"In Egypt, a viral video of a teacher belly-dancing has sparked a national debate about women's rights and the country's socially conservative values."
Al Jazeera, Afghanistan’s girls learn, code ‘underground’ amid Taliban curbs "Fereshteh Forough, the CEO and founder of Code to Inspire (CTI) – Afghanistan’s first all-female coding academy – created encrypted virtual classrooms, uploaded course content online, and gave laptops and internet packages to about ...
"“Iranians are now confused about how to identify themselves: with Iranian nationalism? Shiism? Tradition? Or their desire for western lifestyle?” said one sociopolitical analyst. “Who ...
On TOLO News, a spokesperson comments on an approach towards women in politics in Afghanistan. This is counter to the discussions heard a few weeks ago:
A Taliban spokesman on @TOLOnews: "A woman can't be a minister, ...
""We didn't kill you in Somalia and now you have freedom in the UK, but we will silence you on Facebook" - this warning was given to a UK-based Somalia-born women's rights activist."
Brilliant. A must read. "More than seventy per cent of Afghans do not live in cities. In rural areas, life under the U.S.-led coalition and its Afghan allies became pure hazard; even ...
Collected links on the situation in Afghanistan, with a subtext on social media and internet concerns, are below. As always, posting does not necessarily mean endorsement. In line with the central area of my research, my focus is on internet use in relation to this situation (I'm not an Afghanistan expert). Please be patient with accessing this page, ...
"A recent article on the Taliban’s website says it seeks women’s rights as understood by Islam. However, the group’s interpretation of Islam is questioned ...
"Tuwaiq Academy, which was included in Apple’s Authorized Training Center for Education (AATCE) program last November, said on its website that the program was open to all females, regardless of coding knowledge or ...
Important conversation in the first hour of BBC Five Live's Naga Munchetty programme today on social media, cultural-religious sensitivities, gender and 'honour' issues in communities. A powerful discussion.
"Women like Alma aren't just missing Taraweeh prayers, an optional prayer at night held only during Ramadan, many are unable to worship at all in their mosque, including Friday prayers." Digital dimensions ...
"An Egyptian court Sunday sentenced a man to eight years in prison for sexually harassing three minors and drug possession, in a case that sparked outrage on social ...
"Rumours about Ms Elselehdar's role on the Ever Given were largely spurred by screenshots of a fake news headline - supposedly published by Arab News - which said she was involved in the Suez incident."
"Search engine giant Google celebrated on Saturday the life of Tawhida Ben Cheikh, the first woman credited to practice medicine in North Africa, with one of its iconic doodles."
"The pioneering Egyptian doctor, feminist and writer spent decades sharing her own story and perspectives - in her novels, essays, autobiographies and eagerly attended talks." Nawal El Saadawi ...
"Now 18, Somaya is the leader of the Afghan Girls Robotics Team – also known as the “Afghan Dreamers”, a name they gave themselves. All five girls in the ...
There's a social media dimension to this case: "An Egyptian court on Sunday acquitted actress Rania Youssef of indecent behaviour in public, corruption, ...
"According to the Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights `(ECWR), the problem is particularly common for women under 40. Dubbing it a form of "guardianship ...
I'm in catch-up mode with RestofWorld, as this came out last year. "...Hawaya’s strategy is to embed Muslim cultural values into its design. Its minimum age was raised from 18 to 21, to ensure that people were serious about marriage. ...
#worldhijabday is ongoing, so it's interesting to track responses to this theme from diverse locations. Expect opinions for and against online, and some old tropes being wheeled out for argumentation purposes. This is always a 'popular' subject for student ...
"Al-Hathloul, a prominent women’s rights activist, was arrested along with about a dozen other female activists in May 2018, just weeks before Saudi ...
I've been writing (again) about online recitation of the Qur'an by women. I first wrote about this in 'Virtually Islamic' (still a cassette era), published some 20 years ago, and have continued to write about it elsewhere. I am building up a good playlist, finding new and wonderful content alongside some established favourites. It's a work in progress. ...