Nirmal
Let’s look briefly at the happenings of the week. What Yogi Adityanath has to say about Hijab row, women getting opportunities all over the world and many more in this week’s top stories concerning women.
1. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath commented amid raging Hijab row
In an interview, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, when asked if Muslim women want to wear hijab at their choice, Yogi said, “No girl wears a hijab by choice. None of the Muslim women had complained earlier about triple talaq as well, but I have seen their pain, the tears in their eyes, and the agony in the eyes of their parents and family.”
Adityanath also said that he doesn’t have any particular dress code for his staff in the office. He said, “I didn’t force my sartorial choice on any official. Can I ask everyone at my office to wear bhagua (saffron)? Can I say this to everyone at my party? I can’t. Everyone should have freedom and if there’s an institution, there should be a discipline in that institution.”
2. Kuwait army allows women in combat roles, but without guns
The good news is that the Kuwait army has finally decided to allow women in combat rules but without guns which is drawing criticism of Kuwait women. It was decided that they will need the permission of a male guardian and hence are banned from carrying weapons. Kuwait which is usually regarded as one of the most open societies in the Gulf is facing online backlash since the decision.
Ghadeer al-Khashti, a sports teacher and member of Kuwait Football Association’s women committee, told AFP, “I don’t know why there are these restrictions to join the army, we have all kinds of women working in all fields, including the police force.”
3. Mithali Raj maintained the number 2 spot in ICC ODI women’s ranking
Indian skipper Mithali Raj maintained her second spot in the ICC women’s ODI player rankings after the series-opener. Amy Satterthwaite moved to number three, who scored 63 runs in 67 balls and was involved in an important 98 run third-wicket partnership with opener Suzie Bates.
Mithali made 59 off 73 balls in the first ODI of the five-match series in Queenstown. Mithali Raj is now at second with 744 points in the list behind Australian opener Alyssa Healy with 749 points in the list.
4. Recruitment of female train drivers: Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has opened more opportunities for women. A job advertisement to recruit 30 female train drivers attracted 28,000 applicants with pent-up demand.
Renfe said, “it had culled the list through online assessment of academic background and English language skills as it seeks to recruit new operators for its service.”
However, women in Saudi Arabia weren’t allowed to drive cars until 2018. The train operator informed that selected applicants will drive express trains between the cities of Makkah and Madinah after a year of paid training.
5. Women SHG’s to make organic gulal
The Chhattisgarh government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the director, horticulture department, and Shri Ganesh Global Private Limited where organic gulal and other pooja material will be manufactured in 10 Gauthans of Durg and Raipur districts. 150 SHGs of both districts would be linked for the project where women Self Help Groups (SHGs) will also prepare materials like sandalwood powder, cotton wicks, kumkum, roli, and havan.
