Muslimah Writers Alliance Joins 'Women on the Bridge' Celebrating 100th International Women's Day

March 7, 2011 - PRLog -- (EGYPT) - On Tuesday, March 8, 2011, in conjunction with the celebration of the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day, Muslimah Writers Alliance (MWA) urges global citizens of conscience to join the "Women on the Bridge" campaign in support of a call for an end to violence against women in conflict zones, like Palestine, Libya, Afghanistan, Kurdistan, Iraq, etc., in addition to calling for equal seats at negotiating tables in support of peace initiatives.

"Because of a lack of education and access to information, many women are unaware of their human rights. Those who are aware and actively opposing injustices, live in genuine fear for their lives," stated MWA Director, Aishah Schwartz.

Schwartz added, "These women need our support to gain the skills and confidence they need to play a full part in rebuilding their communities; so they can raise their voices, knowing they will be heard."

It is anticipated that on March 8 more than 200 bridge events worldwide will take place from the Millennium Bridge in London, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Grand Barriere Bridge joining Rwanda and Congo -- and from Cairo, Egypt's 6 October Bridge.

Also Joining this year's 'Women on the Bridge' campaign from Cairo, Egypt is the collective initiative known as "Women4Democracy", calling for a Million Women March from the now world-famous Tahrir Square to the 6 October Bridge.  

Playing no small role in the recent and ongoing Egyptian Revolution, Egyptian womens rights advocates reiterated in a recent New York Times article that the challenge they face now is to make sure women maintain their involvement as the nation purges itself of the Mubarak regime, by seeking political gains and true equality.

The World Economic Forum recently published a report that ranked Egypt 125th out of 134 countries when judging the equality between men and women. Additionally it was reported that 42 percent of women cannot read or write and almost no women are political leaders. (In 2010, only 8 of the 454 seats in Parliament were held by women.)

Genital cutting of women is also still widely practiced in Egypt, especially in rural areas. Women in Egypt also suffer a level of sexual harassment that would not be tolerated in many countries. They are often verbally harassed on the streets of Cairo and sometimes groped in crowded spaces whether they are veiled or not.

Show your support for women's causes and celebrate women's achievements! To find a bridge event near you visit: http://www.google.com/events/iwd2011/

Can't attend a Women on the Bridge event? Sign the Petition calling for women in Afghanistan to have a greater involvement in the peace process at www.womenforwomen.org/bridge.

RELATED:

Women4Democracy in Egypt
Details in English: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=106452546100895&...
Details in Arabic: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=158626157525930&ref=nf

Women Fight to Maintain Their Role in the Building of a New Egypt
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/world/middleeast/06cairo.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&ref=global-home&adxnnlx=1299358849-oAPCC2xUFnIMb3l1rBYiTg

Muslimah Writers Alliance Mini-Documentary for Al-Jazeera (Arabic Voice-Over)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLyJZGzNVqY



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Established in 2006, MWA is an internationally-based collaboration of Muslim women writers and advocates working together to counter negative and inaccurate perceptions regarding members of the Muslim community and the Islamic faith.