http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=75318&d=27&m=12&y=2005
Tuesday, 27, December, 2005 (26, Dhul Qa`dah, 1426)
Changing the Hostile Mentality Toward Women
Samar Fatany, Arab News
The United Nations Development Program recently came under some attack
for organizing a three-day forum entitled "Women and Millennium Development
Goals" in Riyadh. Princess Adila bint Abdullah opened the forum which included
150 Saudi women from such professions as educationists, social workers, medical
experts, economists and media representatives. The meeting was an excellent
opportunity for women to discuss their concerns and to highlight their future
roles in building our nation. There were those, however, who were very negative
with criticisms leveled against participants for representing only the
privileged liberal group as opposed to the normal moderate professional women.
This is a very narrow-minded approach to a meeting that should be of
benefit to all women everywhere in the Kingdom. The organizers were also
targeted for allegedly attempting to erode our Islamic values and corrupting
women by advocating the goals set out in the Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The fact that Saudi Arabia
was among the 100 countries that signed this international document in
September 2000 made no difference to those who orchestrated the campaign
against the conference.
According to newspaper reports and some Internet sites, the reason behind
the resentment was the publication of four articles in particular which
appeared in the official CEDAW document and which are counter to our religious
beliefs. At the same time, it is well-known that Saudi Arabia as well as other
Muslim countries announced their reservations earlier and made it clear that
they would not make changes in line with the four articles. In addition, Dr.
Suhaila Zain Al-Abideen, a member of the National Society for Human Rights, who
attended the forum, also reiterated Saudi Arabia's reservations at the
beginning of the UNDP forum. She also called upon the UN to advocate the
protection of human rights of Palestinian women and Iraqi children. Her
presence and her actions were a civilized way of making a statement which was
much appreciated by all the participants. She did not omit to thank the
organizers for their initiative and she participated in the workshops aimed at
giving women the opportunity to voice their concerns and come up with
recommendations to help them succeed as citizens contributing to the nation's
development.
It is so unfortunate that the critics have failed to see the UNDP
initiative in the proper perspective. This was a highly professional meeting at
which the empowerment of Saudi women was addressed. It was also an attempt to
formulate recommendations for policy-makers in order to support the role of
women and remove the obstacles that stand in their way.
Hanan Al-Ahmadi, an associate professor at the Institute of Public
Administration, gave a presentation concerning women and leadership. She
described the negative effects on society when men make decisions on behalf of
women who are some 50 percent of the population. She called for more power to
be granted to women in order to give them the right to decide on matters that
concern them. The problem, she said, was that women did not have the means to
make their voices heard, especially when they are included in the
decision-making process.
One of the most alarming discussions during the meeting dealt with 1,500
cases of domestic violence that have been reported by the National Society for
Human Rights. The discussions were very transparent and offered solutions to
many of the problems which women face today. The discussions exposed inadequate
courts and incompetent judges who stand in the way of protecting women against
abuse and discrimination.
Jowhara Al-Angary, another member of the National Society for Human
Rights, who moderated a session on violence against women, told the audience
that there were many cases of abuse that cry out for an immediate change in the
laws governing the rights of women. She stressed the need for a codified
judicial system, in order to protect women from being abused.
It is rather ironic that the so-called guardians of morality see no
reason to be alarmed and fail to use aggressive language in the media or on the
Internet when they hear of cases of fathers who sexually abuse their daughters
and are then given light sentences, or when molested daughters are forced to go
back to live in the very environment which led to the abuse in the first place.
It would have been more appropriate for those who oppose initiatives of
prominent professional women in our society to direct their attacks against
those who abuse women and deprive them of their basic human rights whether by
turning a blind eye to injustices or by actually committing criminal abuse
against helpless women. The opponents overlook such blatant violations, yet
they become very vocal in targeting UNDP initiatives to address the abuse
against all women.
The media are responsible for raising the level of awareness among our
citizens. The public should recognize that any initiative made for the welfare
of our society deserves to be welcomed, regardless of who is included and who
is not. What we all should aspire to is the protection of the rights of all
citizens in this country, both male and female. Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques King Abdullah has given directives for the removal of all obstacles
standing in the way of women and he has said that discrimination against women
will no longer be tolerated.
The Saudi media have an important role to play in changing the hostile
mentality toward women and shaping a positive public opinion toward new
initiatives for progress and development. There are concerted efforts by
responsible Saudis, and governmental and non-governmental institutions and
organizations, to alter the stereotypes of Saudi women and Saudi society
abroad. Unfortunately those who do not want to correct mistaken images work
against our gaining self-respect among other nations by opposing any
improvements and resisting any changes for the better. They want to keep the
Kingdom isolated from the rest of the civilized world and, at the same time,
they are ignorant of the art of dialogue and communication. This is evident
when we see the verbal attacks in the media and the Internet against any
foreign initiative that they deem "un-Islamic." There is no denying that there
are many concerns and issues related to our national security and unjust
policies imposed on Arab and Muslim states, but we need to learn to deal with
them in a professional manner if we want to be taken seriously and have an
influence on solutions.
Reformers will not succeed and our country will not develop without
changing the extremist mentality and negative attitudes toward the other. The
media should be utilized as an educational tool which can provide guidance and
direction to our confused youth who too often receive mixed signals about what
is "haraam" (wrong) or what is "halal" (right).
Journalists, columnists and educators have a responsibility to raise the
level of awareness among citizens who have been brainwashed for so long and
pushed into adopting a rigid and inflexible attitude; part of the problem is
that exaggerated suspicions and condemnation are exhibited toward anything that
is foreign - since, if it is foreign, it must be wrong. Citizens must also
learn to acknowledge the diversity of different nations and other cultures so
that we can receive our share of respect as well. It is essential for the media
to educate the public on how to engage with the international community,
politically, economically, and culturally. Disrespect for international
conventions and disregard for world public opinion will surely have a negative
impact on our global standing, and hinder the government's efforts to play a
more prominent role around the globe.
- Samar Fatany is a radio journalist based in Jeddah.
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