Global Roundup: Protesting Afghan Hazara Genocide, Displaced Palestinian Artist, Somalia Femicide Protests, Delhi Boxer, South Korea Rapping Grandmothers
Global Roundup: Protesting Afghan Hazara Genocide, Displaced Palestinian Artist, Somalia Femicide Protests, Delhi Boxer, South Korea Rapping Grandmothers
Curated by FG Contributor Inaara Merani
Hazara women protest against the Taliban at Nathan Phillips Square last month. Image: Javed Najafi. (Open Canada)
A group of Hazara Afghans and allies gathered at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto at the end of January to protest the ongoing atrocities being committed by the Taliban. The “No to the Taliban: Call to Action Against Hazara Genocide and Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan” took place on January 28, 2024, and was organized by a grassroots network of local advocates in Toronto.
The protest aimed to shed light on the alarming situation faced by Hazara women in Afghanistan, who have become targets for kidnapping, violence, and repression by the Taliban. Human rights groups such as the UNHCR Special Representative, as well as UNAMA, have expressed concern about the situation of Hazara women, yet their plight rarely makes major headlines around the world.
At this very moment, Hazara women and girls are being kidnapped by the Taliban, seized from the streets under the excuse of not wearing proper hijabs. They are prevented from attending school and university, forced to hide in the shadows of their homes. – Halima Bahman, co-founder of Hazara Women Organization
Since 2021, the situation for Hazara women in Afghanistan has gotten worse. The Hazara people are persecuted and discriminated against predominantly because of their ethnicity and because they belong to the Shia Muslim sect in a predominantly Sunni-Muslim country. The protest in Toronto was prompted by ongoing and escalating atrocities in Afghanistan against the Hazara people, especially women. Like other conflicts around the world, this has been labelled as a genocide by many academic institutions, as well as political and humanitarian organizations.
I’m a survivor of genocide in Afghanistan. This has been going on for 120 years, and it’s time for it to be acknowledged. The Taliban is specifically targeting Hazara women by killing them, by kidnapping them, by humiliating them, by taking away their lands. As long as it’s not acknowledged and not mentioned and people are not aware of it, it’s going to continue and now it’s continuing very seriously, very aggressively under the Taliban. There are many female voices, just not enough people willing to listen. – Halima Bahman
A young Palestinian artist living in the Gaza Strip is practicing her art every day during the war to add some degree of normalcy to her life. Mona Hamoda, 21, is depicting the everyday realities and struggles of living in Gaza through her street art.
With over 10 years of experience, Hamoda says she used to create beautiful images filled with joy, play, and nature. However, since the genocide began, her drawing style has changed. Now, Hamoda’s drawings are centred around killing, blood, screams, and children's tears. She also now draws in black and white.
Hamoda’s dreams have also now changed. Whereas before the war began, she was a brilliant and accomplished artist who had a large love for life, her dreams are now confined to one place - Gaza. Although she has lost her home and her life, she remains hopeful that the war will end soon.
Currently, in Gaza, the death toll has surpassed 28,000. Palestinians have little to no access to food, water, medicine, or any essential services such as adequate healthcare, safe shelter, and more. On Tuesday, Israel blocked a shipment of United Nations food aid, intended to feed over a million Gazans for a month. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a representative of the religious far-right, said he had issued a directive blocking the 1,049 containers, which mainly contain flour, but also cooking oil, chickpeas, sugar and rice. The UN was set to distribute these supplies in and around the city of Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's inhabitants are caught between the Egyptian border and Israeli infantry.
Before the war, Rafah, a small city in the south of the Gaza Strip, had a population of roughly 250,000 people; however, since the Israeli government ordered Gazan civilians to evacuate south into Rafah, the population has increased to around 1.5 million people. Although Israel promised Rafah would be safe for all, the city has come under heavy bombing in recent days, with at least 67 people killed on Monday.
Cw: domestic violence, murder
Protesters in Mogadishu holding posters of Lul Abdi Aziz Jazira, who died after being set on fire. Photograph: The SIHA Network. (The Guardian)
The deaths of three women in one week, two of whom were pregnant, all allegedly murdered by their husbands, has caused outrage in Somalia and sparked days of protests over the country’s femicide rates.
Lul Abdi Aziz Jazirain, 28, was covered in petroleum and was burned alive. She suffered severe burns and passed away seven days after being attacked. Fus Mahfud Mohamed, 22, was stabbed to death and was dismembered. She was pregnant with her fourth child. Jazira, 28, was also killed and leaves behind her six children. So far, two of the women’s husbands have been arrested.
Aside from the arrest of Mohamed’s husband as well as another suspect, there are concerns that authorities are not doing enough. Yusuf Husain Jimale, governor of Mogadishu’s Benadir district, has promised that Jazira’s children will receive financial support, but this promise is yet to be fulfilled.
Maryam Taqal Huseina, chair of the Somali Women Development Centre, said protests will not stop until there is justice for all three women. She also explained that many people in Somalia, especially men, have normalized domestic violence and forms of abuse against women, but women will not stand for this.
Women are expected to be silent in Somalia. We are going to continue to make noise until there is change. – Maryam Taqal Huseina
Huseina said many people, especially men, either supported or accepted domestic violence and other forms of abuse against women as part of everyday life.
With the advent of social media, new forms of abuse are on the increase including girls being blackmailed after being drugged and filmed while they are being raped, sometimes by more than one person. Some of these videos are sold on social media platforms. - Maryam Taqal Huseina
There is no specific law in Somalia against domestic violence.
In 2018, a comprehensive UN-backed sexual offences bill was introduced but it has not yet been passed by parliament. In 2020 a new sexual intercourse related crimes bill was proposed, which relaxed current age restrictions to allow for marriage at puberty and legalise forced marriage as long as there is family consent.
Source: The Patriot. (Feminism in India)
Shalakha Sansanwal is a 31-year-old boxer from Katwaria Sarai, South Delhi who is known for her never-ending determination and for regularly challenging the status quo. After joining a local gym to maintain a healthy lifestyle, Sansanwal came across a kickboxing event and was immediately intrigued. Shortly after, she switched to boxing as her main workout activity and has not looked back since.
In my initial foray into boxing, my physical strength proved to be my saving grace, offering a distinct advantage. However, as I stepped into the ring during my first year, I couldn’t help but acknowledge the deficiency in my technical skills…Despite grappling with these initial challenges, my inherent strength served as a catalyst for transformation, propelling me forward. This marked the genesis of a remarkable journey within the realm of boxing, where the fusion of raw physical prowess and a fervent desire to learn became the driving forces behind my evolution. – Shalakha Sansanwal
In the past five years, Sansanwal has secured three national medals, including a silver medal from the 2023 Elite Women’s National Boxing Championships. Her victory spoke volumes about her strength and dedication and also emphasized the lack of recognition for women boxers in Delhi.
Since winning three medals at the 2021 national competition, this Delhi women’s boxing team has struggled to find consistency and has seen a decline in their achievements. It is reported that the lack of an overall robust training infrastructure has affected the success of the team. A well-equipped sports facility is needed, as well as a comprehensive program for women boxers.
Sansanwal has big plans for the future and hopes to continue her success at the national level, and also make her debut and win at the international level. Family and friends have put pressure on her to settle down, however, she has put marriage plans on hold to focus on her boxing career. She is challenging stereotypes and creating a bright path forward for women boxers in Delhi.
Reuters. (BBC)
A group of South Korean grandmothers in their 80s have formed an unconventional rapping troupe, and have been causing a stir lately. The band, Suni and the Seven Princesses, write and perform music about life on the farm. Since their first performance in August of last year, they have become local celebrities and are also trying to grow their online presence.
The women have all known each other since they were young, and they are all from Chilgok county, about a four hour drive from Seoul in the North Gyeongsang province. In 2016, they took an adult education class to learn how to read and write the Korean alphabet, Hangul, as they did not have an opportunity to complete their education when they were younger.
After coming across a rap performance online, the group decided to learn rap from their Hangul teacher. It was not long before they officially formed their group and began writing lyrics about rural life. Suni and the Seven Princesses made their debut at a local school play, and what started as a group with a small fan club of 150 people has now grown into widespread fame, as they have been asked to perform on Korean TV shows and in local towns across the country.
I thought only celebrities become popular on social media, but my grandmother is there now. -Kang Hye-eun, Granddaughter of lead singer Park Jeom-sun
Leader of the group, Park-Jeom-sun (Suni), says that the group feels like they are reliving their youth performing in bucket hats, metal jewellery, and baggy pants. Since their first performance, four other rap groups made up of older South Koreans have sprung up in Chilgok,
Inaara Merani (she/her) recently completed her Masters degree at the University of Western Ontario, studying Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies with a specialization in Transitional Justice. In the upcoming years, she hopes to attend law school, focusing her career in human rights law.
Inaara is deeply passionate about dismantling patriarchal institutions to ensure women and other marginalized populations have safe and equal access to their rights. She believes in the power of knowledge and learning from others, and hopes to continue to learn from others throughout her career.