Diplomats in Iraq are voicing concern over the rise in domestic abuse after self-isolation measures were put in place to stop the transmission of coronavirus. Since the US-led invasion in 2003, women’s rights groups in Iraq have campaigned for a legislation on domestic violence. The Iraqi constitution expressly prohibits “all forms of violence and abuse in the family” although the country’s laws allow husbands to “discipline” their wives. Human rights groups in Iraq reported a surge in abuse killings and rape since the lockdown was imposed last month. The case of Malak Al Zubadi, 20, who was allegedly set on fire and abused by her husband, a police officer in Najaf, has this week brought to light the necessity for a law criminalising domestic violence. “We are very sad about the case of Malak Al Zubaidi and hope the investigation is concluded as quickly as possible,” tweeted Stephen Hickey, the…

The first women’s professional golf event to be staged in Saudi Arabia has been rescheduled for Oct. 8-11 after it was postponed last month due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizers have confirmed. The Saudi Ladies International, which is part of the Ladies European Tour (LET), will be hosted at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club with a purse of $1 million, and is the first of its kind to be held in the kingdom. “We have been extremely impressed by Golf Saudi’s commitment to working through the challenges and making this historic event happen,” Alexandra Armas, LET CEO, said in a statement on Tuesday. The tour has been on hold since the South African Women’s Open finished on March 14, with the next scheduled event the Jabra Ladies Open at the Evian Resort Golf Club in France from June 18-20. The Jakarta Post

Saudi Arabian women continue to make up an increasing part of the Kingdom’s workforce, with participation growing 2.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2019 to 26 percent, according to official data. Overall unemployment among Saudi Arabians remained unchanged throughout in the quarter at 12 percent. Unemployment had fallen in the third quarter to 12 percent from 12.9 percent in the second, according to official data released Monday by the Kingdom’s General Authority of Statistics (GASTAT). The unemployment rate among Saudi Arabia’s total population stood at 5.7 percent. Around one-third of residents in the Kingdom are non-Saudis. These numbers will likely take a hit in 2020 as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic causes severe economic shocks around the world. Governments have imposed lockdowns and shut businesses, with Saudi Arabia putting a 24-hour curfew in place for its major cities. Economic participation among Saudis, a goal of the Kingdom’s ambitious Vision 2030…