Tag: gender

  • Japan To Allow Male Prisoners To Use Same Skin-care Items As Women

    Japan To Allow Male Prisoners To Use Same Skin-care Items As Women

    Japan’s justice ministry next month will allow male prisoners to have face lotion and hair conditioner, which women inmates may already use, in light of changing gender norms, an official said Wednesday.

    Under previous rules, the in-prison purchase and gift acceptance of the toiletry items were allowed only for female inmates, based on the notion that those items tend to be used by women.

    But the ministry notified prisons nationwide this month that men will be able to obtain those products too under revised rules, a justice ministry official told AFP.

    “It is our view that steps are increasingly being taken in Japanese society towards eliminating unreasonable gender gaps”, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

    “We felt it is necessary to treat prison inmates in a way that would better reflect the changing landscapes of outside society”, the official added.

    The new rules will take effect beginning next month, he said.

    Still, some items will remain off-limits to men, including hair bands and women’s sanitary products, the ministry said, adding shampoo and handkerchiefs have long been accessible regardless of gender.

  • Women’s Health Gap Costs $1 Trillion Worldwide: Report

    Women’s Health Gap Costs $1 Trillion Worldwide: Report

    The huge gap between how women and men’s health are treated costs $1 trillion a year worldwide, the World Economic Forum said on Wednesday.

    Women spend a quarter more of their lives suffering from poor health than men, a disparity that includes an unequal focus on men across medical research, diagnosis and treatment, the report said.

    Closing this gap would boost the global economy by $1 trillion annually by 2040 — a 1.7 percent increase in per capita GDP driven by women, it added.

    The report was released as the WEF hosts its 54th annual conference in Davos, Switzerland.

    The Swiss firm Ferring Pharmaceuticals and McKinsey Health Institute also contributed to the 42-page report.

    Every US dollar invested in women’s health would return three dollars in projected economic growth, the report said.

    A large part of this growth would come from sick women getting back into the workforce.

    The gender health gap causes around 75 million years of life lost due to poor health annually, equating to a week per woman every year, the report said.

    For example, addressing the inequities related to endometriosis and menopause — which only affect women and have long been considered under-studied — could contribute $130 billion to global GDP by 2040, it estimated.

    Research also suggests that fewer than half the women living with endometriosis have been properly diagnosed, the report added.

    The study also looked at how treatment and diagnosis has benefitted men more than women.

    Asthma inhalers, for example, have been found to be significantly less effective for women than men.

    Women are diagnosed later than men for 700 different diseases, previous research has shown. It also takes women two and a half years longer to be diagnosed with cancer.

    WEF healthcare head Shyam Bishen said the analysis demonstrates that “investing in women’s health must be a priority for every country”.

    “Beyond improving women’s quality of life, ensuring women have access to innovations in healthcare is one of the best investments that countries can make for their societies and their economies,” he said in a statement.

    The WEF announced it was launching the Global Alliance for Women’s Health, with $55 million pledged for women’s health.

  • Transgender persons set to contest elections 2024

    Transgender persons set to contest elections 2024

    Nayyab Ali, a transgender person from the federal capital city of Islamabad, and Sobia Khan, a transgender individual from Peshawar, are all set to contest in the upcoming general elections.

    Nayyab Ali, a resident of the federal capital city of Islamabad, has submitted nomination papers to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to contest the upcoming general elections from National Assembly Constituency 47. Nayab is the second transgender individual to submit nomination papers for the 2024 elections so far.

    Nayyab took to X (former Twitter) and worte, “Just arrived at the returning office to submit my nomination papers for NA46 & NA47 as a candidate for the National Assembly. Proud to represent the trans community as the sole candidate thus far. Grateful for the warm welcome from the community!”

    Her supporter were chnting, “Aap ka na Janaab Ka, Vote Hai Nayyab ka.”

    Peshawar native Sobia Khan, has filed nomination papers for a provincial assembly seat in constituency PK-81. The upcoming polls are scheduled to be held on February 8 next year.

    Sobia Khan was also the first transgender person to be elected as a jirga member of the Dispute Resolution Council (DRC) in March 2021.

    Running as an independent candidate, Sobia Khan aims to be a voice for the transgender community, women, and children, advocating for their rights if she secures victory in the elections. With a Bachelor’s degree to her name, Sobia holds the distinction of being the first transgender radio jockey in the province.

    She said that not only her family but also the people of the area are supporting her. Sobia said that she would request NGOs and social welfare to support her election campaign.

    She will also ask the district administration to provide security to her during this time as it has happened for the first time that a transgender is directly participating in the elections.

    Sobia Khan said that she will conduct a door-to-door election campaign in the area and will also meet the women of the area to support her. She also praised Assistant Commissioner Syed Ahsan Ali Shah who encouraged her a lot while submitting nomination papers.

    Sobia Khan said that because there was no separate seat for transgenders, she submitted the papers for the general seat. It should be remembered that Sobia Khan belongs to Peshawar district. She holds a BA and also holds the distinction of being the first transgender broadcaster of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

    The general elections are set for February 8 next year across the country, following the Supreme Court’s directives.

    It is pertinent to mention that in the 2018 elections, Maria, the lone transgender candidate from KP, secured 536 votes as an independent candidate, surpassing the votes of many women candidates.

  • A man is a man and a woman is a woman, says Rishi Sunak

    A man is a man and a woman is a woman, says Rishi Sunak

    Rishi Sunak stated that it was “common sense” that “a man is a man and a woman is a woman.”

    On Wednesday, the British Prime Minister shared his stance on gender identity at a conference speech.

    “We shouldn’t be bullied into believing that people can be any sex they want to be, they can’t. A man is a man, a woman is a woman, that’s just common sense.”

    He announced a ban on trans women from female-only hospital wards.

    He also added that it “shouldn’t be controversial” for parents to be informed what their children were being taught about sex and relationships at school.

    “It shouldn’t be controversial for parents to know what their children are being taught in school about relationships. Patients should know when hospitals are talking about men or women.”

    He laid emphasis on family, saying that Conservatives should “never be afraid” to advocate its importance for a stable society.

    His comments come about as the debate about trans rights gains steam in Britain, and the rest of the western world. Conservatives and liberals have squared off about trans issues, most notably allowing children to begin hormone therapy, the inclusion of biological men in women’s sports and the matter of allowing trans women to be kept in women’s hospital wards, jails and bathrooms.

    The crowd responded to him with a loud applause on his views over gender, whereas people on X (formerly Twitter) got divided on his stance.

  • NADRA resumes registration of transgenders

    NADRA resumes registration of transgenders

    The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has resumed the process of registration of transgenders after almost three months.

    NADRA stopped the issuance of X ID cards after the decision of the Federal Sharia Court against various provisions of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018 in May this year.

    History
    The National Assembly passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Right) Act in 2018, giving all legal rights and recognition to transgender persons, penalising any form of discrimination against them.

    However, in September 2022, the Federal Sharia Court took up petitions challenging the law which had Jamaat-i-Islami’s Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, TV anchor Orya Maqbool Jan, and transgender persons Almaas Boby and Bubbly Malik as party to the petition.

    In May this year, the Federal Sharia Court struck down all provisions in the Amendment Bill 2022 that they said conflicted with Islam and the Constitution in May, declaring Section 2N(3), Section 2F, Sections 3 (recognition of identity of transgender person) and 7 (right to inherit) of the Transgender Act to be unconstitutional.

    But lawyers, civil society and human rights activists insisted on its restoration.

    In July this year, Farhatullah Babar challenged the decision of the Sharia Court in the Sharia Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court.

  • More than five women killed every hour by someone in their family: UN

    More than five women killed every hour by someone in their family: UN

    More than five women or girls were killed every hour by someone in their own family in 2021, it was revealed in a United Nations (UN) and UNODC report on femicide released on Nov 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

    Of all the women and girls intentionally killed last year, some 56 per cent were killed by intimate partners or other family members (45,000 out of 81,000)*. The data suggests that the home is not a safe place for women.

    UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous said: “Behind every femicide statistic is the story of an individual woman or girl who has been failed. These deaths are preventable—the tools and the knowledge to do so already exist. Women’s rights organizations are already monitoring data and advocating for policy change and accountability. Now we need concerted action across society that will fulfill women’s and girls’ right to feel and to be safe, at home, on the streets, and everywhere.”

    UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly said: “No woman or girl should fear for her life because of who she is. To stop all forms of gender-related killings of women and girls, we need to count every victim, everywhere, and improve understanding of the risks and drivers of femicide so we can design better and more effective prevention and criminal justice responses. UNODC is proud to launch the 2022 femicide study with UN Women to galvanize global action and salute the efforts of women’s rights organizations around the world to end this crime.”

  • Javed Hussain becomes first Pakistani to receive Gender Just Climate Solution Award’

    Javed Hussain becomes first Pakistani to receive Gender Just Climate Solution Award’

    The “Gender Just Climate Solution Award” was given to environmentalist Javed Hussain at the COP27 climate conference in Egypt, making him the first Pakistani recipient of the honour, Sameer Mandhro reports for Express Tribune.

    The title of Hussain’s project was, “Advancing the labor rights of women cotton pickers in Pakistan”.

    The Hala-born environmentalist has actively worked on the issue of how climate change affects women who harvest cotton in Mitiari and other areas of Sindh province, one of the most flood-prone districts in the province.

    Three awards were given out on Monday during an event that saw a total of 259 organisations from 119 nations, including Pakistan, submit their applications.

    According to a press release from the United Nations-affiliated group Women Engage for Common Future’s Women and Gender Constituency, SCF use a feminist participatory action research methodology to serve the needs of female agricultural workers.

  • VIDEO: Promo of re-recorded national anthem of Pakistan

    VIDEO: Promo of re-recorded national anthem of Pakistan

    To mark the 75th anniversary of the Independence of Pakistan, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif will unveil the re-recorded national anthem on August 14 at the national flag hoisting ceremony.

    A promo of the re-recorded national anthem has been released.

    “Official release of the re-recorded National Anthem on 14th August 2022 by the Prime Minister of Pakistan. First time the National Anthem has been re-recorded since the original release in 1954,” tweeted the official account of Government of Pakistan.

    Formed in June 2021, and further mandated by the present Government in April 2022, the Steering Committee has endeavoured to create a re-recording of the original national anthem that reflects updated inclusivity in voices and expression while ensuring the sanctity of the original words and the musical composition.

    Happy that project started under my special instructions is now complete: Fawad Chaudhry

    Former Information Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry tweeted on August 6 that he is very happy that this project, which was initiated by the Ministry of Information under his special instructions, has been completed.

    National anthem of Pakistan

    The stirring, powerful musical score by Ahmed Ghulam Ali Chagla was formally approved in 1949 by then-Prime Minister Quaid-e-Millat, Liaquat Ali Khan. However, the beautiful, inspiring words, as written later by Abu Al-Asar Hafeez Jalandhari were formally approved and then recorded with the music in 1954. That first recording featured a limited number of voices and used the modest technical facilities available at that time. In the succeeding 68 years, there have been major developments in music technology as also the emergence of diverse musical talent across the country.

    In planning to produce new vocal and instrumental versions of the unchanged original words and composition, the Steering Committee applied an all-inclusive, gender-balanced approach and enlisted vocalists from diverse regional, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, from all religious faiths and musical genres. 48 musicians from the army, air force and navy bands skilfully played the musical instruments.

    Re-recording of national anthem

    The re-recording in 2022 becomes an occasion to celebrate the rich diversity of the nation and reflect the unique national identity and solidarity of the people of Pakistan.

    A choir comprising of 30 vocalists rehearsed at the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) in Karachi for several weeks, and in June 2022, 125 vocalists representing all provinces, regions and faiths were invited to participate in rehearsals and recordings in Islamabad. These artists were selected after the publication of public notices in leading newspapers inviting expressions of interest resulting in an online registration process. Prior to the recording, all the selected 155 vocalists, including well-known artists, were mentored and rehearsed, and an artist kit was shared with them. This contained lyrics, translations and pronunciation guides. It was imperative that the Re-recording of the National Anthem of Pakistan was rendered correctly while maintaining its historic sanctity and rich legacy. State-of-the-art digital technology was used to record multiple tracks and to complete the mixing and fusion to create clear, distinct, powerful vocal and instrumental versions. A colourful, kaleidoscopic video featuring the new version has also been produced by Num Films.

    Steering Committee of the Re-Recording of the National Anthem of Pakistan

    The Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Re-Recording of the National Anthem of Pakistan is Senator (r) Javed Jabbar. The 16 members comprise of 10 persons who served on a voluntary basis and 5 senior civil officials and one senior military official. The Secretary of Information Ministry is also a member. The audio sub-committee includes Arshad Mahmud, Brigadier Imran Naqvi (ISPR), Rohail Hyatt, Talha Ali Khushwaha, Ustad Nafees Ahmed, Layaqzada Layaq and Dr. Zulfiqar Qureishi. The video sub-committee’s convenor is Satish Anand.

    Choir and vocalists

    Abdullah Qureshi, Abid Brohi, Abid Wilson, Adil Baloch, Ahmad Gul, Ahmed Jahanzeb, Ahsan Ali, Aizaz Sohail, Akbar Ali, Akbar Ali Khan, Akhtar Chanaal, Ali Hamdani, Ali Hamza, Alycia Dias, Amanullah Nasar, Anamta Saleem Sabri (Sabri Sisters), Aqdas Asif, Arif Khan, Arif Lohar, Arqam Khan, Asfar Hussain, Asim Baloch, Bakhtiar Khattak, Bilal Ali, Bilal Asvad, Bilal Saeed, Bisma Abdullah, Dr. Essa Kakar, Essa Khajjak, Fakhir Mehmood, Fariha Pervez, Fozia Yasmeen (Manwa Sisters), Goher Mumtaz, Haider Ali, Hamayoon Khan, Hamza Tanveer, Haroon Shahid, Humaira Javed, Hussain Baksh, Iman Shahid, Irfan Ali Taj, Irfan Khan, Islam Habib, Jabar Abbas, Jana Nazareth, Jasim Haider, Jia Nauman, Junaid Javed, Karan Khan, Kashif Din, Kashif Zafar, Kehkashan Khan, Khalid Jahangir, Khurram Iqbal, Laila Khan, Lucky Khan, Maham Waqar, Maria Unera, Mehak Ali, Moez Mohamand, Naseer Afridi, Nasir Butt, Natasha Humera Ejaz, Nauman Lasharie, Niaz Balti, Nida Irtiza, Nimra Gilani, Nimra Rafiq, Nirmal Roy, Nirmala Maghani, Noman Asmet, Quaid Ahmed, Rabia Nazar, Rachel Johnson, Rafia Ali, Rahim Khan, Raisa Raisani, Rameez Mukhtar, Razia Abrar, Rizwan Anwar, Saba Noreen (Manwa Sisters), Sadiq Hussain, Sahir Ali Bagga, Sajjad Gohar, Salman Paras, Saman Areej (Sabri Sisters), Sana Tajik, Sanwal Esakhelvi, Sardar Amar, Sehar Gul Khan, Shahab Hussain, Shahmir Quidwai, Shaina Johnson, Shamu Bai, Shaukat Faqeer, Sherry Raza, Shuja Haider, Sibtain Khalid, Sidra Kanwal, Sitara Younas, Sumraan Shafique, Sunny Sam, Tahir Feroz, Taj Mastani, Tehmina Tariq (Gospel Singer), Tina Sani, Umair Jaswal, Urooj Fatima, Usman Withd, Vishnu, Wajahat Aalmi, Wajiha Naqvi, Wali Ullah Farooqi, Yamsa Noor, Yashwa Ayub, Yasir Khan Milzai, Zara Madani, Zarish Kaleem, Zeb Bangash, Zeek Afridi, Zeeshan Ali, Zille Huma (Manwa Sisters), Zoha Zuberi, Zohaib Zaman, and Zubin Ernest (Gospel Singer).

    Artists from the National Academy of Performing Arts

    Ahsan Sheikh, Aleeza Fatima, Angeli Sarfraz, Christina Nayamat, Cynthia Rose, Elisha William, Fahad Maqsood, Hassan Mirza, Hiba Asim, Julian Qaiser, Khadeeja Imtiaz, Komal Soomro, Mahnoor Sahar, Muhammad Khizar Rizvi, Muhammad Minaam, Myron Jasper, Nasfa Nizar, Natasha Sharif, Neha Fahim Khan, Nigel, Obaid Ahmed Siddique, Rimsha Masud Qureshi, Sajar Nafees, Sameer Hamza, Simal Nafees, Syed Rizwan Mehdi, Tabita J Nasim, Usama Anwer, Yashwa John, and Zeeshan Zafar.

    Official National Anthem Re-Recording Project links: