A Letter to My Future Daughter

My dear future daughter,

I wish I could hold you in my heart and keep you safe from the cruelty of this world but unfortunately I cannot.

I have recently turned twenty-one, still quite young, huh? But as I look into the mirror, I see a powerful fearless young girl willing to face the challenges of the life ahead of her! I do not claim to be the wisest nor the most experienced girl on Earth but I have observed life and realized some of its facts. However, they are not all sweet unfortunately.

Dear, life is not a fairy-tale nor the bedtime story I read to you. Reality can be harsher than you can ever imagine. People are not angels, they can be deadly serpents. People will hurt you, disappoint you, abandon you and intoxicate you. They will make you feel worthless and undesirable and nothing tastes bitterer than feeling worthless! One night they will lift you up high in the sky, put you to sleep and dream on the softest cloud and the next day they will leave you to fall to the hard solid ground again without catching you even though they promised they would. Believe me when I tell you that not everyone has the same heart as you. You should grow up! Learn to be mature, strong and independent.

Listen dear, you are beautiful. You are one in a million. You are an ocean full of secrets and a sky full of dreams and ambitions that shine too bright in the eyes of your envious enemies! You are the womb of a coming promising generation. You have got passion in your veins, rainbows on your mind and charm just slips out of your mouth the moment you speak. You do not need satin attires or precious jewels to make you shine, you are like a rare pearl that dazzles whoever looks closely at you.

Do not ever question your worth! Put your insecurities and doubts aside and just rise up and shine! The world needs you! Do not be afraid of a little bit of darkness, pleasure is only on the other side.

This post is a reminder for myself before my future daughter and to every woman who happens to be struggling with herself at the moment.

Women in Paris Protest against ‘No Go Zones’

Women protest against the "No Go Zones" in Paris.

The so-called "No Go Zone" in Paris, France.

Women took to the streets of one of the poorest areas of Paris on Friday to protest at what they say has become an all-male “no-go zone”, where any female daring to go there alone is subject to severe sexist harassment or worse.

It’s claimed the district of Chapelle-Pajol, in the north east of the French capital, has become more dangerous for women as the rate of immigration there grows. Large groups of men are said to hang around in the streets, sometimes drinking, and often intimidate women.

One 80-year-old woman from the district has even said she was sexually assaulted walking home one night. Others have complained about catcalls and verbal abuse, which makes them feel unsafe.

SOS La Chapelle, which organized the protest, has launched an online petition urging Paris authorities to highlight the harassment, drug-dealing and crime plaguing parts of Paris. It has so far been signed by more than 18,000 people. Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo said: “We will not tolerate an area being prey to acts of discrimination against women.” “That does not correspond to the values of Paris nor of the Republic” he added.

Pippa Middleton’s wedding will be a ceremony fit for a queen

Pippa Middleton and James Matthews smile for the cameras after their wedding at St Mark's Church in Englefield. Picture: APSource:AP

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, left, stands with her daughter Princess Charlotte. Picture: APSource:AP

The world’s most famous bridesmaid, Pippa Middleton has married in a wedding fit for a queen — she tied the knot with her banker beau James Matthews at St. Mark's Church in Englefield, Berkshire in England on Saturday.

The ceremony took place in front of friends and family, including her sister Kate Middleton, her husband Prince William, their kids Prince George, 3, and Princess Charlotte, 2, who served as a page boy and bridesmaid, and William's brother Prince Harry.

The ceremony space was decorated in gorgeous garlands of pink and white roses and other flowers. The bride wore a stunning lace dress with a high neck, capped sleeves and a back cut-out designed by Giles Deacon, a London designer who started his career at Gucci under Tom Ford.

The guests later headed to the wedding reception, held at Michael and wife Carole Middleton's home. Harry arrived with girlfriend Meghan Markle, after reportedly driving back to London, about 50 miles away, to pick her up.

The National Council for Women in Alexandria participates in the inauguration of «Women in the Cycle of Violence» Exhibition

Dr. Magda El Shazly, rapporteur of the National Council of Women in Alexandria participates in the inauguration of the exhibition "Women in the Cycle of Violence".

Dr. Magda El Shazly, rapporteur of the National Council of Women in Alexandria, participated in the inauguration of the exhibition of the artist Abdel Salam Eid about “Women in the Cycle of Violence.”

The Rapporteur of the branch expressed her gratitude for the adoption of the artist Abdel Salam Eid, the issue of violence against women, in an attempt to celebrate the year 2017 of the Egyptian women. She also expressed her admiration for the different paintings in the exhibition.

The paintings of the exhibition tell the story of women and the view of society towards them in the past and the concepts and perceptions prevailing. In addition to that, the artist adopted the presentation of the two sexes; the masculine and the feminine and the issue of circumcision represented by a painting showing women as flowers then their hands have been cut off. The language of art is beautiful for expressing what is published and integrated with the message of the National Council Greetings to the artist Abdul Salam Eid.

Meet the Egyptian Female Archaeologist Leading Her Own Excavation

Egyptian archaeologist Nora Shawki during one of her excavations.

Nora Shawki is a 27-year-old Egyptian archaeologist who has been excavating ancient sites in the Delta for almost five years and is now getting ready to direct her very own dig this October. She maintained her passion for the field all through her undergraduate studies in archaeology at SOAS University in London and further on through her graduate studies at Durham University.

“My main challenge right now is trying to receive the permits from Egypt for the dig as the director. There are various roadblocks my way in the sense that I’m a female director, and that I did not obtain my degree from Cairo University,” she said. Shawki however is confident that with a little bit of diligence and persistence, she’ll be able to obtain the permits she has been trying to get a hold off for almost a year.

In 2015, Shawki received the prestigious Young Explorer Grant from National Geographic, which provided her with the funding needed to lead her own excavation of Tell Zuwelen, a site in Sharqiya governorate. This settlement was a satellite of Tanis, a major religious, economic, and cultural center in ancient Egypt.

Melania Trump hails 'empowerment of women' at Saudi company visit

First Lady Melania Trump is greeted as she visits GE All women business process service center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 21, 2017. REUTERS/Hamad l Mohammed

U.S. First Lady Melania Trump praised the "empowerment of women" at a General Electric all-female service center in the Saudi capital on Sunday, stating that women should work together and educate their children well.

She is accompanying U.S. President Donald Trump on his first international visit to Saudi Arabia since taking office in January, and told 200 female employees that she tried to make balance between her role as a First Lady and a mother.

"It is about finding the balance," she told the women there. Later on Twitter, she wrote "Enjoyed talking to the incredible women working hard @GE_Saudi service center. Great strides being made towards the empowerment of women."

Although Saudi Arabia is known to be one of the most gender-segregated nations in the world, the women’s situation started to improve as late King Abdullah declared in 2011 that women could join the government advisory Shura Council to diversify the economy, employ more women and cut reliance on oil.

Half of Macron’s Cabinet are Women!

Presidential Candidate Emmanuel Macron holds his electoral evening in La Louvre in Paris.

The newly-elected French president Emmanuel Macron has unveiled his cabinet on Wednesday. In accordance with an earlier pledge, women fill half of the 22 positions.

“It is a government of renewal,” the president’s office said in a statement to The New York Times. In addition to being gender balanced, Macron’s cabinet also includes a diverse set of members which come from both the right and left parties and who are from public, private and non-profit sectors.

And here are all the women of the cabinet, posing with the president and prime minister. The front row, left to right: Labour Minister Muriel Pénicaud, Health Minister Agnes Buzyn, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, President Emmanuel Macron, Armed Forces Minister Sylvie Goulard, Culture Minister Françoise Nyssen and Higher Education Minister Frederique Vidal.

Second row, left to right: Junior Minister for Disabilities Sophie Cluzel, Minister in charge of European Affairs Marielle de Sarnez, Overseas Territories Minister Annick Girardin, Sports Minister Laura Flessel-Colovic, Junior Minister for Equality Between Men and Women Marlene Schiappa and Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne.

In January, Macron showed his support to gender equality when he said in a speech "Women currently represent 53 percent of the electoral body, so it’s unacceptable that they make up less than 30 percent of those elected to the National Assembly," he announced. "Unlike other political parties, we plan to respect gender parity."

Women Empowerment in Saudi Arabia

Women in Saudi Arabia. Picture: HASSAN AMMAR/AFP/Getty Images

   

In one of the most gender-segregated nations of the world and where women are not allowed to drive and are required to get the permission of a male guardian to study, travel or even get married, a major step has been taken. Saudi Arabia’s King Salman issued an order allowing women to benefit from government services such as education and healthcare without getting the consent of a male guardian.

The king has given three months for all government agencies to provide a list of procedures that require the consent of a male guardian, underscoring the urgency to change the system. With declining oil prices and large military spending for the Saudi-led military campaign in neighbouring Yemen, women are actually being viewed by the monarchy and society as important and vital to the economy’s well-being.

Women’s rights advocate and a director at the Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, Maha Akeel welcomed the new changes that would empower women and give them more freedom in important life decisions. “Now at least it opens the door for discussion on the guardian system” Akeel told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “Women are independent and can take care of themselves” she added.