6 | October 2011 | woman this month Letters I have to say that I was really shocked to read Natasha Bird’s interview with Marietta Dias. I had no idea that the sort of cruelty she described went on in Bahrain. I guess you never know what people are doing behind closed doors. It seems awful that people could assume that just because someone is from a different country or gets a lower wage that they could be treated in an inhumane way. I really hope that, after reading that article, many more people will be vigilant about seeking out this kind of abuse and reporting it. I also hope that officials in Bahrain will begin prosecuting the offenders. It is amazing that Marietta and her team of volunteers dedicate so much of their time to such an important cause. I wish her all the very best and hope that the situation will change. Human trafficking, slavery and unreasonable contracts and demands are all outrageous in the 21st century. Julie, by email. Star Letter The Shocking Truth Wonderland Love 19 woman this month | September 2011 | 1FPQMF "kmal Shaukat is an artist and designer who has wholly-embraced the digitisation of the modern world. He paints, he draws, he photographs, but his unique talent lies in his ability to use computer technology. His digital art and illustration displays none of the traits you might associate with computing; it is neither sterile nor stagnant, nor mathematical or limited — but flowing, unique and beautiful. A second generation Pakistani-Afghan, Akmal resides and works in the UK, but travels widely. He has been called upon, not only to show his work, but to contribute to advertising campaigns, to illustrate fiction and to provide artistic direction for some major fashion houses. His designs have also featured in several popular and niche magazines, such as 1883 Magazine and Fashion Labb. So, tell us a little bit about yourself: Akmal: My background is Pakistani-Afghan, but I was born in Bradford, in the North of England. I graduated from Bradford School of Art with a first class honours in graphic media communication in 2007 and went on to complete my master’s in visual culture. There wasn’t a particular moment when I thought: “Wow, I’m creative”. I always had a passion for art, and I began to receive very positive feedback. I didn’t choose my career; my career chose me. My passion for design and the visual arts made my career an inevitable journey. Explain your term “magical realism” to us: I provide extreme realism to mundane subject matter. This means that, rather than simply looking at the surface of a person, object or concept, I unwrap the levels of mystery to look at the core. There are many new worlds and realms to explore, which are still alien to current society; deeper mysteries will always threaten the simple and the ingenuous. The aim is to find a way to represent these for the modern audience. I bypass political correctness, cliché or convention, to get to the heart of the matter — to intrigue or make a statement. My art opens doors, for people who dare to go through them, into a weird and seductive wonderland that is still connected to, or a representation of, reality. You express an adulation of the female form in your work. What is it about women, physically and psychologically, that inspires you? I like to feel that my art characterises the female spirit. It relates to how the female identity expresses itself within the parameters of her society. A woman can be sensitive, intense, sententious, and beautiful — she is a daughter, sister or a mother. There are a plethora of inspiring women out 18 | August 2011 | woman this month 8POEFSMBOE " 8JOEPX JOUP /BUBTIB #JSE UBMLT UP BSUJTU BOE EJHJUBM EFTJHOFS "LNBM 4IBVLBU BCPVU USBOTDFOEJOH DPOWFOUJPO JHOPSJOH QPMJUJDBM DPSSFDUOFTT BOE BSU UIBU EFMWFT EFFQ CFOFBUI UIF TVSGBDF there, making a difference in the world, and a difference to the people in their lives. I find women intensely inspiring, whether they do extraordinary things, such as change the community or alter the shape of the world, or not. Women are inspiring in their everyday lives; as mothers and best friends, for their spirit and passion. In relation to my art, I see my ideal woman as someone who has a niche image that can only be appreciated by those people who are able to discover the most unique side in all things. She is a modern icon full of strength. What do you think it is about the use of taboo in art that makes it so appealing for you as an artist? Anything can be considered art if someone says it is. The same rule goes for taboo; anything can be offensive if someone says it is. Sensitive issues; sensitive to whom, sensitive within what historical time period? Raising these kinds of questions is an artist’s prerogative. Art is about revealing something to the viewer that he or she doesn’t see every day. Do you think art can change a country’s sense or a people’s sense of what is ‘appropriate’ for public consumption? Art and advertising can always change a country’s perception of what is fashionable, trendy, indispensable, or even what is appropriate, respectful, or taboo. To an extent, you always need to respect each society’s ideas about what is appropriate or correct; but, you do have to know when to challenge these too. When it comes to my art, I don’t want to limit my creativity. I always reflect my subjects within their particular society; I don’t aim to limit myself to convention, I don’t choose a context based on its appropriateness. Do you think that your Arab origins have in any way informed your work, even if it is in a sense of consciously rejecting old traditions? My ethnicity has definitely inspired my work. If I was to reject my origins, how could I be in a position to observe and analyse other people’s cultures, traditions and societies? You call some of your art, digital illustrations. How have you embraced modern technology? My designs are defined by their use of mixed media and digitisation. I draw, paint, take digital pictures, glue and paste first. After this I scan the pieces in and I compose, play, create and inform them on a computer. I love modern technology; it excites me. It speaks to the modern viewer and consumer. To what extent do you think that art has had to adapt to an increasingly online population? I think the online community is the way forward. The social network community has grown incredibly rapidly; providing access to information at the touch of a button. It would be silly if “art” didn’t adapt to the demands and needs of the online population. The digital form of my art has made it more accessible. People can experience it all over the world. I have created it knowing that people will see it on a screen, so the impact doesn’t attenuate depending on the environment you view it in. You have been involved with the artwork for some Italian fashion houses. Tell us a little bit about your fashion and art direction: Fashion, particularly influenced by the media, sets a standard, which society tends to follow. My work is an attempt to understand emotions and moods and the closest object I can find that can relate and narrate my expression of moods and emotions is the female form. I found that there was a demand for my work within the field of fashion; hence I catered for this demand. www.akmalshaukat.com I just have to say that I really loved artist Akmal Shaukat’s digital designs. I think it is really cool that he has found such an interesting way to use modern technology for artistic purposes. His art is fresh and interesting and definitely unique. It is also really great that he is so inspired by women. I know that artists throughout history have idolised the female body in their paintings, but I think Akmal has found a way to make the women in his pictures say something. His subjects are quirky and different and each has something more to offer than just a pretty figure. I hope that we see more and more of this sort of thing in the years to come. Lucy, by email WRITE IN AND WIN Send your letter to editor@womanthismonth. com, by fax to 17 813-700 or by post to PO Box 20461, Manama. The star letter will receive 100BD worth of amazing makeup and cosmetics from the brand Gosh, courtesy of the J.H Ruyan Co. Give yourself a dazzling makeover this October! Write Here Write Now 17 woman this month | September 2011 | *OUFSWJFX .arietta Dias has dedicated her life in Bahrain to protecting the rights — sometimes the most basic, human rights that the rest of us take for granted — of migrant workers in the Kingdom. Her passion for Bahrain is as potent as that of its most avid supporters, but this has not prevented her from recognising some of its failings. Although she accepts that many of the agents, employers and host families responsible for migrant workers in the region are fair and just, there is, nonetheless, widespread and systematic abuse of the system. Regardless of whether these abuses rest in the hands of hundreds, or just a few, they need to be addressed, put right and, in the long-term, prevented from occurring. In her 50 years in the region she has seen some dramatic improvements, but the fight is by no means over, she says as she speaks to Woman This Month. Why set up the Migrant Workers Protection Society? To create a voice for people who often don’t get heard. It is a strong voice for the labourers and domestic workers who are brought over to Bahrain, often leaving their families behind, in order to do the tasks that we can’t find anyone else to do. The main thing we are trying to create awareness about is that domestic workers don’t come under the labour laws. There is some suggestion that, as they are considered to be part of a family, they should be treated as such. It's also very difficult to monitor what goes on behind four walls. However, this leads to frequent abuse — and we do call it abuse. The main abuses that we see are non-payment or irregular payment of salary; sometimes these workers can go for months on end without getting paid. Added to this is physical, emotional and sometimes sexual abuse, but the main problem is overwork. If you look at some of the agreements set up by manpower agents you will see the clause: “Working hours unlimited”. This is unacceptable! We cannot have this sort of thing being regularly written into contracts. People need off time to survive; it’s something the rest of us absolutely take for granted. You have expressed the necessity of publicising individual stories — to put personal faces on the situation. Do you have any case studies you could elaborate on? We have so many awful cases. Right now we have an Ethiopian lady, who has been with her employer for over two years and nine months. She is owed months and months of salary and she was systematically physically abused by every member of the family. We went to the hospital in Salmaniya, to try and get at least one of her many, extensive injuries treated, and it turns out that she has actually lost her sight in one eye, because of the trauma she has experienced. In spite of all this, we have been told that she doesn’t have a case and she must board a plane and return home to Ethiopia. The sponsor has gone ahead and cancelled her visa, so she only has one month to sort everything out. It is very frustrating, but we are not willing to let this happen. Has this turned into a full-time job for you? Yes it has. Everybody at the MWPS works on a voluntary basis. We only have two permanent staff — the caretaker in our shelter and a driver. But the work is never ending. Most days we leave for ‘work’ between 8am to 9am and we don’t get back until quite late in the evening. We move between police stations, immigration offices, ministries and embassies; often we have to visit the Isa Town detention centre or the jail, and the hospital because some of the maids need very urgent medical treatment. Trying to do all this with very limited volunteers becomes a big juggling act. It is very much worth it though; at the end of the day we go to bed with a satisfied feeling. Tell us about your women’s shelter: This was one of the first shelters to be opened in Bahrain. Of course, the Philippine embassy always had a shelter, but I can’t think of any other independent ones. Well over 600 women have passed through our shelter. At any time we have around nine or 10 women of varied nationalities. Often the police, or a neighbour, call us regarding something they have witnessed; or the women are picked up after having run away. Frequently, they do not even know where their house is, so they struggle to take us back to it or to point it out, because they have never seen beyond its four walls. We have spent many afternoons driving around with a young woman, hoping that she might recognise something, anything that could suggest where she has been living for the past while. Once in our shelter, though, they are well taken care of; there is food to eat, 24-hour television in different languages and their friends are allowed to visit them regularly. What do you think needs to change in order to improve the situation? This has been my main focus for many years, and I have seen some real leaps forward. Some of the embassies have been particularly proactive and the government is beginning to cooperate and work with us to help our plight. There is a whole mindset that needs to change, though. The penal system needs to change; sometimes, even if domestic employees work up the courage to go to the police station, some of the stations just send them back to the sponsor. All authorities need to be on the same page. They have to understand that the worker has the right to complain and also the right not to go back to a house where they think they have been abused, until the justice system has ruled. Bahrain was the first country to bring out a people anti-trafficking law, in 2008. The problem, though, is that we are not seeing many real prosecutions; too much is still hidden from view. People assume that trafficking just refers to prostitution, but it doesn’t. Most women that we are dealing with have been trafficked; it is the difference between someone going into employment of their own free will and receiving all their rights, and slavery. Many of these women are being treated as slaves, and many employers and host families naturally assume that they have the right to do this. This is the mindset that needs to change across the Kingdom. What are the main components in bringing about change? Implementation of the law! The labour ministry needs to be given more power to sort these situations out. Secondly, we need domestic workers to come under the labour laws. Thirdly, manpower agencies need to be brought under some control by the government — we need checks and regulations. Our main concern, however, is always to raise more awareness; nothing will ever change if people don’t know what is going on. 16 | August 2011 | woman this month 4MBWFSZ 6ONBTLJOH .PEFSO .BSJFUUB %JBT GPVOEJOH NFNCFS PG UIF .JHSBOU 8PSLFST 1SPUFDUJPO 4PDJFUZ IBT SFDFOUMZ CFFO BQQPJOUFE BT JUT DIBJSXPNBO 0WFS UIF ZFBST TIF IBT EPOF TPNF BNB[JOH UIJOHT GPS UIF MJWFT BOE XFMGBSF PG MBCPVSFST BOE EPNFTUJD TUBGG JO #BISBJO #VU UIFSF JT TUJMM B MPOH XBZ UP HP BT /BUBTIB #JSE EJTDPWFST Weight Obsessive I have struggled with an eating disorder for my whole life. It started when I was really young, only 12 years old. A lot of people don’t realise that eating disorders can be genetic. It is rare that someone chooses to get one and they can be so destructive to your life. I don’t believe that, if you have had one, it ever really goes away. It is a demon that will always come back to haunt you. There is no cure. It was good to read the article about bulimia in the September issue of the magazine, because more people need to know about these issues and how to spot them in other people. If you leave an eating disorder untreated or unnoticed it can get to the stage where people are hospitalised or worse. I hope that more people learn about bulimia and anorexia, because then they will not be so casual in their approach to it. I can’t believe that some people would think it was fashionable to have an eating disorder. This just sends out completely the wrong message. Hind, by email. 54 | September 2011 | woman this month $BNQBJHO 55 woman this month | September 2011 | .ade fashionable by the likes of Princess Diana, Jane Fonda and Paula Abdul, bulimia literally means ‘hunger of the ox’ — referring to the large amounts of food that a person consumes during a binging episode. Later on, when shame, guilt and self-condemnation set in, bulimic people try to ‘purge’ themselves by inducing vomiting or using laxatives and diuretics. Many feel that this is an effective way of avoiding the calories and undoing the session of overeating. Recent research suggests that bulimia is more common than you might think — as many as eight per cent of adult females suffer from it, and as many as five per cent of female students. Although the condition can develop at any time in a person’s life, the average age of onset is between 18 and 19 years. Experts also suggest that when there is a close relative or friend suffering from bulimia, then the people around them become four times more likely to develop the condition themselves. &NPUJPOBM EJTUSFTT Bulimia might present itself as a disorder affecting the way someone consumes food, but the compulsive eating and purging process is merely a symptom of something much deeper. Beneath the hunger cravings lie deep-seated, confusing emotional and psychological problems, believes cognitive behavioural therapist, Sharon Gorman. “Dysfunctional relationships within families, within a marriage or a partnership can be a trigger for bulimia nervosa, as can stressful life events, such as the loss of a relationship, a job, bullying and bereavement,” says Sharon, who is managing director of therapeutic services at Crisec Consultants. Low self-esteem, feelings of helplessness and worthlessness, perfectionism, depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder are all personality traits associated with bulimia. The pressure to be skinny and fashionable can also lead young people to start dieting, as they believe it will make them happy and successful and attract acceptance. 4MBWFSZ "EEJDUFE UP GPPE BOE ZFU PCTFTTFE CZ ZPVS CPEZ XFJHIU *G ZPV DBOOPU DPOUSPM ZPVS DSBWJOHT CVU GFFM HVJMU QBOHT BGUFS FWFSZ CJOHF JU NJHIU CF B HPPE JEFB UP TFFL QSPGFTTJPOBM IFMQ &BUJOH UP -JWF -JWF 'VUJMF BOE JOFGGFDUJWF Interestingly, bulimics are deluding themselves when they think they can lose all the calories by purging themselves. “The body is extremely smart, you cannot cheat it so easily,” says Julie Abillamaa, senior dietician at Health Watchers Bahrain diet clinic. When you vomit, you only lose up to 50 per cent of the calories ingested, because the body starts absorbing the calories sooner than you think. A binging session can mean consuming over 3,000 to 5,000 calories. “You cannot possibly lose this by vomiting,” she says. “Moreover, the use of laxatives is futile as this will only cause about 10 per cent of calories to be expelled, while diuretics do not purge any calories at all.” Over-exercise is equally pointless, as the body does not respond well to prolonged exercise sessions and can become immune to it. “It is like under-eating; when you eat very little, your metabolism rate slows down and the body burns less calories,” observes Julie. 5FMMUBMF TJHOT It’s difficult to spot a bulimic; they tend to be very secretive about their binging sessions and most of them have either normal weight or are slightly overweight. However, some warning signs include yellowing teeth and cavities, bruises on the fingers or hands from frequently scraping against the teeth, together with hair loss, bad breath, dry skin and flaked nails. Behavioural signs include obsession with body weight, health food and diets, picking at food in public, a preference to eat in private, using the washroom immediately after meals, mood swings, panic attacks, over-exercise and changes in bowel movement. Bulimia is a very debilitating condition that can have extremely serious consequences in the long-term. An electrolyte imbalance builds up in the body, with a depletion of vitamins and minerals, leading to dehydration and kidney problems. The loss of potassium is especially harmful as it can affect the heart and even cause death! 0WFSDPNJOH CVMJNJB Bulimia nervosa is a psychological condition that results in severe physical imbalances; to overcome both one needs the help of professionals. The first step towards dealing with this disorder is to break the silence and confide in a friend or family member. “Family is a big help; no therapy can help unless the family is around, is listening and is supportive,” says Julie. According to her, the chances of falling off the wagon are far less if bulimics feel that they can involve their friends or family members without suffering derision and criticism. They desperately need emotional support and understanding. Food, in the mind of a bulimic, is a source of shame as well as satisfaction. Psychiatrists and therapists treat bulimia by delving into the minds of their patients and finding out why they feel the way they do about food and what food means to them. Various therapeutic approaches are used to treat the disorder, including cognitive behavioural therapy. This is a kind of psychotherapy, during which an individual has regular discussions about their thinking, is one of the only ways of getting to the root of the problem. There is no quick cure. Progress and development can only occur gradually, exploring the issues that are often deep beneath the surface. “Discussions help a client explore and recognise their negative thought patterns, along with their reasons for their unhealthy relationship with food. It supports people through a journey of self-discovery and selfacceptance and can help them realise that they are worthy of love and connection,” says Sharon. While it is very difficult to break the ‘binge and purge cycle’, it is possible to treat bulimia completely, but it is not easy. Often the disease will stay with someone throughout their life. Research suggests that while around 50 per cent of sufferers can be clear of the condition ten years after its commencement, around 30 per cent will only partially recover and the remaining 20 per cent will still have the symptoms. To gain control over the physical symptoms, a harsh diet is not the way to go. “A harsh diet is never recommended,” notes Julie. “We need to stabilise the body weight and restore the normal eating behaviour of the person. This includes eating three square meals and two snacks a day to break the binge and purge cycle.” If someone you know has an eating disorder, then try to understand that it can be very difficult for them to own up to it, or acknowledge that they are in trouble. Plenty of reassurance and support can help a person suffering from bulimia move towards making the life-changing decision to get professional help. “Help is available, so please be brave and ask for it. The first step to recovery is the willingness to tell somebody what is happening to you,” says Sharon. For more information, call 66 344-470 (Crisec Consultants) or visit www. healthwatchersbahrain.com.
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