Since time immemorial, women have played a pivotal role in bringing advancement to their various societies. From Joan of Arch to Indira Ghandi, we have seen how far reaching the exploits of a focused and positively ambitious woman can be. On my home page, there is a slide of all the women that inspire me and Susan Brownell Anthony on the left is one of them. A nineteenth century human rights crusader who was the forefront of the women rights movement, she played a role in the emergence of women suffrage in the United States which set the stage for women activism all over the globe. I am inspired by the tireless efforts of such women and this feature page will celebrate today's woman who like Susan B. Anthony, Queen Amina of Zazzau, Indira Ghandi, and Maya Angelou have inspired the world. I will be celebrating the achievements of gender rights activists, feminists and women who have contributed in no small way to the advancement of women all over the world. I will also be showcasing young women all over the world who are toeing in the line of these great women. Stay tuned.
God bless,
Umari
Feature of the month
Tawakel Karman
At thirty two, Tawakel is the first Arab woman, second Muslim and the youngest Nobel Peace Laureate in the history of the award. Tawakel is a politician and senior member of the of Al-Islah political party, an opposition party in her home country of Yemen. Also a human rights activist who heads the group Women Journalists Without Chains which she co-founded with seven other women journalists in 2005. Tawakel gained prominence in her country after 2005 in her roles as a Yemeni journalist and an advocate for a mobile phone news service denied a license in 2007, after which she led protests for press freedom.
She organized weekly protests after May 2007 expanding the issues for reform.She redirected the Yemini protests to support the "Jasmine Revolution," as she calls the Arab Spring, after the Tunisian people overthrew the government of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011. She has been a vocal opponent who has called for the end of President Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime.
A bold advocate for women's rights, she has called attention to the high illiteracy rate which affects two thirds of Yemeni women. She has also advocated for laws that would prevent females younger than 17 from being married. In 2010, she told the Yemeni Times that "Women should stop being or feeling that they are part of the problem and become part of the solution. We have been marginalized for a long time, and now is the time for women to stand up and become active without needing to ask for permission or acceptance. This is the only way we will give back to our society and allow for Yemen to reach the great potentials it has."
Tawakel Karman is at the forefront of the battle against the Saleh led government in Yemen. A truly inspiring woman.
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