Dear Networker, NAD produces various e-publications, free of charge, to inform its members but also international and regional spheres on Arab issues related to development and to gender. If you wish to inquire on NAD please contact <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> If you wish to receive regularly this publication send a request to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> with a short introduction on yourself and/or organisation. Thank you. __ NAD REGIONAL NEWS July 07-13, 2000 Issue Focus: Gender A newsletter that covers current Arab issues and related press news on development and gender. Please forward this e-mail and distribute for those without e-mail access. CONTINENTS 1. JORDAN : Fear of Family Traps Some Women in Prison 2. IRAN: Women Block Road in Demand for Better Living Conditions 3. YEMEN: Staggering Report of Honor Crimes 4. LEBANON : Works With UNICEF on Domestic Violence 5. EGYPT: First Lady Calls on Women to Vote in Upcoming Polls 6. SAUDI: A Princess in an Official Post 7. OVERVIEW: Major Population and Development Issues in Arab States * * * 1. JORDAN : Fear of Family Traps Some Women in Prison July 7, 2000 Jordan Times - By Rana Husseini AMMAN — Some Jordanian women commit a crime, serve their sentence, and then walk free. Others — some of them guilty only in the eyes of their family — end up in prison and never leave. “We have some women who are spending indefinite periods in prison, some who are in without being convicted of any offence, and others who have served their sentence but can't be released because we fear for their safety,” according to the director of the Women's Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre, Major Ibtissam Dhmour. The police official said about 35 of the recently-completed facility's 214 inmates were being held in protective custody for fear of what their families might do to them. She said the 35 included both women convicted of criminal offences, and those who had been raped, become pregnant out of wedlock, or who had allegedly been involved in an extramarital affair. “Some of these women have been in prison for 11 years and they cannot leave,” Dhmour said recently at the Sisterhood Is Global Institute (SIGI), where she made a presentation on the lives of female inmates in Jordan. Many families refuse to receive the ex-inmates back home, because these relatives feel ashamed of having a female convicted criminal in their household. The local press has reported many cases of families actually bailing out their daughters with the intent of killing them to cleanse the family honour. Each year, around 25 women are killed in so-called crimes of honour in the Kingdom, some of them for this reason. These women cannot leave the prison after serving their sentences even if they want to, the police official told the audience at the office of SIGI, a Canada-based non-governmental organisation dealing with women's rights. Dhmour said the governor had the authority to keep these women in prison if he felt that releasing them would place them in grave danger of being killed. “Most of these women are mentally destroyed... we do not see them smiling — instead, we sense the distress and sadness in their hearts... every day is the same to them,” said Dhmour. “Some come to me asking to be released on their own responsibility, but there is nothing we can do but to follow the governor's orders,” said Dhmour, who has been the prison director for over a year. She said the new four-floor, 11 dunum (11,000sq.m) facility was the first of its kind in the region, adding that it could hold 900 inmates if necessary. Dhmour highlighted some of the ways in which the prison tried to provide a humane environment for the inmates, who are doing time for crimes including murder, drug possession, forgery, theft, complicity in rape and molestation, adultery, incest, prostitution and embezzlement. “The new centre is fully equipped and furnished with all the necessities to meet the needs of the inmates, and to train and rehabilitate them,” Dhmour said. She said the prison's system was based on separating the inmates according to their offences, criminal records and health conditions. According to the police official, when inmates are first admitted, they undergo a medical check-up before being placed in a special section for a week of meetings with social workers. The social workers examine each inmate's case, background and the circumstances of her imprisonment, then attempt to place her in a group of inmates convicted of similar offences or displaying similar characteristics. The women who are in protective custody have their own floor “because they are special cases,” said Dhmour. She added that inmate could select a training course from a list including tailoring, flower arranging, cooking and reading. She added that literacy courses were available, and that starting next year, continuing education courses would be offered. Dhmour stressed that prison administrators gave special treatment to mothers, and had built a nursery for the very young children of inmates. But even training courses and nurseries cannot erase some of the cold facts of life in the correctional facility. Dhmour said inmates who gave birth out of wedlock lost custody of their children to the Ministry of Social Development. “This is a major problem...which causes emotional distress for these women...because they know they will never see their children again,” she explained.© 2000 Jordan Times **************************************************** 2. IRAN: Women Block Road in Demand for Better Living Conditions June 27, 2000 Arabia on Line ISLAMSHAHR, Iran (AFP English) - Riot police moved in to disperse some 4,000 demonstrators who blocked a main road in protest sparked by women over a lack of basic amenities in a town 30 kilometres (20 miles) south of Tehran, an AFP corrspondent witnessed. Firemen who arrived to put out the blazes gave up after a few minutes in the face of protests, as thick black smoke hung over the town of Islamshahr, where shops and banks were closed. The demonstration began when several hundred women from Shatareh, near Islamshahr, 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the capital, gathered on the highway shouting slogans of protest over poor living conditions. They complained in particular at the lack of water, gas and electricity, . The crowd quickly grew with men and young people of both sexes joining the women. They totally blocked the road, setting alight tyres and paper. "We have no political demands, our problem is the quality of life in our town, because we can't go on," one woman told AFP. © 2000 AFP **************************************************** 3. YEMEN: Staggering Report of Honor Crimes July, 2000 Yemen Times SANA'A -- In a report released by Reuters, it was mentioned that Yemen is ranked the second in the world, next only to Pakistan in terms of honor crime incidents. Honor killings are usually the murder of a woman because of her disloyalty to her husband, or family in committing sexual acts without their knowledge. According to the statistics obtained from UNICEF and Amnesty International, the number of killings for honor reasons reached a staggering 400 in one year (1997). On the other hand, Pakistan had more than 1,000 women killed. Several Arab states also had high levels of such killings, as Egypt had 52 honor killings in 1997, Lebanon had 36 between 1995 and 1998, while Jordan, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip had a total of more than 27 killings last year. (Yementimes Issue 28, 2000) **************************************************** 4. LEBANON : Works With UNICEF on Domestic Violence July 10, 2000 UN Wire Lebanon recently launched a cooperative initiative with UNICEF to promote awareness of domestic violence against children. Inspired by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the effort seeks to change attitudes on domestic violence by educating parents and children. Called the Early Childhood Development Program, the initiative primarily relies on parenting guides and videotapes adapted from general UNICEF manuals. The program seeks to inform parents about issues such as children's conduct and neurological development. According to UNICEF program officer Ali El-Zein, parents most often abuse children because the adults are impatient and do not understand the children's behavior. "Parents often treat their children like adults," El-Zein said, adding that beatings can inflict serious and long-lasting damage on children. The initiative has been tested in more than 40 schools over the past year, with plans calling for comprehensive implementation next autumn. UNICEF also plans to share better parenting methods with caregivers by training instructors, who will then educate teachers, doctors, nurses and social workers. Another part of the program incorporates support from nongovernmental organizations and the private sector to inform children of their rights under the CRC. A similar effort by Save the Children (USA) has sought to integrate the CRC in developing areas via local youth clubs. The clubs provide a forum for children to discuss abuse, which directors then address by talking to parents. Meanwhile, the Lebanese Council to Resist Violence Against Women has put in motion its own domestic violence awareness project. The council presents statistics and information on abuse cases to secondary schools students, who are encouraged to define what constitutes violence (Susan Youssef, Beirut Daily Star, 23 Jun). **************************************************** 5. EGYPT: First Lady Calls on Women to Vote in Upcoming Polls July 13, 2000 Arabic News Female participation in political life is one of the vital issues affecting the whole of society in general and women's lives in particular, Egypt's First Lady Suzanne Mubarak told a Cairo forum yesterday. A woman's work in politics should not merely be confined to voting in general elections, or joining the parliament; it should involve her full and active participation in the national development process, Mrs. Mubarak said. Addressing the opening session of the one-day forum, entitled "Political Participation" organized by the National Council for Women, Mrs. Mubarak called on all eligible Egyptian women to vote in the upcoming parliamentary elections. "A woman's possession of a voting card is her first step towards political participation and it gives her a well-heard voice in the country's affairs,ª she told the forum's participants. The first lady identified three points: female political participation, stages of participation in the process of political decision making, and history and cultural heritage. On the first point, she said that women's participation was not restricted to parliamentary representation, or parliamentary nomination, or attending polls only, but it meant participation in the political decision making process in other civil organizations, such as political parties, professional syndicates, trade unions and universities. On the second point, Mrs. Mubarak explained that there were four things which women had to do in order to participate in the decision making process: (1) they had to obtain a voting card, (2) elect the most suitable parliamentary candidates, (3) run for election, and (4) as a sitting MP, positively and competently take part in the parliament's drawing up of national strategies and laws. On the third point, Mrs. Mubarak concluded that there were no social norms or historical precedents which denied the right of Egyptian women to participate in the political decision making process. © 2000 Arabic News.Com **************************************************** 6. SAUDI: a Princess in an Official Post July 11, 2000 Arabic News The Saudi official news agency reported on Monday said that a Saudi princess was appointed on Monday in the post of assistant secretary at the ministry of education. It is the highest administrative post assigned to a woman in Saudi Arabia. The news agency added that it was announced in conclusion of a session for the Cabinet chaired by King Fahed Bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud in Jeddah to appoint Princess al-Jawhara Bint Fahed Bin Muhammad Bin Abdul Rahman al-Saud in the post of the assistant secretary for educational affairs in the public presidency for the education of girls’. Therefore, Princess al-Jawhara will be a state employee at 14th degree in the Saudi administration whose total degrees are 16. © 2000 Arabic News.Com **************************************************** 7. OVERVIEW: Major Population and Development Issues in Arab States Improvements were recorded in the health status of infants and children and in life expectancy in all the countries in the Region, with varying levels among countries particularly in those countries struck by civil wars and unrest. On average these achievements surpassed the objectives set in the original 5-10 plan for child survival as infant mortality more than halved and life expectancy at birth rose by more than 10 years. Primary school enrolment reached 100 per cent in most of the countries and adult literacy has significantly improved. Contraceptive knowledge has reached more than 95 per 100 in many countries and prevalence rates reached on average 40 per cent of married couples. Yet, in the absence of accurate measurement methodologies of maternal mortality and morbidity indicators, the existing data does not show any significant decrease over the last 5 years. This, in spite of the fact that most of the countries have shown a growing concern with developing and implementing safe-motherhood initiatives as a separate programme or as an integral component of other health or social development policies and strategies. To a large extent, this concern is reflected in an increased effort of national and regional institutions in gathering and analyzing data pertaining to the health of women and the health determinants. Accordingly, as a means of supporting this effort, several Arab regional and international agencies have collaborated to plan and execute what has come to be known as regional survey programme associated with qualitative research studies. Concerning the health situation, new issues that are associated with the youthful profile of the population have emerged. Among these concerns are the persistence of early pregnancies with their increased risks for morbidity and mortality and the rise of the STD-HIV transmission, which should be dedicated the appropriate attention in this region. In spite of deeply entrenched cultural and religious beliefs, there is nevertheless a need to further strengthen safe behaviours, particularly in the light of the youthful profile of the population, fluid population movement and gender related discriminatory customs and practices. The improvement of reproductive health of young people and the low status of women and female adolescents and girls require a continued support. (Source: UNFPA) For more information about Arab States and Europe Programme and Activities you can visit: http://www.unfpa.org/regions/dase/overviewarab.htm or contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Lebanon Close To Having Formal Population Policy In Lebanon, the UNFPA has been working collaboratively with the government to implement a five-year plan, which began in 1997, to draft a population policy and a system of reproductive health services. Now, according to Asma Kurdahi of the UNFPA office in Lebanon, a final draft of the policy is almost completed and will be discussed at a national conference before being submitted to the Cabinet. "It's important, because we can't talk about a population problem without a policy," she said. Instead of facing problems associated with over-population, Lebanon suffers from internal mass migration from rural to urban areas, she said. "And the concentration in the cities has an obvious impact on services, whether they be health, social or increased unemployment," she added. Regarding reproductive health, the country's national program for reproductive health produced these statistics: · 20.9% of women do not undergo medical check-ups during their pregnancies and 12% of deliveries take place at home without proper hygiene; · for every 100,000 newborns, 104 mothers die during the pregnancy or delivery; · 39% of women do not use any modern family planning measures. (Source: UN Wire July 11, 2000) *Syrian Population Growth is Decreasing The central bureau for statistics in Syria said that the annual population growth in Syria decreased during the years between 1994- 1999 to reach 2.7% after it was during the 1970s and the 1980s 3.35% and 3.3% respectively. In a bulletin released by the central bureau for statistics to commemorate Syria's achievements under the leadership of the late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad for the years under his rule 1970- 2000, it explained that among the factors that led to reducing the annual growth average of population in Syria were the reduction in the fertility rate per one woman from 8.5 new births in 19870 to 3.8 new births in 1999 and the increase in the marriage age average for males from 25.9 years in 1970 to 28.9 years in 1999 and for female from 20.6 years to 25.1 years for the same period. Also among the factors is the reduction of illiteracy rate drastically especially among female from 73.2 % in 1970 to 22% in 1999 and the increase of woman's participation in the economic activity from 8.5 % in 1970 to 19.2% in 1999 and the increase in using family planning means among married women from 20% in 1978 to 45.8 % in 1999, besides the increased of awareness in population and development issues. The bureau also remarked that the reduction in the population growth average resulted in the decrease in the growth rate of the first elementary class from 5.3% annually in the 1970 s to 3.7% in the 1980s and then to 1.3% in the 1990s and the decrease in the rate of children under 15- year old from 49% in the 1980s to 40.5% in 1999. (Source: Arabic News, July 13, 2000) _______________________________________________________________________________ NAD Regional News: A newsletter that covers current Arab issues and related press news on development and gender. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of NAD. To subscribe <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For info on NAD write to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> NAD © 2000 All Rights Reserved. ================================================== Nisswa and Development Organisation (NAD) Tel/Fax: + 39 06 68212631 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] URL: http://nadnet.org "Together for a sustainable development, gender equality, and a just globalisation" ==================================================
[NAD Regional News] July 07-13 \Focus:Gender
Nisswa and Development Organisation Fri, 14 Jul 2000 18:46:03 -0700
