While the Islam religion has actually been known for being ahead of the times in the past, the new movements have put women back, even leading to women being jailed for being raped. Obviously, no woman would want to report a rape given the circumstances, but ironically, many officials also believe that a woman cannot get pregnant from one encounter. Therefore, if they are pregnant, it must have been the result of an ongoing affair, which again leads to the woman being jailed. The man on the other hand receives no punishment at all.

This is what happened to one Afghan woman who has only recently been pardoned for being raped by a family member, her cousin’s husband. This pardon was given stipulation that the woman would marry her rapist, which is a deeper insult to women’s rights in the Middle East. However, that condition has since been removed.

She only received attention after an international documentary on this kind of problem was released featuring her face. Gulnaz, the woman in question, was initially sentenced to 2 years in jail for “adultery by force”, which to us sounds a lot like rape. However, upon appeal, this sentence was increased to 12 years, and she has been raising her daughter, the product of rape, in prison.

The third appeal cut her time down to 3 years and initially required her to marry her rapist.

Since then, Gulnaz has stated:

”I am obliged to marry him, even though I can’t look at him.”

More specifically, Gulnaz feels that she is forced to marry her rapist, despite an overturned statement made previously, in order to protect her family honor. Officially, her cousin’s husband forced his way into her home, tied her up, and then raped her when she was 19.

As of right now, polygamy is still legal in many Middle Eastern countries including Afghanistan. Men can officially have up to 4 wives. This is definitely not the victory most were hoping for, but you cannot change an entire culture overnight.

Recently the Saudi Arabian General Electric Company announced the launch of an initiative to improve cancer detection and care as a part of its global innovation program THE CHALLENGE. By reaching out to universities as well as government and private organizations, GE’s challenge will increase access to breast cancer screening, with a goal of screening 10,000 women in the first year. Next to lung cancer, breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide, and according to the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women in Saudi Arabia.

In the year 2008, an estimated 458,503 deaths worldwide were a direct result of this heart wrenching disease. Although cancer is a complex disease, many organizations worldwide are searching for its cure, and even more group efforts are being promoted to detect and prevent breast cancer while in its early stages. Hopefully as more contributions are made toward discovering its cure, we will eventually find a way to eliminate this disease in the not-too-distant future.

Understanding More about Breast Cancer

Signs and Symptoms:
The most effective method of surviving breast cancer is by catching and treating cancer while in its early stages. Signs and symptoms include a change in how the breast or nipples feel (nipple tenderness or a lump near the breast or under arm area) as well as how the breast or nipple looks (changes in size or shape such as scaly, red, or swollen regions).

Detecting Breast Cancer:
In order to catch breast cancer before it spreads, self-exams and mammograms should be conducted regularly, even as early as age 20. Mammograms should be scheduled every 3 years and eventually increase to 1 every year as a woman approaches 50.

Men can have breast cancer too:
Although breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in women, men, too, are at risk for breast cancer. This percentage is relatively small, but men should also be aware of the risk and give regular breast self-exams.

To learn more about breast cancer facts, you can visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation, INC and find out how you can help fight breast cancer, one mammogram at a time.

Saudi Arabia recently released concept images for the new Kingdom Tower. At a massive 3,281 feet, the new tower will surpass the Burj Khalifa by a whopping 560 feet.

Originally the structure was to be a mile high, but unfortunately those plans were discarded due to concerns that arose from soil testing.

These beautifully rendered images are enough to take your breath away!

It’s enough to make anyone suffer from vertigo…

To see more images or to find additional information about Kingdom Tower, you can find their official website here.

On Sunday, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia inagurated the world’s largest women’s university. This incredible institution spreads over 20,000 acres and is expected to hold nearly 40,000 students at a time. Believe it or not, the first year classes alone at this university will be able to hold just over 60% of Saudi Arabia’s female high school graduates and will therefore take students from surrounding countries as well.

Even though the opening of this university is a huge step for a strict middle eastern country, the women who have plans to attend this new university are wondering where they’ll be able to use the skills they acquire there. An interesting statistic is that although Saudi Arabian women make up 58% of the country’s student body, they only make up 14.4% of the country’s national labor force. This low number is primarily due to the fact that Saudi Arabian women are not allowed to drive cars, leave the house unaccompanied by a male escort, or vote in elections. These limiting factors are greatly stifling when it comes to women who desire to leave the home and enter the workforce.

The new university is going to offer courses in fields that are typically limited when it comes to female involvement in Saudi Arabia. Fields such as computer science, nursing, and business will be included in courses taught at this university but the women are asking themselves what good these skills will be if finding employment is going to be such a daunting task.

The question posed now is whether having this university is going to change the country’s outlook on women in the workforce. If women are becoming more and more capable because they are being granted access to higher levels of education, who’s to say that the minds of the government won’t shift in the favor of women? The issue lies then in the fact that more than government regulation, the way that the Saudi Arabian society views women is long-set in tradition and has been firmly established in the culture as well. Even if women become educated, will they want to stand up for their place in the workforce if it is going to go against centuries upon centuries of traditional values and mentalities?