Latest news with #Jama
IOL News
2 days ago
- General
- IOL News
Miss Somalia's emotional journey: A survivor's stand against female genital mutilation
Zainab Jama, Miss Somalia, shares her harrowing experience of female genital mutilation at the Miss World 2025 stage. Image: Miss World Contest Standing on the Miss World 2025 stage, Zainab Jama, Miss Somalia, delivered a deeply emotional testimony that moved many to tears. Speaking during the 'Head-to-Head' challenge, Jama recounted being forced to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) at the age of seven. Her story, painfully detailed and courageously told, highlighted a tradition that continues to harm millions of girls around the world. Now living in the United Kingdom, Jama is using her platform to advocate for the end of this brutal practice. FGM encompasses procedures that involve the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 230 million girls and women alive today have been subjected to FGM, with more than four million girls at risk each year. Born in Somalia, Jama grew up as a refugee, fleeing her homeland due to conflict and climate crises. After resettling with her family in the UK, she rebuilt her life—but the trauma of her past remained. 'I'm the founder of the Female Initiative Foundation, a project to bond from one of the darkest moments of my life,' she told the audience. 'I stand here today, not just as a voice for the voiceless, but as a survivor of female genital mutilation.' Jama described the sense of powerlessness she felt as a child, remembering the moment her body and rights were taken away in the name of tradition. With a voice trembling from emotion, she recalled, 'I was seven years old. I was outside, playing with my friends. When I was picked up, my clothes were ripped off, and I was taken to a room where three women waited with blades, scissors and old tools.' None of them were medically trained. The procedure was carried out without anaesthesia. 'They told me to be quiet, to be brave and proud—because this was our tradition,' she said. Once the cutting was complete, her skin was stitched together with thick thread, leaving a small opening barely enough for urine or menstrual blood to pass through. This form of FGM is known as infibulation. Jama was then confined to a dark room for days, legs tightly bound, bleeding and in pain. 'That part, after the procedures, is where a lot of girls die. That moment changed me forever, and my childhood came to an end. I survived, but many girls didn't, and they don't,' she said. Her mission now is to raise awareness and prevent other girls from facing the same trauma. Jama emphasised that her fight is for the future: 'They were taught that suffering is part of being a woman, and that this is normal. But it's not normal; it's not okay, and it's not part of our destiny.' Through her foundation, she engages directly with communities, educating families and especially mothers. She speaks publicly, sharing her story to challenge cultural norms. 'Love should never—tradition should never—come at the cost of a child's body or soul. We can honour our traditions without harming our little daughters,' she said. Jama pledged to continue her advocacy work until FGM is no longer tolerated, even if it means facing resistance. Standing beside her on stage, Julia Morley, CEO of the Miss World Organisation, offered comfort and publicly supported Jama's efforts. 'We've heard a voice that needs to be listened to by grandmothers and mothers in your country,' Morley said, stressing the importance of educating women without condemning them for inherited beliefs. Morley called FGM a 'social denigration, cruelty and totally unacceptable, unnecessary thing to do to any female,' and praised Jama's courage. 'This isn't politics. This is humanity.' IOL Lifestyle
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Gen Z Woman's Strategy for Landing Her Dream Job at 22 Goes Viral
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Generation Z graduate has gone viral online after revealing the interview techniques that helped her land her dream job. Hali Jama, 22, graduated in the summer of 2024, and she didn't waste any time before diving headfirst into job interviews. Many might dread the recruitment process, but not Jama, who spent time crafting the perfect technique to help her be at her most confident and professional. It's frequently said that first impressions last a lifetime, and Jama bears that in mind at the start of every interview. Whether in person or on a video call, Jama invites small talk and opens up about herself, telling Newsweek that it's "the human thing to do" in any setting. Just because it's a job interview, it doesn't mean you have to forgo any natural conversation. "I do gauge the interviewer and their energy, and that often signifies how much small talk I want to do," Jama said. "Some people like to get straight to the point, so I try to go with the vibe." After engaging in some light small talk, Jama follows this up by discussing her past roles and involvements. She pays particular attention to any details which are especially relevant to the job she's interviewing for. Hali Jama, 22, discussing her interview technique after landing her dream job. Hali Jama, 22, discussing her interview technique after landing her dream job. @haliijama / TikTok If there are any skills she gained from those positions which would help her land the job, there's no doubt that she's going to mention them. "This is important because it highlights how you can fit into the role you are interviewing for. It's also an organized way to talk about your involvements without getting scrambled about where to start," Jama continued. Once the past is covered, she seamlessly moves onto the present day. Jama explained that she goes into detail about how she discovered the job role that was advertised, and even how she felt about applying. In October 2024, when interviewing for her dream job, Jama told the interviewer that she was "sad about the learning ending" after graduating from college. But after coming across the job role and reading the description, she realized that didn't have to be her reality at all. "A big part of market research is the consistent learning and research. So, it was a strength that I was able to mention indirectly early in the interview," Jama said. Lo and behold, she got a call several days later to congratulate her on getting the job. Much of her advice was learned from people who Jama looked up to, or who worked at companies she aspired to. As the first person in her family to graduate college and progress into the workforce, Jama sought out people who could help her. She told Newsweek that she had approximately "80 coffee chats" with people to gain as much useful information as possible. During that time, she took notes and asked an abundance of questions to make the most of their wisdom. Jama said: "Once I learned all this information, I implemented it in my internships, interviews, and networking opportunities. I always say the best way to learn is to experience it yourself or learn from those who have already done it. I chose to do both." She also found it beneficial to address her mindset. Rather than putting interviewers on a pedestal and getting anxious, she reminds herself that it's "a transactional process," and she is learning about the company just as much as they're learning about her. Amanda Fischer, an executive leadership and career coach, thinks Jama's advice is spot on, but perhaps the most important factor is her confidence. Fischer told Newsweek that being confident in your own ability is "a crucial component of succeeding" in any interview. "A lack of confidence is a huge problem and can be detrimental to even the most experienced candidates," Fischer said. "There are many ways that an individual can boost their confidence before an interview, including positively visualizing how it will go, listening to music, and moving your body directly before." Mindset is a powerful tool, as Jama suggests. Candidates shouldn't feel anxious about being perceived a certain way, as this can lead to too many questions or coming across as aggressive, Fischer says. Viewing yourself as a professional catch that a company would be lucky to have is a great way to start any interview. "Another effective mindset strategy is to treat the people you're talking with as if they're already your colleagues. Be friendly, give the benefit of the doubt to their good intentions, assume that they want to work with you, and occasionally speak about the company as if you already have the role," Fischer continued. The Online Response Jama has documented her advice on social media (@haliijama), with many of her videos going viral online. A clip explaining how she landed her dream job at 22 has amassed over 268,600 views and more than 31,300 likes on TikTok at the time of writing. She didn't intend to go viral, but Jama hopes her content will be useful to others who currently find themselves searching through the job market. Her advice is to have courage, belief, and to try no matter what. "When I think back to summer 2021, right before starting university, I could've never imagined the doors that would open for me. And yet, here I am. Not because it was easy, but because I chose to try, even when the odds were stacked against me," Jama said. Among the comments on her TikTok posts, social media users thanked Jama for the advice and praised her confidence. One comment reads: "Congrats on getting the job!" Another person wrote: "I love this pitch honestly. Ties everything about your growth and who you truly are. Thank you for the tip." While another TikTok user added: "You're the blueprint for my uni experience." Have you had a workplace dilemma? Let us know via life@ We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Straits Times
US health boss Kennedy calls medical journals corrupt
For years, Mr Robert F. Kennedy Jr has attacked the huge influence of the pharmaceutical industry in the US healthcare system. PHOTO: AFP WASHINGTON - US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has attacked major medical journals, accusing them of collaborating with the pharmaceutical industry and threatening to bar government scientists from publishing in them. Mr Kennedy, who has long promoted misinformation about vaccines and is pushing to overhaul federal public health policy, launched his latest broadside against the scientific community in a podcast on May 27, singling out a number of prestigious medical research journals. 'We're probably going to stop publishing in the Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, Jama and those other journals because they're all corrupt,' Mr Kennedy alleged. 'So unless these journals change dramatically, we are going to stop NIH scientists from publishing there, and we're going to create our own journals,' Mr Kennedy said, referring to the National Institutes of Health, a huge federal research agency. For years, Mr Kennedy has attacked the huge influence of the pharmaceutical industry in the US health care system. He had previously attacked these storied medical journals. Dating back to the 19th century, The Lancet, The New England Journal of Medicine and Jama play a key role in medical and biomedical research. The studies they publish are peer reviewed – examined carefully by experts in the field of study being addressed. But Mr Kennedy argued that these publications are not reliable because, he said, they are controlled by big pharmaceutical companies. 'If you want to publish in a journal, you have to pay US$10,000 (S$12,896) to get the study published. So the pharmaceutical company concocts a study that shows the outcome that they want,' Mr Kennedy said, 'and they'll publish that.' Mr Kennedy highlighted in particular allegations by Dr Marcia Angell, a former senior figure at the New England Journal of Medicine. In the early 2000s, Dr Angell published a book on the pharmaceutical industry that argued that much of the clinical research published these days is not to be believed. Mr Kennedy has also accused several health agencies under his watch of being at the service of pharmaceutical companies. He has undertaken a major overhaul of his department to fight what he calls rampant bureaucracy and restore public trust in health care authorities. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
2 Columbus men jailed after high-speed chase in car stolen from Franklin
May 28—Two Columbus men indicted last week are accused of stealing cars from a Franklin dealership last month and were involved in a high-speed chase that ended in a crash in Springboro, police say. Sam Numan Mahmud Jama, 25, and Hadeem Mohamad Mahmoud, 22, were scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Warren County Common Pleas Court. Mahmoud was indicted by a county grand jury for two counts of failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer and one count each of robbery and grand theft of a motor vehicle, plus misdemeanor counts of failure to stop after an accident and obstructing official business. Jama was indicted for three counts of grand theft of a motor vehicle and misdemeanor counts of criminal damaging and obstructing official business. Franklin police were called to a report of a car theft at 8 p.m. April 24 at Adesa Auto Auction at 4400 William C. Good Blvd. in Franklin, where three cars had been stolen and damaged. A security guard said when he confronted the pair that he was shoved to the ground by the driver, identified as Mahmoud, before they fled in a stolen green Dodge Charger with black racing stripes. The car fled north to Interstate 75 from Ohio 123 before getting off at the Ohio 73 exit and heading east. Police were in pursuit, with the driver's speeds reaching 85 mph, according to a Franklin Division of Police report. The stolen car eventually was spotted on Lower Springboro Road after it crashed at a curve near the Springboro Cemetery and Myers Creek Lane, hitting the front of a Chevrolet Equinox. The officer spotted the two men in the stolen Charger running through a creek behind the cemetery and tried to follow before losing sight of them in heavy brush, the report stated. Springboro officers apprehended the two men, who were taken to Kettering Health Franklin and then brought to the Franklin Division of Police to be interviewed before they were booked into the Warren County Jail. Jama and Mahmoud are each held on $50,000 bond.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Uber, Lyft drivers win more benefits, protections despite industry pushback
Uber and Lyft decals are seen on a car in the pickup area at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. Rideshare drivers and labor advocates across the country are urging state and local leaders to require rideshare companies to provide benefits for drivers. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Murphy Smith says he was unemployed for four years because of medical issues before becoming a rideshare driver in Eugene, Oregon. Driving allows him to work without triggering his severe asthma, Smith, 47, says. But without a set minimum wage, he says he works 12 to 16 hours a day to support himself. Smith, who's part of the rideshare drivers advocacy group Drivers Union Oregon, hopes pending legislation will help bring drivers like him a livable wage. 'There are a lot of people here in the Eugene area that don't own a car, and once the buses or the public transportation shuts down, we're who they call,' Smith said. 'So we are an essential part of the workforce here.' Advocates across several states say they've increased their activism recently because Uber and Lyft are pushing back harder than ever, as more cities and states pass laws requiring minimum pay and benefit requirements. The rideshare industry is not as heavily regulated as independent taxi drivers or taxi companies, which are subject to rules on permitting, background checks, vehicle inspections and more, depending on the state or locality. Rideshare drivers and labor advocates across the country are urging state and local leaders to require rideshare companies to provide benefits for drivers, including paid sick leave, minimum wages and workers' compensation. The companies have argued that establishing minimum wages for rideshare drivers would raise the price of rides for customers. Uber and Lyft are working to prevent some states from passing rideshare legislation through public campaigns and lobbying. Oregon Democratic state Sen. Kayse Jama, who sponsored the bill pending in his state, said drivers told him last summer that their accounts were being deactivated without notice. Even drivers who were highly rated were locked out of their accounts, unable to earn any money, he said. 'A lot of those folks are mainly immigrants and refugees, so they don't drive Uber as a side hustle or side gig,' Jama said. 'This is their livelihood. This is how they feed their families. So, they brought the issue to my attention.' Their stories inspired Jama to introduce legislation that would set a minimum wage for Oregon drivers, require a 'just cause' for deactivation — or 'lockouts' — of driver accounts, establish sick leave accrual, increase fare transparency, and create a new driver resource center. Neighboring Washington has a similar model, which was enacted in 2022. Uber has opposed the Oregon bill, saying that the company needs more time to work with the state on drafting the measure. Uber spokesperson Zahid Arab, testifying against the bill, said the legislation would make rideshare 'dramatically more expensive for Oregon riders, reduce access to affordable transportation options, and lead to fewer flexible earning opportunities for drivers.' Jama said that he and his team have been negotiating with Uber and Lyft since the beginning of the legislative session, but there's more work to do. 'At the end of the day, we want a bill that's equitable to both the parties but also ensures that the drivers are getting the relief that they desperately need,' Jama said. Lockouts are not exclusive to drivers in Oregon. Drivers in New York City first reported last summer periods of time when they could not access Uber or Lyft. The companies were limiting the number of active drivers in response to the city's minimum wage rules. Uber came to an agreement with New York City last July to reduce the lockouts, but drivers using Lyft were still seeing account deactivations months later. Uber and Lyft did not respond to Stateline requests for comment. Generally, rideshare drivers are paid a base fare for each trip, with additional money for the time and distance traveled. In some cities, drivers can also see the amount of money they'll earn before accepting a ride. Passengers can choose to tip drivers, too. But every location has different rates. For instance, the minimum pay rates for drivers in Washington state have increased to $1.34 per mile and $0.39 per minute, with a trip minimum of $3.45 per trip, according to the state's labor department. In Seattle, the pay rates are even higher. In places without set rules, drivers are subject to rates that depend on the location and availability of rides. These earnings are reduced by driver expenses, including gas, car maintenance and more. In 2019, the nation's first minimum wage pay rate for rideshare drivers went into effect in New York City. The minimum pay rates for time and mileage amount to drivers earning $17.22 an hour after expenses. It was a significant win for advocates in the city who had campaigned for better pay for years. New York later established minimum pay rates for drivers across the state. Seattle in 2020 became the second city to require minimum wages for rideshare drivers. In 2023, Minneapolis city leaders were also considering an ordinance that would increase driver pay, but Uber and Lyft threatened to leave the city entirely if it were to pass. As part of a 2024 statewide deal after a long battle between Minnesota lawmakers and the rideshare companies, the pay rates for drivers rose to $1.28 per mile and 31 cents per minute on average for time spent driving passengers. As part of the deal, cities were banned from passing their own regulations on wages. California, Massachusetts and Washington also have passed legislation to set minimum wages and rates for rideshare drivers over the past five years. Massachusetts reached an agreement with Uber last year that guaranteed minimum earnings of $32.50 per hour to start, a portable health insurance benefit fund established last month and multilingual chat support coming later this year. Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York and Washington also require rideshare companies to give drivers paid sick leave, workers' compensation, paid family and medical leave, and other benefits. In contrast, a California appeals court ruled in 2023 that transportation network companies could treat drivers as independent contractors, meaning they are not entitled to benefits in the state. The ruling upheld a voter-approved law. Lawmakers in Connecticut and Wisconsin introduced legislation this year that would give rideshare drivers better pay transparency, as well as accident and sickness insurance coverage. Earlier this year, Uber also sued Colorado over a law that requires the company to provide pay disclosures for drivers, arguing that the law violates Uber's free speech rights. The law requires transportation network companies to disclose to drivers the total amount a passenger paid for a trip, how much is given to the driver and how much the passenger tipped. For more than eight years, Ahmed Mahamud has been driving for Uber and Lyft to support his family in Seattle. Driving for the rideshare companies is his full-time job, he said, and business in Seattle is good. 'I love it,' said Mahamud, 51. 'You're helping people when they have a need. So, this isn't just a job. It's a 'win-win' job. You're helping your community, and at the same time you are paying the bills.' But he lacks the same benefits as a salaried job. So he joined Drivers Union and is pushing for better pay, benefits and protections for drivers. 'We are not yet finished fighting against these companies because there are still things missing,' he said. 'So, every single day, we are still fighting.' In the absence of state and federal regulations, rideshare companies have too much power over the drivers they employ, said Drivers Union spokesperson Anna Minard. Drivers in Washington began to organize when they realized Uber and Lyft were changing how much money drivers would earn without letting them know, she said. 'To drivers, this seemed like an avenue for a lot of exploitation,' Minard said. 'So, drivers organized from the get-go and tried various ways to get some rights enshrined in the law [in Washington]. Even though it's contract work, people felt like they should be able to join together and fight for better pay and benefits and safety.' In 2023, a year after rideshare drivers won minimum wage and other benefits, Washington lawmakers passed legislation that made it the first state to give drivers paid family and medical leave. Uber and Lyft supported the new benefits. 'These coordinated pieces of legislation reflect a true compromise between state lawmakers, labor leaders and transportation network companies to afford drivers historic new benefits while protecting the independence and flexibility they say they want,' an Uber spokesperson said in a statement to GeekWire at the time. And last year, after Massachusetts drivers won new benefits that are rolling out over 2025, Tony West, Uber's chief legal officer, said in a statement, 'We hope to engage other policymakers, drivers, advocates and stakeholders around the world to forge similar solutions.' Advocates with Drivers Union helped pass a law this year in Washington that requires rideshare companies to be more transparent about which cars are eligible for special ride options, which are offered to passengers for higher fees. In addition to the standard UberX ride, the app offers UberXL for larger groups, Uber Comfort for newer cars with extra legroom and other options that generally cost more. The legislation, which was signed into law by Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson earlier this month, came after hundreds of drivers saw advertisements from Uber telling them to buy more expensive cars to get more pay on rides, Mahamud said. But in a year, many of those cars would become ineligible once newer cars are introduced to the market, leaving drivers with expensive car notes without the benefit of higher rates to cover it. 'The drivers really came together and said, 'This is just unfair,'' Mahamud said. 'Yesterday we're told to buy these cars, and then before we can pay the car off, we're taken out of the product class which was supposed to pay for it.' The law also requires rideshare companies to provide drivers with a record of their trip receipts. Drivers and advocates are going to keep fighting for their rights, said Nicole Moore, the president of Rideshare Drivers United, a driver-run organization of more than 20,000 drivers in California. Moore is a part-time driver in the Los Angeles area, and she usually works Fridays and Saturdays. 'They [rideshare companies] think that to be an employee in America means you have to work full time, and it has to be a scheduled five-day workweek,' Moore said. 'Now, we as Americans have all these misconceptions about what employment rights and labor rights could actually mean for everyone.' Stateline reporter Madyson Fitzgerald can be reached at mfitzgerald@ This article was first published by Stateline, part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@
