High level meeting of Nobel and Rafto laureates in Oslo: Prominent Muslim woman leaders gather

The four prominent human rights activists Shirin Ebadi, Rebyia Kadeer, Malahat Nasibova and Souhayr Belhassen gather in Oslo next week to discuss how women in Muslim countries can be secured more rights and increased participation in decision-making bodies.

Iranian Shirin Ebadi has been awarded both the Nobel Peace Prize and the Rafto Prize. Rebyia Kadeer (Uyghur from China) and Malaha Nasibova (Azerbaijan) both have received the Rafto Prize. Tunisian Souhayr Belhassen has received the Council of Europe’s North-South Prize. The meeting is facilitated by the Rafto Foundation and the Nobel Peace Center, in collaboration with the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).

- The four initiatiors share a deep concern and desperation for the systematic suppression and violations of women’s rights in a number of countries worldwide. These prominent women, all with a Muslim background, wish to unite forces. The struggle for women’s integrity, dignity and codetermination is one of the principal human rights causes of our time, says Therese Jebsen, Executive Director of the Rafto Foundation.

2013 marks the 100th anniversary for Norwegian women’s right to vote. Equal rights, status and freedom for women and men is not a matter of course even today, and the situation varies a great deal from country to country.

- Women’s rights and having their viewpoints heard is a pivotal condition for democracy and societal development. It is therefore crucial that women are included in political processes. We know their priorities are different from men’s. They put greater emphasis is placed on health and education. In great admiration for these four strong women, we would like to, as we celebrate our centenary for Norwegian women’s right to vote, contribute to highlight the issue of increased rights to the Muslim women, says Bente Erichsen, Executive Director of the Nobel Peace Center.

To mark the end of the discussions, the seminar Speak only when spoken to? is arranged at the Nobel Peace Center Tuesday 15 January from 17.00 to 19.00.

The seminar is open to the public. Rebiya Kadeer participates in the closed discussions, and is available for interviews. She is unfortunately unable to participate in the seminar, because she will be receiving the International Religious Freedom Award in Washington DC on 16 January.

Some of the topics to be discussed at the seminar are:

• How are women’s basic human rights undermined under different versions of family laws? What should be the role of the state and religious authorities when it comes to safeguarding women’s rights?

• When political changes occur, how do debates and constitutional reform processes affect women’s legal rights and their freedom of expression? Is the situation of women even an issue?

• How can we prevent post «Arab spring» regimes to reproduce gender inequalities that reinforce traditional patriarchal societal patterns?

The event is a result of a colaboration between the Rafto Foundation, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Nobel Peace Center. The seminar is supported by the Fritt Ord Foundation.

Background on the four initiators:

Shirin Ebadi (1947), Iran.
Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian lawyer, human rights activist and founder of Children's Right Support Association in Iran. She struggles for the strengthening of the legal status of children and women. At great personal risk she used her position as a lawyer and a university professor to promote human rights. Ebadi was the first female judge in Iran, but was forced to resign after the revolution in 1979. Conservative clerics insisted that Islam prohibit women from becoming judges. Ebadi was not able to practice as a lawyer until 1993. During this time she wrote books and articles in Iranian periodicals, which made her widely known. Shirin Ebadi is an outstanding representative of the Iranian reform movement. She is a practicing Muslim, but she is a firm believer that Islam can be interpreted in accordance with democratic ideals and human rights. In 2001 she was awarded the Rafto Prize. In 2003 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Rebiya Kadeer (1947), Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), China
In 1997 Rebiya Kadeer founded the “Thousand Mothers Movement” to promote job training and employment for Uyghur women. Kadeer also established evening schools for Uyghurs who did not have the opportunity to go to ordinary school. Kadeer’s humanistic message is “it is our moral obligation to help the ones in need, and we must leave no one behind”. She was awarded the 2004 Rafto Prize for her struggle for basic human rights for the Uyghurs. Uyghurs are a Turkic speaking, primarily Muslim minority in China. Kadeer was arrested in August 1999 and sentenced to eight year’s imprisonment. This sentence was later reduced by one year following a secret trial, where neither she nor her lawyer had the opportunity to argue her case. Following her release in March 2005, Kadeer was elected as the president of the World Uyghur Congress. Kadeer continues to champion the rights of the Uyghur people from exile in the US.

Malahat Nasibova (1969), Azerbaijan.
Journalist and human rights activist. Was in 2009 awarded the Rafto Prize for her courageous and unwavering struggle for a free and independent press. Risking her own safety, she reports on abuse of power, human rights violations and corruption in the isolated autonomous republic Nakhchivan, which is part of Azerbaijan. Malahat Nasibova has been a correspondent for the independent information bureau, 'Turan' in Azerbaijan and for 'Radio Free Europe'/'Radio Liberty'. She is the leader of the human rights organisation 'Democracy and NGO's Development Resource Center' in Nakhchivan. Nasibova has been a critical voice against the authorities for ten years and she steadfastly refuses to give up the fight for freedom of speech. In the absence of other independent institutions, Nasibova has become a kind of ombudsperson whom the local population turn to, to be heard.

Souhayr Belhassen (1943), Tunisia.
As a journalist and author, Souhayr Belhassen has always aspired to «give voice to the voiceless», whether it be through activities in her profession or through her involvement with human rights. In 1993, in a petition supporting Algerian women, Souhayr Belhassen denounced the shameful silence of the Tunisian regime regarding its neighbour’s situation, and for using the alibi that the Tunisians’ relatively privileged position prevented them from taking action. As a result of this petition, she was expelled from Tunisia and lived in exile for five years. Back in Tunis, she founded a weekly cultural magazine the “7sur7” which already in 1998, became bankrupt following Tunisian authorities blocking of the outside financing. Under Ben Ali’s dictatorship, Souhayr Belhassen, like many Tunisian defenders of human rights, was constantly harassed for her activism (attacks, phone tapping, being followed, mail surveillance, etc.) As current head of International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Souhayr Belhassen is making the rights of migrants and of women among the top priorities of the organization.