Why are Women's Rights not Universal? - A talk by Ahlam Akram

On 9th October 2012, 15 year old, Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head in Pakistan by Taliban gunmen simply for campaigning for education rights for girls.

In Britain in 2013 women still can't be Bishops, should they wish to be, and their pay rarely equals that of their male colleagues but compared to women in many countries most British women have opportunites and rights beyond the wildest dreams of many others.

Even in Britain some women are denied their rights. Recently, Paveet Landa fled her home in Ilford to escape an arranged marriage and marry her boyfriend. Her family responded by kidnapping and attacking her friend to prevent the wedding. In court Paveet said, 'Girls in my family are different from boys. Girls have limits... as a girl in my family we are lower. What a guy does in our culture, he can just live his life.'

Ahlam Akram is a writer, broadcaster and peace and human rights campaigner.

She will be asking some interesting questions;

Why are women's rights not universal?

How can the West help improve equallity for women throughout the world?

Why does God not value men and women equally?

People are encouraged to arrive from 6.30 p.m. to have a glass of wine from our charity wine bar, chat to other members and take their seats.

The Talk will start at 7.00 p.m. prompt.

After Ahlam's talk there will be a short question and answer session before we retire to the Enterprise pub nearby for further debate around 8.00 or 8.15 p.m.

A suggested donation of £2 would be welcome on the night towards the cost of room and equipment hire.

All CLHG talks are open to the general public.

Ahlam Akram is British of Palestinian origin and has lived in London since 1979 although her parents and wider family still live in the occupied territories.

Ahlam is a passionate advocate of women’s rights and is regularly interviewed on Arabic TV channels advocating the role of women in peace building. She has appeared on Sky, Channel 5 and the BBC TV Arabic channel – most recently debating with a Sheikh about the French niqab ban and her own idea of Muslim women voluntarily opting to stop wearing it. Another interview was with an Egyptian salafist discussing congugal rape.

Ahlam is a Member of Women without Borders and an active member of Women against Fundamentalism.

She constantly strives to offer peaceful means to resolve political and social issues in the Middle East through her highly acclaimed articles for Arabic newspapers Al – Quds, Al Hayat and Al Sharq al Awsat. She is also published on the most popular Arabic internet magazine Elaph.

Ahlam is known among Arab intellectuals as a very courageous female voice advocating women’s rights. Some have also written about about her progressive vision and concern for the future of the Arab region and its relationship with the west.

“A woman strong and determined enough to make a change and who has crossed borders with her message, She has established a precedent and inspired other young women to pursue a way in bringing together East and West.”

“Ahlam’s writings enlighten the Arab reader; her efforts deserves appreciation and admiration in these dark times.”

Ahlam was on the National Coordinating Committee of ministry for peace (www.ministryforpeace.org) from 2005-10 where she took the rights of all people to an international level through its membership of the Global Alliance for Ministries and Departments for Peace.

Ahlam has lobbied UK Parliamentarians with Jews for Justice for Palestinians for 7 years. She has been an executive committee member of the Arab-Jewish Forum, co-chaired the Friends of Israeli -Palestinian Bereaved Parents between 2006-2008, is a patron of Neve Shalom and helped to set up Joint action for Israeli Palestinian peace.