When women are included in peace talks and conflict resolution, studies have shown the ensuing agreement is 64 per cent more likely to succeed. The importance of their contribution has been enshrined by the UN in Resolution 1325, which states that women's involvement increases the chances of a sustainable and long-lasting peace. Yet despite this critical role, women are notable in peace negotiations only by their absence and are rarely encouraged or invited to join the table, let alone have their say in finding peaceful solutions. Muna Luqman, co-founder of the Women Solidarity Network and a survivor of the bombing of Taez in Yemen, has pointed to the absurdity of this situation. She has accused both sides of the war in Yemen of being "gender-blind". Houthi women are ready to participate in talks to end the four-year war but have been rebuffed by those who foolishly think they have no place at the table. "We are frustrated because women's role in peacebuilding continues to be ridiculed and women, who are the real peacemakers, continue to be excluded in the ceasefire process," she said. Talks between the mostly male delegates from the internationally recognised Yemen government and Houthi rebels have repeatedly stalled. In Geneva last year, the UN-led talks collapsed when the Houthis failed to show. Four months after the signing in Stockholm of a pledge to find a peaceful solution and following a prisoner swap, any real action has yet to materialise. Yet it is women and their children who are worst affected by conflict. In the Yemen war, they are being displaced or facing starvation and shortages of fuel and power. They are involved in a constant battle to protect their families but their contributions and survival instincts often go unrecognised. There is currently only one woman at the negotiation table, Rana Ghanem, who is part of the government delegation. She is under intense pressure to represent all women as well as speaking up for minority groups that do not have a say – an impossible task for one person alone.
But this problem is not unique to Yemen. Women are struggling to make their voices heard at peace talks across the world. Syrian women were absent from the Astana talks and even at the UN-led Geneva negotiations, they only made up a small contingent. In Afghanistan, there are fears that the exclusion of female participants in US talks with the Taliban will give their former oppressors a free pass to trample on their rights. Between 1996 and 2001, the Taliban denied women and girls basic rights such as going to work and school or being able to move freely.
Such a stifling regime cannot be allowed to thrive again. As Ms Luqman told the UN Security Council, excluding women from talks means half the population goes unrepresented and peace efforts are much less likely to succeed. Including them at the table benefits everyone, as there is a greater chance of achieving a long-term, lasting peace.
Company%20Profile
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
MEFCC information
Tickets range from Dh110 for an advance single-day pass to Dh300 for a weekend pass at the door. VIP tickets have sold out. Visit www.mefcc.com to purchase tickets in advance.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Kalra's feat
- Becomes fifth batsman to score century in U19 final
- Becomes second Indian to score century in U19 final after Unmukt Chand in 2012
- Scored 122 in youth Test on tour of England
- Bought by Delhi Daredevils for base price of two million Indian rupees (Dh115,000) in 2018 IPL auction
The%20specs
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20Profile
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RESULT
Argentina 0 Croatia 3
Croatia: Rebic (53'), Modric (80'), Rakitic (90' 1)
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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'The Lost Daughter'
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson
Rating: 4/5
