Case study of the month – Society of Afghan Residents
To coincide with International Women’s Day on Monday 8th March 2010, West Acton based group the Society of Afghan Residents (SAR) hosted an event to uphold Afghan women’s rights and to celebrate their role in contemporary society.
Held at Ealing Town Hall, the event – attended by over 150 women - focused on women’s rights, both in the UK and Afghanistan, and addressed concerns and challenges faced by Afghan women in the UK. Issues raised included the prevention of forcible marriages and significant unequal aged difference marriages.
Speakers on the day included representatives from the Home Office and the Department for International Development (DFID) who updated the audience on government programmes. Volunteers from the SAR also spoke at the event. Attendees were able to ask questions throughout.
Organisers from the SAR also presented their recommendations to the UK government on how to help improve the social and economic issues faced by Afghan women. These included:
1. The Government should provide social, economic, cultural and health services for Afghan women in the community. 2. Improved joint working on programmes to preserve Afghan women’s Islamic and human rights. 3. The Afghan Government and the international community should focus on women’s rights programmes to improve women’s social and economic situations.
These proposals tied into the International Women’s Day 2010 theme of equal rights and opportunities for all.
Sayed Jan Karwani, Chairman of SAR UK, said: “It is important that we give our residents the opportunity to be heard on important issues like women’s rights.
“We hope the event will bring attention to Afghan women’s rights and sow the first seed for future discussion.”
Traditional Afghan food was provided and Afghan singer Mrs Bilqis performed on the night.
Redbridge: Human rights issues inspire young people
The Refugee & Migrant Forum of East London (RAMFEL), based in Redbridge, have organised their first Free-D event on the topic of women and human rights.
Young attendees spoke openly following a talk from Pakistani human rights activist Samar Minallah at the Redbridge Central Library on 11 January.
Rita Chadha-Bolt, RAMFEL Director, said: “The event went really well. The audience was mixed – age, gender and ethnicity wise, and almost everybody spoke at some point in the meeting. Comments were insightful. There was a sense of mutual support in the room and an extended debate between individuals.”
RAMFEL's second Free-D event, entitled ‘Young people, gangs, guns and knives: media myth or reality?’, took place on 4 February.
Faith in the City: film and debate in Tower Hamlets
Faith in the City, a series of successful community events in Tower Hamlets, enabled young people to voice their opinions via creative film and social networking techniques.
Faith in the City, a series of successful community events in Tower Hamlets, enabled young people to voice their opinions via creative film and social networking techniques.
The Tower Hamlets Partnership commissioned design agency Bold Creative to hold video and audio workshops where young people asked each other questions on identity and faith.
The film and audio footage was then used as part of a unique four-minute Manga style film.
The film had its own premiere and was followed by a ‘Question Time’ style discussion attended by over 100 young people.
Created to engage a youth audience, the thought provoking film is now being used as a tool to spark debate amongst young people about the challenges of growing up as a Muslim in London.
Following on from the production of the film, the Faith in the City team created a support pack for local youth leaders and teachers, to help them hold discussions on faith and identity with young people. Some of the discussion topics included; ‘what does it mean to be British’ and ‘the representation of Muslims in the media’. This pack included DVDs and training workshops.
