Just Raise Your Head Up High

Marching with Dignity – “Sisters” or Not

2012-01-27T13:37:00.000+02:00

ere on MMW, I tried to highlight the fact that mainstream media was focusing on Islamists’ statements regarding what women wear, while, in fact, what was even more dangerous was their vision regarding women and child law. I referred in that article to quotations from Dr. Manal Abul-Hassan about allowing female genital mutilation, and to Abul-Hassan’s description of child protection laws as simply an imitation of the West (and therefore bad or unnecessary).

Dr. Manal Abul-Hassan. Image via Asharq Al-Awsat

Turns that Dr. Abul-Hassan, media professor in October 6^th University in Cairo, has even more to say about Egyptian women.

Marching with Dignity – “Sisters” or Not

And Justice Should Be Served!

2012-01-20T14:53:00.001+02:00

Police officer who video-shot “hunting” protestors eyes wascleared!

Sayeda Zainab police officers accused of murdering themartyrs were cleared!

Mubarak endless trial!

Whoeverfollows the news of the legal aspect of this revolution will always be frustrated.Between the cases which were built really weak and the cases that lackedprofessional legal assistance, a lot of cases were dropped someone between thepapers in people’s memory as “Do you even believe in Egyptian Judiciary System?”

Problem withsuch cases is not the revolution. It’s that very simple fact that when human life is intentionally taken away, therehas to be consequences and the state – any state – is responsible for properinvestigation and making sure someone is blamed and punished – legally ofcourse!

Such justiceis not a political demand at all, it’s pure social one.

Does anyoneseriously expect a father who lost his son, had to run between morgues, tofinally find his body with whatever bullets poking his body, to shut up andforget about it?

Do you thinka brother will be able to go on with his life when every time he sleeps he hasto see his little brother hot body in some morgue on the floor, and to rememberthat he had to run between offices to be allowed to bury him?

Is it evenpossible?

Is it fair?

Is thisstability?

What wouldhappen when each one who lost someone decides to completely lost belief in ourjudicial system? When everyone finally realizes that if you want somethingright to be done, he has to do himself?

When I callfor fair trials, it is not about the political battle. It is that I am prayingto God someone in this country wake up and see that unless murderers in thiscountry get locked, we are looking ahead to a bloody war… and no one will beable to stop it!

Justice isnot about revenge, it’s about keeping the outlines of a safe societies wherelaw is what defines everything. And fighting for justice is fighting for peace.

I don’t wantto see Egypt 20 or 30 years from and watch the war between sons of policeofficers – and military for that matter – and sons of the people who weremurdered!

Forget yourpolitical affiliation for a minutes and think of the ramifications of clearinga police officer whose videos shooting people were all over the internet?

On whatwishful high hopes do you think someone will forget that?

Or do youprefer it the other way? His photo with the word “wanted” all over the countryand he has to either hide forever or leave for good!

Even if someone breaks the law, he has rights!Yes, and these rights are not questionable or depending on our modes and how wesee things.

He breaks thelaw, he gets arrested by the law, investigated by the law and tried by the law!

Even if heresists arrest, there is a law for that. You warn for few times then if youabsolutely have to do it, you just prevent him by shooting his leg,

…not his eye,

…not hischest,

…not hischin!

If we want toprotect this country from a civil bloody war, we all should pray, work andadvocate for justice to be served!

Source

2011; The year of love, war, and peace!

2012-01-16T13:41:00.001+02:00

I started writing this post like I do every year, but in the middle I found out it could not be summed up in one post.

This one was written while listening to an incredibly beautiful violin played by Marwan Anwer

1- Before Jan25^th

I startedlast year as I ended the year before; exhausted, drained, and frustrated. Pure survival instinct – of no choice of mine –was the only reason I woke up every day.

First daywas so sad, following the news of those who were murdered in the two saintschurch, and it was not the first time I think like “How would it be if I wasone of them?”

Thinkingabout death consumed a lot of my time. especially that I was on a Christmasvacation at work. I had all the time in the world to be so sure that there issomething seriously going on wrong in my life.

Emptinesshas started to invade my soul, and the void inside my heart to grow that it wasreally hard to breath. I used to eat to imagine food swallowed in the voidtaking any space to free my lungs… it didn’t happen. I felt fat, I felt heavy!

Loss ofpurpose was getting into me till I decided to leave. Not to a fancy country orto look for a nice job. I applied to be an emergency doctor in literally everywar zone on the face of the planet; Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeriaduring the conflicts… etc

The idea ofeither dying or living saving someone else’s life was so relieving that I spenthours day dreaming about it to survive a day!

I came back towork from the Christmas vacation to figure out that where I work is just onemore place in Egypt where everything wring is OK. They deducted from my salary andstarted to give me their “Egyptian Employers” best!

I knew thatday that this was just one more job where I have to suck it up and endure.Problem was I was already maxed out!

Two daysbefore the revolution, I was invited to a friend’s birthday. She’s not the typeof friends whom you call every day, or every month for that matter. But she’sone of those with whom you meet every now and then to share few tears and somelaughs and go back to your life!

I was thenormal me during that birthday; talking with people, playing the role of theorganizer being invited to do so, giving my most attention to blow colorfulbubbles with a baby, and laughing on jokes.

Didn’t knowthat day would be one of the most important days of my life!

Next day, Iwent to work, and was called by the HR to get paid cause the 25^th –when we normally got paid – was going to be a holiday.

I took themoney, and left thanking God for one more day of the nothingness!

Play online and fight hunger!!

2012-01-16T12:02:00.000+02:00

MMW: What Women Wear: Women’s Clothing, Media, and Egypt’s Revolutionary Elections

2011-12-22T01:53:00.000+02:00

Women in the Egyptian revolution have been a great source ofinternational attention and appreciation. It is when women participate that youtruly can call it a “people’s” revolution.

When the news started to come out about the elections for theRevolutionary Parliament, everyone looked closely for women’s participation;women candidates, women voters, women section in each party program, and womenfinally winning seats in the parliament. With the general fear from thedominance of the so-called Islamic parties affecting women rights in Egypt ingeneral, and political participation specifically, and with the minimal successof women in the first stage, worries started to get bigger.

More

WE WILL NEVER FORGET!

2011-12-22T01:49:00.002+02:00

SCAF CRIMES!

Knock on all doors

leave no relative, friend, colleague, or a neighbor

Let them watch this even if you had to do it by force

If you can’t go to Tahrir,

If you have to go to work,

If you don’t want to make your family worries,

If you’re so confused,

If you don’t want to be in the middle,

watch… and make everybody watch!

That is your role, your duty, and your responsibility!

Tahrir Women Wall of Fame!

2011-12-21T14:08:00.002+02:00

Samira Ibrahim

This is theupper-Egypt girl, coming from Sohag, who has participated in the revolution sinceday 1. During the violent military attack on March 9^th, Samira,together with 16 girls, were subjected to an illegal “Virginity Test” forcedinto them by army soldiers after being tortured and beaten up!

Samira isnot shutting up, and she is raising charges against the army, even if it takesher life to get her right!

Ghada Kamal

A pharmaceuticalfrom Mansoura, member of April 6^th movement, and member ofSupporting Al Baradie group.

She wasattacked by the army soldiers on December 16^th morning, her veil wastaken off, and the letter “T” was carved into her skull.

She gaveher full testimony about her horrible experience of being detained by any army sergeantwho kept threatening of sexually abusing her!

It’s worthmentioning here that there was some confusion regarding Ghada being the girlwho was stripped off. But that is not the case, yes, there are so many casesnot just one!

Farida Elhessy

A medicalgraduate who works as a photographer and who went to Kasr El Einy streetFriday, December 16^th morning to reply to a call for doctors to helpcasualties.

Farida wasbeaten up by the army, kicked on the back, and pulled from her hair.

The Old Woman

According to Mona Seif, this woman was not part of theprotest, but she joined just to save a girl from being beaten up by the army,only to be beaten up herself and slapped till she apologized!

Tahrir Lady:

She is thewoman every piece of **** thought he could talk about her.

She is thewoman who was wearing face-veil “Nekab” when she was dragged on the street,kicked on the chest, pulled from the head, and finally stripped off till herunderwear was revealed to suddenly realize she was a woman, then they left herfor the other protestors to help her.

Right now,according to her friend on Twitter, she is suffering several bone fractures,skull fracture, bruises all over her body, and of course, she sufferspsychologically and emotionally not only from the army violence but from howeasy it was for everyone to varnish her reputation and question her morals andhonor.

---

As an Egyptian woman, I cannot help butbeing so proud of these women.

Not justcause they faced all this horrible violence fearlessly, but because theyamazingly made everyone look into one of our major societal problems, that Ipersonally believe the core of so many disturbances we suffer here.

Violenceagainst women!

In asociety that thinks violence against women OK, army soldiers cannot bedifferent. To them, violence is a language , a method of communication, and atool by which they enforce and assure power.

I can beatyou up, hence I can control you!

Men towomen, fathers to daughters, police officers to citizens, and finally armysoldiers to protestors.

Some thinkthat focusing on what happened to women is a narrow-minded look into theevents, cause all Egyptians have been subjected to all sorts of violence andabuse from authorities, not only this year, but for decades.

I say yes,that is – unfortunately – true. But it is when you highlight the fact thatwomen – perceived as the weaker gender – and children for that matter, shouldnot be under violence from someone who is stronger, that the whole concept ofviolence will be looked at differently.

I remembermy fiancé when we were discussing kids playing sports like Karate and Taekwondo,he told me that it is when you know you can actually kill someone that youlearn how to control it, and not to brag about it.

You alreadyknow you can do it, you have nothing to prove!

Hence itstarts to become shameful to attack someone who is weaker than you. It wouldnot be a fair game.

I think weneed to dig deeper into this culture of “whatis power” in order to finally reach aday when no one beats up another human just because he can!

Waiting for you Tomorrow

2011-12-19T23:49:00.000+02:00

Tomorrow, Tuesday December the 20^th,a women march will take place starting at 3PM in front of “AlMogammaa’” andreaching press syndicate at 4.30 PM

Waiting for you!

Egyptian Woman Day

2011-12-19T16:18:00.001+02:00

I think December 16th should be the "Egyptian Woman Day" instead of March 16th from now on. What do you think?

Tahrir Blue Bra

2011-12-19T16:01:00.000+02:00

The Egyptian Army has been violently attacking, beating,murdering peaceful protesters. One iconic image that will remain from theDecember massacres is that of an anonymous unconscious woman, who had beendragged, viciously beaten, and semi-stripped by the valiant uniformed soldiers,her blue bra contrasting with her pale skin and her ripped shirt beneath her,as a soldier's foot lands on her stomach. This is her:

The bra is in solidarity with this woman, with every womanwho's been harassed or beaten, and with every protester in Egypt. Thank you forsupporting Egypt's unarmed freedom seekers!

Source: Tahrir Blue Bra on Twibbon

Friends in the USA ... This is "Amit"

2011-10-10T03:38:00.001+02:00

Dear friends in the USA

Amit is a fellow blogger, he is very nice.

God chose him with a very hard test. Two weeks ago, he wasdiagnosed with Leukemia.

He still has two months of Chemotherapy after which he isgoing to need Bone Marrow transplant.

I am here asking all my friends in the USA to do anything theycan to help him;

A few ways to help:

1. If you’re South Asian, get a free test by mail. You rub your cheeks with a cotton swab and mail it back.It’s easy.

2. If you’re in NYC, you can go to this eventmy friends are putting on.

3. If you know any South Asians (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, or SriLanka), please point ‘em to the links above.

*NEW* Organize a donor drive near you (the most helpful thing you could possibly do!) email 100kcheeks@gmail.com. They’llsend you kits, flyers, tell you what to say, and make the whole processeasy cheesy.

Just remember … what goes around, comes around!

May God graces you with his healing powers, Amit

Domestic Violence 101

2011-10-03T10:28:00.001+02:00

Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering,family violence, and intimate partner violence (IPV), has beenbroadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in anintimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, friends orcohabitation. Domestic violence, so defined, has many forms, including physicalaggression (hitting, kicking, biting, shoving, restraining, slapping,throwing objects), or threats thereof; sexual abuse;emotional abuse; controlling or domineering; intimidation;stalking;passive/covert abuse (e.g., neglect); and economicdeprivation. Alcohol, or drug consumptionand mental illnesscan be co-morbidwith abuse,and present additional challenges when present alongside patterns of abuse.

Awareness, perception, definition anddocumentation of domestic violence differs widely from country to country, andfrom era to era. According to some studies, less than 1 percent of domesticviolence cases are reported to the police. According to the Centers for Disease Control,domestic violence is a serious, preventable public health problem.

Again, Domestic Violence is not onlyphysical! It is:

· Physical

· Sexual

· Emotional

· Verbal

· Economic

Sometimes violence that is notphysical could be much harder and with deeper impact on human soul. Eachcategory will be discussed in details later.

See you later folks, with the specialOctober awareness campaign for Domestic Violence Against Women!

Sources: Domestic Violence on Wikipedia

Hello October ... again!

2011-10-03T02:35:00.000+02:00

October is the month dedicated from the United Nation toraise awareness to Domestic Violence Against Women. Follow me on my blogs,social media accounts, etc. I will share info, videos, data, numbers, lifestories, and more! Please help and share to spread the word. You may notbelieve this, but a word can do a lot!

Not doing anything is actually "doing" nothing!

2011-09-21T23:24:00.001+02:00

Through more than one discussion about what has been happening inEgypt since Jan 25^th and what citizen political participation is,together with my own fight all over to stand against violence of all sorts, Icame across a lot of people who think that minding their own business is a goodthing to do, that they are not meddling in something they don’t get, and inturn actually helping.

Earlier when I was talking in the “Sinister Spinster” blogabout divorcees and single women in general and what they suffer, a lot cameacross me and told me “why do you care?” “you know nothing about that” and “itis not our business to speak about other women and how they are treated” or myfavorite “she might actually like to be abused, why are you so sure she is inpain?”

And today, with politics almost everywhere, there’s a voicethat really believes a true citizen should just shut up, and stop interferingin political matters, in fighting against Military Trials for civilians, orEmergency Law. Why? Because “we might not know everything”

Problem with that is that it not only puts no responsibilitywhat so ever on the citizen when it comes to how his country is being run, but alsogives everything wrong to just have a bigger chance and a moredeeper impact.

See, when injustice happens near you, and you choose not todo anything, you in fact are doing something! You are allowing more injusticeto pass by with no resistance, you allow more corrupt people to have biggerchances of poisoning all our lives, and you are forgetting that no matter howhard it is for you to believe, but there’s a very high possibility, next time,the victim will be you!

When your colleague is being bullied, don’t watch passively,do something!

When your neighbor is being hit by her husband, don’t listensilently, do something!

When your co-worker is fired for discriminative reasons, don’tignore, do something!

When the woman next to you in the subway gets harassed, don’tstand right there, do something!

When your fellow citizens are put in military prisons, don’tshut up, say something!

When Emergency law is being forced in your country, don’t donothing, you HAVE TO do something!

I won’t claim I know, or I should tell you what it is thatyou should do. Each one of us knows exactly what he is capable of, what therisks he can take are, and what the prices he can pay are.
What I know is thateach one of us HAS TO have to a stance against all sorts of injustice in thisworld.

Be positive, take initiative, pick a cause, have a fight…show the world what it is like to have you… imprint your soul!

Just be!

Children see ... Children do!

2011-09-21T17:55:00.002+02:00

Do nothing, and you might as well lend a hand-

2011-09-21T17:12:00.000+02:00

Be a change maker, take a stance against Violence on Facebook

2011-09-20T16:48:00.000+02:00

Facebook says that hate speech and incitements to violenceare banned and will be removed from their site. So why are they maintaining apage called "Riding Your Girlfriend Softly Cause You Don't Want to WakeHer Up"? And another page about "throwing bricks at sluts" thatincludes a photo gallery of portraits asking "Bang or Brick"?

There has even been an organized effort to use Facebook’s own reporting systemto flag these and other pages that encourage rape and violence against women sothey’ll be taken down. But Facebook hasn’t done a thing.

Now, Change.org member John Raines is going straight to the top. He started apetition on Change.org telling Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg totake down these pages and take a stronger stand against violence against women.

Will you sign John’s petition to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg? Sign on,and tell Facebook to remove pages promoting rape and violence against womennow.

When 1 in 3 women will be sexually abused and/or assaulted in her lifetime,pages like these -- and the reactions they elicit -- are downright scary. Tensof thousands of people have "liked" these pages. Some people even usethem as platforms to share rape fantasies and receive explicit tactics for howto carry them out.

John has seen the devastating impact of sexual violence and rape firsthand, onhis own family. That's why he created this petition on Change.org to getFacebook to enforce its existing policies and to make it clear that contentpromoting rape and violence against women violates Facebook's Terms of Serviceand won't be tolerated.

Please sign John's petition. Tell Facebook to stop providing a platform topromote rape and violence against women.

Thanks for being a change-maker,

- Shelby and the Change.org team

The Cave!!

2011-09-20T14:25:00.001+02:00

“It’s nothing personal”

“It’s a cycle of intimacy”

“Men do need their cave time”

“Think of it as your time to do something for your own”

These are examples of phrases I read about this “cave” menjust love to go to. I did my homework long time ago, read John Gray’s big cavetheory, read about the rubber band men, practiced few exercises of having myown version of that as well, but I called it a bubble! Funny that I chosesomething colorful, transparent and smells nice!

Anyway,

The more funny thing is that when awoman is single, she does manage her single life really well. It’s either sheis not happy about being single, and obsessed by finding a man; or she is OKwith being single, having an OK – or even a happy – life of her own. Naturallywhen a woman finds a man and she is in a relationship, she is asked to let goher bubble, circle, fluffy sofa, or anything of that sort.

Most women gladly do.

Most of the articles I read about that, focus on how mendesperately need that time to energize and re-fuel their emotions – if thatactually has a meaning! –

But I hardly found one piece that highlights how women thinkof caves and cave men.

Let’s go basic here;

Why does a woman need a man? What would actually make awoman let go her neat, steady, normal, life to put up with a man? with hismodes? needs? likes? dislikes? What would make a woman – just like any otherhuman – actually try to work out a relationship?

Answer: Security of a continuousnormal life, as constant as it could be.

What again? Security --- Constant --- Normal

In a woman’s world; everything has areason, an emotional one. Getting close is a sign of likeness, pulling away isa sign of lack of interest and distance. Guess what; it is even in the words….see: “AWAY” and “DISTANT”

Men on the other side have developedtheir own dictionary which is the reason they think unreasonable could bereasonable. Examples:

1- We are having troubles = I am worried for both of us = I love you = can’tstand being around you now

I’m sorry … what???!!!

2- Life sucks right now = can’t stand the world = feel so bad that I can’tmake you happy = Can’t stand your voice

hmmm

3- I am so tired of the world = I will let you deal with yourself for a while= when I come back I’ll be so active = If you are mad at me for that, I’ll feellike I miss my cave!!!

Could someone find us a translatorhere? Or a psychologist for that matter?

Oh they found a bunch, and theyagreed that it is just a “man thing”. Interestingly of course thesepsychologists were men!!!

Do you want to know how a woman thinkwhile a man is inside the cave?

Don’t be sorry, you just brought it to yourself!

- Why is he doing this to me?

- Is he thinking of breaking up with me?

- Should I respect his wishes and let him be, or fight for himand don’t allow it?

- But why doesn’t he want to talk to me?

- Now we’re in trouble, who should I talk to?

- So now, when we are having all these troubles, he decided togo there? What am I supposed to do? Isn’t he the man? Hasn’t he been sayinghe’ll handle hard times?

- Should I be worried now about decisions? Am I supposed toput these troubles in some kind of a fridge till he comes out? Is he waitingfor me to do something?

- Is he even thinking about me now?

- How could he be so harsh and can actually not talk to me insuch bad times?

- So what? You think it is up to you to just chose wheneveryou feel like pausing this relationship because you just waved with your cavesign?

- Is this some kind of a threat? that you might need to go toyour cave?

- Why do you trust that every time you get out, I’ll bewaiting?

- Am I too available?

- Are these women who say I should act “bitchy” right? Theirmen are always chasing them around, and they never feel left for anygeographical metaphor

- So now things are bad, I should deal alone? worry alone?comfort myself alone? Am I in a relationship to have to go through that again?

- I was more capable and daring when troubles are in their waywhen I was single.

- How was I dealing with that when it happened before when Iwas single?

- Should I have like an emotional cushion to seek when he’saway?

- I will not be subjected to that again. This time, I’ll“enjoy” life without him. In his face!!

- I am a strong independent woman who can have a life for herown self needing no men!

- I miss him, you’ll get over it. Be strong. Don’t show yourweakness. Are you some kind of a coward woman or something?

- He got out so soon? I was doing that thing that he doesn’tlike but I do and stopped for him. Bummer!

- Hey honey; when will you go to your cave so that I can enjoylife without all these things that I talked myself into accepting back thenwhen I was madly in love with you?

- Could any sane person just tell me why I should put up withall the hard work it takes to be in a relationship?

- Single women are lucky! I have no idea why they feel bad.But eh; I have the status, the babies, the so-called family, and thethought-to-be life!

Problem with that, is that when womenfinally get cold towards men, men claim they don’t know why! A lot of men findit surprising that their women were “at some points” unfaithful! Other mencomplain that even though they dedicated all their lives to the families, theywere unappreciated! And I love it when some men just go on and on about howwomen don’t respect the sacred value of privacy in marriage and they go spreadtheir private matters to friends!

So she is not allowedto share with friends, go out anytime she wants wherever she feels like, talkwith strangers? … problem is she needs to “vent”

And she is asked not to love him,need him, ask for him, want him, talk to him, for anything that doesn’t involvenear-death emergencies?

I hope by that I explained “a bit” ofhow some women feel, and what they think, at the time men are in their caves.

Men need to regenerate whatever keepsthem going. This is how they process. It is not an ongoing procedure to them.

Women are more of a plant creatures.Everything in them needs and takes time to grow. Good emotions, and bad onestoo!

When a man unplugs himself to rebootand have a fresh start all over, a woman presses on pause, but her system takesfew steps backward before moving anywhere. Women don’t forget because they needpast on which a present can be based, and they need a present seeded, in orderto have a substantial future in progress.Women all over the world are asked formaintenance, and for that they need to be marinated!

I am not asking men tostop going to their caves, nor am I saying women are insane for hating thosecaves. I am asking men to liberate a bit to troubles, and allow themselves toenjoy the fact that with women, somehow troubles could be embraced; for womenhave been well-known to do so.

And I am also remindingwomen that men are different creatures and their processes are separate. Solong he is not abusing that place, let him enjoy it for a while. I wishI could have answers to what you should do if he decided to go there when thereare troubles because I simply don’t know. Good thing we all can have our ownblogs , right?!

An Apology

2011-09-18T00:42:00.000+02:00

Hello friends,

I feel like I should apologize about disappearing for thatlong time. Been suffering from a writer’s block for some time now.

Think I’ll be able to write soon ISAllah

Let’s hope J

Thanks for your continuous support

MMW: Under Fire: Al-Watan’s “For hire” T-shirt Article

2011-08-22T19:52:00.003+02:00

When a Chinese company manufactured a line of women’s T-shirts with the words “For Hire” on them, Al-Watan published its disapproval at their availability in Riyadh stores.

At first, Al-Watan’s comment was on point when they described the T-shirt as “One more way to disrespect women.” But then they featured opinions against the T-shirt.

More

Numbers Talk:

2011-08-02T02:58:00.003+02:00

GLOBAL VILLAGE

How will violence against women look in a scaled down world, in a globalvillage of 1,000 people? (the figures are based on statistics from UN, WHO andgovernmental and non-governmental organizations)

· 500 are women

· It would be 510, but 10were never born due to gender-selective abortion or died in infancy due toneglect

· 300 are Asian women

· 167 of the women willbe beaten or in some other way exposed to violence during their lifetime

· 100 of the women willbe victims of rape or attempted rape in their lifetime

WOMEN AND POPULATION

· 49.7% of the worldpopulation are women (3,132,342,000 women; 3,169,122,000 men) (UN PopulationDivision).

· At least 60 milliongirls who would otherwise be expected to be alive are "missing" fromvarious populations as a result of sex-selective abortions or inadequate careas they are seen less important than boys (E, Joni Seager, 2003).

VIOLENCE IN THE FAMILY

Violence within the family takes different forms

1- physical aggression, such as slapping, hitting, kicking and beating

2- psychological abuse, such as intimidation, constant belittling andhumiliation, including various controlling behaviors, such as isolating aperson from their family and friends, monitoring and restricting theirmovements, access to information or assistance.

Around the world

· At least one inevery three women, or up to one billion women, have been beaten,coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in their lifetimes. Usually, the abuseris a member of her own family or someone known to her (L Heise, M Ellsberg, MGottemoeller, 1999).

· Up to 47% of womenreport that their first sexual intercourse was forced (WHO 2002).

· Up to 70% of femalemurder victims are killed by their male partners (WHO 2002).

· In Kenya more than onewoman a week was reportedly killed by her male partner (Joni Seager, 2003).

· In Zambia five women aweek were murdered by a male partner or family member (Joni Seager 2003).

· In Egypt 35% of womenreported being beaten by their husband at some point in their marriage (UNICEF2000).

· In Bolivia 17% of allwomen aged 20 years and over have experienced physical violence in the previous12 months (WHO 2002).

· In Canada the costs ofviolence against the family amount to $1.6 billion per year, including medicalcare and lost productivity (UNICEF 2000).

· In the USA a woman isbattered, usually by her husband/partner, every 15 seconds (UN Study on theWorld’s Women, 2000).

· In Bangladesh 50% ofall murders are of women by their partners (Joni Seager, 2003).

· In New Zealand 20% ofwomen reported being hit or physically abused by a male partner (UNICEF 2000).

· In Pakistan 42% ofwomen accept violence as part of their fate; 33% feel too helpless to stand upto it; 19% protested and 4% took action against it (Government study in Punjab2001).

· In the RussianFederation 36,000 women are beaten on a daily basis by their husband orpartner, according to Russian non-governmental organizations (OMCT 2003).

· In Spain one womanevery five days was killed by her male partner in 2000 (Joni Seager, TheAtlas of Women).

· About two women perweek are killed by their partners in the United Kingdom (Joni Seager, 2003).

Violence against women is violence against humanity, againstthe continuity of this life.

Violence against women is violence against the essence ofthis world

We’ve been living in a male-dominant world for ages, andlook what they have been doing … live, and let the women live… I assure you, itwill be an amazing place to live in!

Source: MakingViolence against Women Count, Facts and Figures - a Summary

No way!

2011-08-01T17:49:00.001+02:00

No need to panic please. We lost a battle, not the war. This regimen has been brainwashing everyone for 30 years, military has been ruling the country since 1952. You do not beat that in 7 or 8 months. Today we lost a battle? We never lost the war! Shame on every military man who is still part of that system. God bless our revolution for pride and dignity!

Hope needed, hope found!

2011-06-26T15:18:00.000+03:00

I woke up today late and tired, looking for source of hope.

Searching the internet for any positive thing. My soul feeds and grows on hope, positivity, and above all, faith.

I kept on looking till, by chance, I found this;

Muzvare Betty Makoni Radio Show Empowers women and girls Worldwide

And this is what is written on their page about the show:

Our topic for the radio show is about women in warn torn countries who are left to pick up the pieces, and women who not only survive but thrive. Our guest our Marie Langharn, from Rwanda, lost families members during the Genocide in Rwanda. Marie was with the UN during the Genocide, and was protected. Heidi Levandusk born and raised in Panama, Central America. Heidi has traveled to many third world countries such as Cambodia and Vietnam. She's seen the devastation and heartache of countries where women have suffered from war.

Best of luck for all women all over the world who are trying to push the boundaries away, and not only save themselves, but help to empower other women too.

I am so proud of each one of you!

The Facebook group

MMW: Saudi Women Set Their Sights on the Right to Vote

2011-06-22T11:51:00.003+03:00

Last March, Saudi authorities stated that half the seats in the municipal council in the next September 2011 run would be elected, rather than selected by the monarch himself as usual. But when they implemented elections, they neglected to include women’s votes. When asked why, the kingdom’s electoral commission mentioned it was because of logistic-related difficulties in sex-segregated election stations, the same reason that was previously used back in 2005. Almost six years have passed and nothing has changed, proving only that logistic-related difficulties are only an excuse for not making changes.

Continue

Good luck to all Saudi women!

2011-06-17T14:33:00.000+03:00

My most sincere wishes and prayers to all the brave women challenging the no-driving rule in Saudi Arabia.

Today, all women with international driving license, Saudi or not, are driving NOW all through the streets risking their freedom, jobs, and lives for that.

All my support, respect, and love!

One in Four!

2011-06-02T01:42:00.002+03:00

One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. What will you do to help?

MMW - Manal Al-Sharif and the Ban on Saudi Women Driving

2011-06-01T19:00:00.000+03:00

Last week, Manal Al-Sharif was arrested because she posted a video of herself driving around the streets of Riyadh on YouTube. Because it is illegal for women to drive in Saudi Arabia, both she and her brother were detained. Al-Sharif has since been released, having pledged to take no further part in the Women2Drive campaign.

More

MMW - Interview

2011-05-30T14:23:00.000+03:00

An interview that I was proud to do with my MMW family. It was one of the most interesting interviews I have ever had!

Here is it

MMW - Movie Review - 678

2011-05-30T14:21:00.000+03:00

Egypt, like the rest of the Middle East, has been suffering for a long time from street harassment. Naturally, different Egyptian intellects have been trying to emphasize the problem and highlight what can be the start of solving it. Mohamed Diab, a young Egyptian writer, wrote and directed the movie “678,” which focuses on this very dangerous phenomenon. You can see a trailer (in Arabic) here.

Compassionate Communication

2011-05-16T22:08:00.002+03:00

I can handle your telling me
what I did or didn't do.
And I can handle your interpretations
but please don't mix the two.
If you want to confuse any issue,
I can tell you how to do it:
Mix together what I do
with how you react to it.
Tell me that you're disappointed
with the unfinished chores you see,
But calling me "irresponsible"
is no way to motivate me.
And tell me that you're feeling hurt
when I say "no" to your advances,
But calling me a frigid man
won't increase your future chances.
Yes, I can handle your telling me
what I did or didn't do,
And I can handle your interpretations,
but please don't mix the two."

~Marshall Rosenberg, Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

Pride and Vanity

2011-05-03T09:46:00.001+03:00

Vanity and pride are diff things, though words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us!

Jane Austin – Pride and Prejudice

Pride!

2011-05-02T10:57:00.002+03:00

"His pride," said Miss Lucas ", doesn't offend me so much as pride often does, because there's an excuse for it ... If I may so, he has a right to be proud."

"That is very true" replied Elizabeth " and I could easily forgive his pride, If he had not mortified mine!"

Jane Austin – Pride and Prejudice