Source : Al Arabiya / 22 Feb 2014

A flicker of hope for women across Egypt may have been sparked on Friday, after the first female to head a political party in the country was elected.

Breaking through Egypt's political glass ceiling, Hala Shukrallah succeeded former Egyptian Vice President Mohammad ElBaradei to become the Constitution Party’s president.

By Cheikh Lioussi / Morocco World News / 20 Feb 2014

For the first time in the history of Italian football, a female referee conducted a football match while wearing the Islamic head covering, known as hijab.

Chahida Chekkafi, a young Italian of Moroccan origin, was the referee of a football match between two male teams, San Luigi and Karimou Stradevar, in the north of Italy.

By Rima Al-Mukhtar / Arab news / 20 Feb 2014

The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Haia) has officially prevented women from visiting medical clinics without male guardians.

This came after a member of the Council of Senior Scholars issued a “fatwa” (edict) prohibiting women from visiting male doctors without having male guardians present.

Source : Al Arabiya / 18 Feb 2014

Sheikh Hamda Saeed, Tunisia’s mufti, has declared his support of banning the face-covering niqab garment on security grounds, three days after the Interior Ministry said it was taking strict measures against women wearing the veil, news agency UPI reported.

By Ben Flanagan / Al Arabiya / 17 Feb 2014

The Saudi Gazette newspaper has appointed the country’s first female editor-in-chief, in what has been called a “historic” move in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Somayya Jabarti takes the reins of the English-language newspaper from Khaled Almaeena, who becomes editor-at-large.

Source : Arab news / 13 Feb 2014

The Supreme Judicial Council has decided that Saudi women no longer have to have males identify them at court hearings, and would only require their identity cards.

The council issued a circular to all the courts on Monday to announce its decision.
The move has been welcomed by Saudis.

Source : Telegraph.co.uk / 12 Feb 2014

Iran's female footballers are to be given mandatory exams to prove that they are real women.

Footballers in Iran's professional women's league are to undergo mandatory gender tests to establish that they are fully female.

Source : Dutch News / 08 Feb 2014

An 18-year-old girl who applied for a job at Roosendaal staffing agency All-In was shocked to be told she could not work there if she wore a headscarf.

The girl, named by free newspaper Spits as Leila, had not worn a headscarf to the interview but had done so during a previous internship. All-In asked her about this and added “we are a Dutch company and are allowed to make demands.”

Source : Wesh.com / 06 Feb 2014

A Florida girl said she has been verbally and physically assaulted because she wears a hijab, or head scarf, to school.

Zahrah Habibulla, 14, said she didn't have problems at school with other children until she started wearing her hijab on Dec. 14. The Polk County teen said she wears the hijab for religious reasons.

Source : Arab News / 1 Feb 2014

Muslim Science, a UK-based online magazine, has named two Saudis in its top 20 list of most influential Muslim women in the scientific field.

The two women are Samera Ibrahim Islam and Hayat Sindi. Samera Islam, the drug safety advocate, is a board member of the Arab Science and Technology Foundation and head of the medicine unit at King Fahd Center for Medical Research at King Abdul Aziz University.