Posted on 12/07/2006 9:36:28 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Discrimination against women is holding back economic and social development across the Arab World, a report by the UN's development agency says. Arab women must be given greater access to education, employment, health care and public life, the report says.
The Arab Human Development Report is an annual overview compiled by Arab academics and experts in the field. Islam is not to blame for the problem, the report says, but rather political inflexibility, male domination and war. Disadvantaged The BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva says the Unite Nations Development Programme's report, entitled Towards the Rise of Women in the Arab World, reveals deep-seated discrimination against women across the region. Maternal mortality rates remain unacceptably high and women suffer more overall ill-health than men.
The rise of women is in fact a prerequisite for an Arab renaissance
Maternal mortality rates average 270 per 100,000 live births, but this rises to 1,000 in the Arab League's poorest countries. In all but four Arab countries, fewer than 80% of girls go to secondary school. Half of all women are illiterate compared to one-third of men.
But there are exceptions. In Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, more girls go to school than boys. And across the region, girls appear to make up more than half the top-scoring pupils, despite the disadvantages they face. "Arab countries stand to reap extraordinary benefits from giving men and women equal opportunities to acquire and utilise knowledge," the report says. Masculine culture In public life, though, women's involvement is very limited: they make up an average of only about 10% of members of parliament, for example - the lowest proportion in the world. The Arab experts and academics writing this, the fourth, annual AHDR suggest that some Islamic law should be re-examined to reflect modern Arab societies. The authors also challenge the belief, often heard in the West, that Islam is the main reason for discrimination. Instead they say a deep-seated masculine culture, conservative and inflexible political forces, conflict and, in some cases, foreign occupation are to blame.
"The rise of women is in fact a prerequisite for an Arab renaissance," the report concludes. "At a time when the Arab world needs to build and tap the capabilities of all its peoples, fully half its human potential is often stifled or neglected." The solution should lie in short-term affirmative action to expand women's participation and longer term, sustained collective action that would benefit of the whole region.
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Discrimination against women is holding back economic and social development across the Arab World, a report by the UN's development agency says.This required a study?
UN urges freedoms for Arab women?
This has got to be the funniest thing I have heard today.
Does this mean UN workers are going to rape women along with little girls? Is that their idea of freedoms or equality?
"Islam is not to blame for the problem, the report says, but rather political inflexibility, male domination and war."
That would be like being in a room with an elephant and a big pile of elephant sh*t and saying, "The elephant is not to blame for the pile of sh*t."
If war is the problem, then how come women in the United States, which is at war, are doing fine?
Unfortunately for Arab women, Arab men seem to have no interest in such a 'renaissance'---often resisting such efforts with barbaric violence.
Sharia Law --- coming soon to a country near you !!!
It's a real shame that the U.N gets paid for this crap! They "Urge"? Gee, yeah I'm sure their urgings mean a whole lot to people that laugh in their faces! Glad we're wasting money paying these cretons http://sacredscoop.com
Oh goody!
Maybe this will get an EXPLOSIVE reply from the islamo-whackos
UN urges poor people to improve their finances.
The UN has never been interested in 'freedom' for anyone.
The only reason this report was issued is because the UN itself is feminine to its core.
"Glad were wasting money paying these cretons."
I happen to like cretons!
In Québécois cuisine, Cretons (always plural) are a meat spread. It is made of ground pork, onions and spices. Due to its fatty texture and taste, it resembles French rillettes. Cretons are usually served on toast, as part of a traditional Québécois breakfast.
8)
Well, I'm glad that issue is finally settled.
"political inflexibility, male domination and war." = ISLAM
"Islam is not to blame for the problem, the report says, but rather political inflexibility, male domination and war."
Lets hope this is the dumbest thing we read today. As if Islam is not DIRECTLY responsible for political inflexibility, male domination and war. Good grief.
If Arab men allow a majority of their woman any real freedom and those woman became literate, most Arab men would quickly be exposed for what they are: inflexible, control freaks who would rather wage war and blame anyone or anything for their considerable short comings, aka: followers of Islam.
Well I'm glad the U.N. is on the case. Things should start happening now ...
Gee, a little late to the party, aren't they?
Well I've always found the UN to be wrong. So I say lock the gals up.
lol nothing like a full on post to point out a spelling mistake lol- got me :)
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