Media, globalization & womens rights [Archives:2002/34/Reportage]

YASSER AL-MAYASI
YEMEN TIMES STAFF
A 3-day symposium on Media and Globalization was concluded in Aden Tuesday 6 August. The symposium was organized by the Womens Forum for Researches and Training (WFRT) in cooperation with the Canadian Program for Development of Local Initiatives (CDPLI).
Three different standpoints have been elaborately discussed by the participants.
The symposium has discussed three premises, Woman in the Globalization Era Presented by Dr. Sameer Abdurahman Ashameri, Womens program in the Yemeni Radio and TV presented by Dr Hassan Hamid al-Haddad and Dr. Abdurahman Abdulwahab and Role of Media in Developing Womans Political Awareness.
On the sidelines of the symposium, caricature exhibition was held centering on womens issues in the political arena.
The above three premises contained many studies on impact of media on determining orientations of public opinion and political decisions, especially with regard to serving Yemeni woman.
Women in the Globalization Era
In his working paper, Women in the Globalization Era Dr. Sameer Abdurahman Ashameri, tackled the topics of globalization and family disunity, women as commodity for excitement and sexuality and change in womans life.
The paper dealt with two different aspects of globalization; one positive and the other negative.
The positive aspects of globalization are represented by the huge capacity markets for goods and services allowing benefiting from them and providing investments necessary for development in the developing countries as well as availability of information for taking sound decisions in running the state and competition that lead to improve the use of resources.
The negative impact of globalization are numerous and can be summed up as follows:
The gradual weakening of family bonds and the rapid increase in divorce rates, particularly in cities. These cities are considered to be civilized spots particularly with regard to the bringing up the new generation.
A certain kind of ignorance and indifference towards children has resulted in the family disputes and lack of accord among spouses.
A negative impact of globalization is the extravagant outlay and panting for wealth and luxury in this world. A certain kind of pseudointellect on the part of women has been clearly seen and negatively affected their life.
Different vital aspects on the part of the nations life in the field of economy, politics, society, and culture have been thoroughly dealt with. These forms have their impact on submitting the world to one market controlled by the superpowers.
Political systems in the political era have broadened the horizons for superpowers multinational companies and other financial establishments including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to implement their policies with a view of linking poor countries to the world economy to render them more subservient.
The cultural impact of globalization in this regard comes into existence. It has made the superpowers take the upper-hand to diffuse their ideas even if they are negative. Such diffusion has greatly affected our cultures, tastes, costumes and moral values.
The first premise working paper has mainly focused on globalizations dangers on women. Women have fallen a prey to the negative effect of globalization in its all aspects. This has been manifested in different ways including the widespread of the satellite channels, internet, mobiles, and panting for the latest trends; in the way people eat, drink, or wear. This has been also accompanied by a lack of religious discipline and the deterioration of moral values.
The axis of the second working paper has focused on womens programs at both TV and radio.
Much attention been paid by participants to analyze womens programs on TV and radio with a view of shedding lights on womens issues, including her political participation, her constitutional and legislative rights and the necessity to equalize men and women in election and candidacy. Establishing unions, organizations, and syndicates have also been among the points of attention.
The third axis has focused mainly on the medias role to raise political awareness among the Yemeni women. According to what the working paper has said, the role of the media is an indispensable factor to raise the awareness of the womans rights as an active member in the society.
I believe that the Yemeni society has started accepting new concepts and I believe that women are moving slowly along the process of integration. However, there are lots of problems that are impeding women from enjoying their rights. Though our religion has actually accorded on them a high place and assured them of their rights, they are deprived of many of them.


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