and Sexuality” seminar organized by Moroccan homosexual group, Kif Kif, outraged many Moroccans who blame foreign influences. The seminar is set for April.
UAE’s ministry of social affairs launched a campaign last week called “Excuse me, I am a girl” to counter their society’s increasing prevalence of “manly” women, some of whom may have “menacing” homosexual tendencies.
The number one killers of women in childbearing years are preventable deaths during pregnancy and childbirth in developing countries. On March 25th join an on-line discussion organized by Women’s eNews and the United Nations Millennium Campaign.
Shazia Riaz is Associate Editor of Altmuslimah.
