Some african Amercian feminists felt marginalized by the Women's Liberation Movement. in 1960's
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
New Woman Foundation first essay
On Wednesday September 30, I had my first meeting with the New Woman Foundation. The NGO is located in Mohandeseen, just minutes away from my dorm, depending on traffic.
The New Woman Foundation’s slogan on the front of their brochure states “NO Compromise On Women’s Rights.” The NGO focuses on women’s unconditional rights to freedom and equality in terms of women’s social, political, economic, citizenship and reproductive rights. They believe that woman’s rights are not separate from the struggle of nations and people for freedom and liberation from oppression.
As Heba stated in her post, NWF is an Egyptian feminist non-governmental organization, founded in 1984 but was recognized by the Ministry of Social Affairs in 2004. Their mission is to abolish all forms of discrimination against women in all levels of society. The NWF hopes to obtain this goal through advocacy, action-oriented research and mobilization of women around gender specific issues. Some examples listed in their brochure include:
-Targeting women’s empowerment and self-determination
-Raising social awareness and information dissemination
-Challenging taboos regarding women’s issues and adapting uncompromising positions
-Mainstreaming women’s rights issues on the social and political agendas
The week of my fist meeting, NWF was holding conferences at Hotel Flamingo to raise awareness on the inequality of women. The conferences were both in English and Arabic, and they discussed a wide variety of gender discrimination.
In my meeting, the women working at the NGO told me that their goal is to help women obtain their rights not necessarily do it for them directly. NWF provides the tools and knowledge for women to be able to change the circumstances they face today. They want to help empower and support marginalized women to express themselves and become positive actors in changing their conditions. The objectives of NWF are to play an active role in impacting policies and legislation that have had a negative effect on women in this society. They hope to help change the patriarchal culture that affects the society. A few ways the NWF obtains their objectives is by conducting research, monitoring violations of women’s rights and launching campaigns; organizing seminars (which they were doing two weeks ago), provide training to the community, and promoting involvement of new generations. While at the NGO, the women there gave me several materials that their organization has printed. They were all in Arabic, so unfortunately I could not read it. Yet, several junior New Woman Foundation members write a monthly article. In this booklet, the young women talk about the discrimination they observe and experience first hand. This is just another tool being used to expose society to the injustices. One article that they translated for me, if I recall correctly, was titled “My Brother, My countrymen”. It talked about how sad it is that Egyptian males see how Egyptian women are constantly taunted and yet do nothing about it. It said what if that was your sister would you stand by and do nothing? It should not matter that we are not related, we are the same, I am your Egyptian sister. The girls, writing the piece, said that they should be able to call out to these men, their brothers to help stop this, yet at this time cannot rely on them to help. I remember Heba telling me that this particular article really meant a lot to her. I can understand that, being American, I really do not encounter these problems, yet while being here in Egypt, I have been taunted on the streets and can say that it is a very uncomfortable experience. If this ever happened to me back at home I would hope that someone would step in to help me. This is not to say that America is great and that American men never do this, I am sure that it does occur.
After going over what the NGO is and what it wants to do and the possible way I can help, I was able to sit around with several women roughly around the same age as me and talk about personal things. I found this part of the meeting, even though it was not professional or perhaps planned, very rewarding. I found that these women are just like me. They have the same hopes that I do, the same feelings about life and love that I do. These conversations made me feel like I was really connected to these women, I was not just some foreigner.
At this time I still do not have an exact job description determined by the NGO. My next meeting will include this. I hope to be working with their campaign team.
The New Woman Foundation’s slogan on the front of their brochure states “NO Compromise On Women’s Rights.” The NGO focuses on women’s unconditional rights to freedom and equality in terms of women’s social, political, economic, citizenship and reproductive rights. They believe that woman’s rights are not separate from the struggle of nations and people for freedom and liberation from oppression.
As Heba stated in her post, NWF is an Egyptian feminist non-governmental organization, founded in 1984 but was recognized by the Ministry of Social Affairs in 2004. Their mission is to abolish all forms of discrimination against women in all levels of society. The NWF hopes to obtain this goal through advocacy, action-oriented research and mobilization of women around gender specific issues. Some examples listed in their brochure include:
-Targeting women’s empowerment and self-determination
-Raising social awareness and information dissemination
-Challenging taboos regarding women’s issues and adapting uncompromising positions
-Mainstreaming women’s rights issues on the social and political agendas
The week of my fist meeting, NWF was holding conferences at Hotel Flamingo to raise awareness on the inequality of women. The conferences were both in English and Arabic, and they discussed a wide variety of gender discrimination.
In my meeting, the women working at the NGO told me that their goal is to help women obtain their rights not necessarily do it for them directly. NWF provides the tools and knowledge for women to be able to change the circumstances they face today. They want to help empower and support marginalized women to express themselves and become positive actors in changing their conditions. The objectives of NWF are to play an active role in impacting policies and legislation that have had a negative effect on women in this society. They hope to help change the patriarchal culture that affects the society. A few ways the NWF obtains their objectives is by conducting research, monitoring violations of women’s rights and launching campaigns; organizing seminars (which they were doing two weeks ago), provide training to the community, and promoting involvement of new generations. While at the NGO, the women there gave me several materials that their organization has printed. They were all in Arabic, so unfortunately I could not read it. Yet, several junior New Woman Foundation members write a monthly article. In this booklet, the young women talk about the discrimination they observe and experience first hand. This is just another tool being used to expose society to the injustices. One article that they translated for me, if I recall correctly, was titled “My Brother, My countrymen”. It talked about how sad it is that Egyptian males see how Egyptian women are constantly taunted and yet do nothing about it. It said what if that was your sister would you stand by and do nothing? It should not matter that we are not related, we are the same, I am your Egyptian sister. The girls, writing the piece, said that they should be able to call out to these men, their brothers to help stop this, yet at this time cannot rely on them to help. I remember Heba telling me that this particular article really meant a lot to her. I can understand that, being American, I really do not encounter these problems, yet while being here in Egypt, I have been taunted on the streets and can say that it is a very uncomfortable experience. If this ever happened to me back at home I would hope that someone would step in to help me. This is not to say that America is great and that American men never do this, I am sure that it does occur.
After going over what the NGO is and what it wants to do and the possible way I can help, I was able to sit around with several women roughly around the same age as me and talk about personal things. I found this part of the meeting, even though it was not professional or perhaps planned, very rewarding. I found that these women are just like me. They have the same hopes that I do, the same feelings about life and love that I do. These conversations made me feel like I was really connected to these women, I was not just some foreigner.
At this time I still do not have an exact job description determined by the NGO. My next meeting will include this. I hope to be working with their campaign team.
Heba Serag Eldin
Pols. 310
New Women Foundation’s first Essay
New Women Foundation
NWF:
Is an Egyptian feminist non-governmental organization? Was established in 1984 by a number of women (who were focused on issues of democracy and social justice) as in informal study association. NWF was recently registered as a formal foundation in 2004 by the ministry of social affairs; in accordance with law 84/2002.
Their vision:
They believe that the struggle for women’s liberation is part of a wider struggle for democracy and social justice, it is also a struggle against all forms of discrimination based on gender, class, race, ethnicity, or religion And against all forms of oppressive power relationships on the national, regional, or global levels. NWF also believes in women’s unconditional rights to freedom and equalities, starting of from women’s social and political freedom to women’s citizenship issues and reproductive rights (as an integral part of human rights). Moreover, NWF believes that “the struggle for women cannot be separated from the struggle of nations and people for freedom and liberation from oppression.”
Their objectives:
Play an active role in impacting policies
and legislation, which have a negative
affect on women.
Contribute to changing the predominant
patriarchal culture, which prevails in society.
Empower and support marginalized women, who suffer most from the impact of different policies and prevalent
conservative discourse, in order to express themselves and
become positive actors in changing their conditions.
Help develop women's social, economic, political and
cultural rights. Promote the establishment of democratic practice in
society and the enhancement of a civil society based on the
full participation of marginalized and deprived sectors.
Contribute to the feminist discourse nationally, regionally, and globally from the perspective of the impact of the present conditions on
women's lives.
Activate mechanisms of solidarity among global efforts aiming to
empower women in practicing their rights as means of achieving
social justice in societies that refuse to grant women equality.
One of the biggest campaigns by the NWF was to promote (Cedaw)
(Cedaw) ; Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, is often described as an international bill of rights for women. Consisting of a preamble and 30 articles, it defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination.
This convention defines any kind of discrimination against women, any distinction, exclusion or restriction that are made on the bases of sexual gender. Which has the purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status.
“The Convention defines discrimination against women as "...any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field."
By accepting the Convention, States commit themselves to undertake a series of measures to end discrimination against women in all forms, including:
_To incorporate the principle of equality of men and women in their legal system, abolish all discriminatory laws and adopt appropriate ones prohibiting discrimination against women;
_To establish tribunals and other public institutions to ensure the effective protection of women against discrimination; and
to ensure elimination of all acts of discrimination against women by persons, organizations or enterprises.”
The convention aims to provide women an equal access to equal opportunities in political and public life as men. Moreover, the right to vote, get elected, education, health, and employment.
This is the only human rights treaty that affirms the reproductive rights of women- targeting cultural and traditional issues that mainly give rise to gender inequality. Also affirming women’s rights to acquire, change or retain their nationality and the nationality of their children. Countries that have ratified or acceded to the Convention are legally bound to put its provisions into practice. They are also committed to submit national reports, at least every four years, on measures they have taken to comply with their treaty obligations.
There are about 185 countries and over 90 % of the members of the United Nations are participants of the Cedaw convention.
Egypt signed in 16 July 1980.
Second:
NWF adopts the first lawsuit against sexual harassment.
“On 25/6/2008, 5 p.m, in refaa st. from El Khalifa El Mamon…… Noha – 25 years old – was exposed to rude sexual harassment while walking with her friend in the mentioned street. As a driver dragged her from her breast, then he tried to escape by his car. Yet Noha tried to catch him calling for the help of the walkers and threw herself on his car attempting to stop him by all means. By the help of some walkers, she was able to take the man who harassed her to the police station. Noha refused the driver’s apology and the conciliation attempts to avoid “scandals”, and insisted on writing a minutes and taking her right, which was violated. The minutes (registry) was written and transferred to Misr El Gidida prosecution where the testimonies of both of plaintiff and defendant were taken (minutes’ no. 11652).” Apparently, the police officials didn’t want to take any legal action against the man so in Noha went to the NWF asking them for support and asking them to claim her rights.
The NWF adopted the lawsuit and raised it to the Egyptian judiciary.
My job description is not yet determined by the NGO but it will probably take place in their law office (attending cases in court and writing legal reports).
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