Amazons Watch Magazine
Category

Happenings

Category
Happenings

WiSER Calls on Women to be Drivers of Innovation

Leaders from government, business and academia recently convened in Abu Dhabi for the annual Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy, WiSER, conference under the theme ‘Practical steps towards sustainable innovation.’ The event was organised by Masdar in partnership with the Zayed Future Energy Prize. The conference, a key event at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, sought to discuss the collaborative role that governments and businesses can play in fostering sustainable innovation, and the critical importance of including women in this dialogue. Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany, WiSER Programme Director, Executive Director of Sustainability and Brand at Masdar, and Director of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, said: “At WiSER, we seek to ensure that women are the drivers of change for a sustainable future, enabling them to positively impact innovation and breakthroughs in policy, technology and business. Today’s event helps us understand the way forward to achieving this goal.” “With greater mentoring and…

Keep Reading
By
Happenings

Air India to Reserve 6 Seats for Women on Domestic Flights

In a first-of-its-kind move in the aviation industry, national carrier Air India will reserve six seats for women on its flights operating on domestic routes from next week. The move aimed at ameliorating the plight of women who suffer several inconveniences while traveling from one location to the other is a welcome idea which other transport systems are urged to consider. According to Air India Spokesperson, at times, a woman traveling alone gets a middle or window seat on the aircraft, which puts her to inconvenience, particularly while going to the washroom. This necessitated the airline to keep some seats reserved for them on aircraft flying on domestic routes. Keeping this in mind, it has been decided to keep all the six seats in the third row of the economy class on Airbus A320 reserved only for women from January 18, he said. “However, woman travelling with their family members…

Keep Reading
By
Happenings

Trump Nominee for Defense Secretary Says He Won’t Oppose Women Serving in Combat

By: Paul D. Shinkman Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Defense Department, indicated Thursday he would not oppose women serving in combat positions, among the greatest social changes to the armed forces imposed under President Barack Obama’s administration. In response to a question from Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., Mattis emphasized that no training standards should be changed for female troops. “The standards are the standards, and when people meet the standard, that’s the end of the discussion about that,” Mattis said during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Mattis, who retired in 2013 after more than 40 years of service, had previously indicated he disagreed with Obama’s decision to open up all combat jobs to women, citing concerns that included male-and-female relationships. Politico reported the issue would be a point of scrutiny for congressional Democrats considering both Mattis’ confirmation and a…

Keep Reading
By
Happenings

Egyptian Parliament Introduces Tougher Penalties for Sexual Harassment

In a bid to deter sexual harassment, an Egyptian parliamentary committee has approved a much-needed draft bill to toughen the laws on sexual harassment offenders – who may now face a one-year jail term and up to 10,000 LE in fines. According to Al Ahram, Suzy Nashed, a committee member, submitted the amendments to increase the jail term from six months to one year, and increase the fines by up to 10,000 LE. If the attacker were to repeat the offence, the penalties would be doubled. The bill has defined harassment as verbal or non-verbal act, carried out in private or public areas, that convey sexual or pornographic innuendo. A study released in 2013 by the United Nations found that 99.3% of women surveyed in Egypt were victims of sexual harassment – a behaviour that was not criminalised until 2014. Also agreed upon was the enforcement of tougher penalties on…

Keep Reading
By
Happenings

Kenya: Women Target Senior Leadership Positions in 2017

By: Anita Chepkoech and Angela Oketch More Kenyan women are throwing their hats in the ring for political positions in the western and southern parts of the country, in what is expected to be one of the most competitive elections in recent history. The women aspirants, who are mainly professionals, say they are ready to brave the high-octane political season often characterized by hooliganism and mudslinging. According to those who spoke to the Nation, they will be banking on their track records, professionalism and strong leadership skills to trounce their opponents. Those running for governorship include political activist Atieno Otieno (Kisumu), Kakamega businesswoman Mabel Muruli, and Ms. Anne Anyanga (Migori). Other women running for the top county seats include, Sotik MP Joyce Laboso (Bomet) and Kisumu Deputy Governor Ruth Odinga. Dr. Rose Kisia, the Kisumu County Executive for Tourism, will lock horns with Nyando MP Fred Outa in the fight…

Keep Reading
By
Happenings

Chile: Isabel Allende to Run for President in 2017

By: Tihomir Gligorevic Isabel Allende Bussi, the first female leader in the 83-year history of the Socialist Party of Chile (PS) and daughter of famed former leader Salvador Allende, has said that she will present herself as a candidate on behalf of her party in the 2017 presidential election. The 71-year-old Santiago native announced her intention to campaign for the presidency to colleagues at the general council of her party just days before the 43rd anniversary of her father’s death in the Moneda, the Chilean seat of power. “I have explicitly stated my desire to be the presidential candidate and I pointed out the need for broad citizen participation in determining the leadership of the New Majority,” Allende Bussi said in reference to her future plans and the center-left’s political alliance. In addition to Allende Bussi, several other individuals have voiced their intentions for candidacy. Ricardo Lagos of the center-left…

Keep Reading
By
Happenings

Why Women Could Be the Key to Uber’s Success in Argentina

Uber may get a bad rap in the US and in most of the world when it comes to drivers sexually assaulting women, but in Argentina the ride-sharing app may help decrease the country’s sky-high rate of cab-side sexual harassment and violence. On average, 99 cases of sexual assault perpetrated by taxi drivers are reported to police every month in the Greater Buenos Aires Area, Javier Miglino, a lawyer and founder of NGO Let’s Defend Buenos Aires (Defendamos Buenos Aires), told Motherboard. “That can range from ‘simple’ sexual assault, meaning kissing or touching someone against their will, to rape,” Miglino said. He claims there’s been an “exponential” increase in reports over the last 10 years, but that could just be indicative of women feeling more comfortable speaking up. 80 percent of reported attacks take place on the weekends, he said, “typically to girls who’ve gone out dancing and hail cabs…

Keep Reading
By