NGOs suspend work in Afghanistan after Taliban regime bars female employees

Samantha-Jo Roth

December 25, 04:15 PM December 25, 04:23 PM

Major international aid groups suspended operations in Afghanistan on Sunday after the Taliban banned women from working at nongovernmental organizations until further notice, prompting worldwide condemnation.

The Taliban’s Economy Ministry announced Saturday that women could no longer work for NGOs as a result of complaints that some women had not adhered to the Taliban’s interpretation of the Islamic dress code for women, which includes wearing the hijab correctly. Earlier this year, the Taliban ordered all Afghan women to wear head-to-toe coverings in public.

TALIBAN BARS WOMEN FROM WORKING IN HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS IN CRACKDOWN

Save the Children, the International Rescue Committee, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and CARE International suspended their operations in the country after the decision was made Saturday. The four NGOs were providing education, healthcare, nutrition services, and child protection amid deteriorating humanitarian conditions.

“We cannot effectively reach children, women and men in desperate need in Afghanistan without our female staff,” read a joint statement from Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and CARE International.

Separately, the IRC said it was suspending services in Afghanistan for similar reasons. Nearly half of the committee’s employees are women.

“Our ability to deliver services rely on female staff at all levels of our organization. If we are not allowed to employ women, we are not able to deliver to those in need,” the IRC said in a statement Sunday, according to Axios.

Charge d'Affaires of the U.S. Mission to Afghanistan Karen Decker questioned on Twitter how the Taliban planned to prevent hunger among women and children after the ban, pointing out that the United States is the largest donor of humanitarian aid in the country.

A spokesman for the Taliban administration, Zabihullah Mujahid, attempted to defend the move, saying all organizations in Afghanistan are required to follow the rules set by the country.

“We do not allow anyone to talk rubbish or make threats regarding the decisions of our leaders under the title of humanitarian aid,” Mujahid said on Twitter.

Earlier this month, the U.N. humanitarian office warned that a record 28.3 million people will need humanitarian and other assistance next year.

Taliban bars women from working in human rights organizations in crackdown

Asher Notheis

December 24, 04:50 PM December 24, 05:03 PM

The Taliban have ordered all nongovernmental organizations to stop all female volunteers from coming to work, marking another backstep in the group's 2021 pledge to uphold women's rights.

The order was given by the Ministry of Economy in a letter to all local and international NGOs. The order claims that the organizations have failed to adhere to Islamic dress rules and other laws of the Islamic Emirate as the reason for the move, according to CNN.

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“Lately there have been serious complaints regarding not observing the Islamic hijab and other Islamic Emirate’s laws and regulations,” according to the letter, which went on to read that “guidance is given to suspend work of all female employees of National and international non-governmental organizations.”

Any NGO that fails to abide by this new rule will have its license revoked, the ministry warned.

The announcement of the new rule came in the same week that the Taliban government announced a ban against women from attending private or public universities in Afghanistan. Ziaullah Hashmi, the spokesman for the Ministry of Higher Education, shared a letter on Tuesday ordering all private and public universities to enact the ban as soon as possible, according to NPR.

The Taliban managed to topple the U.S.-backed government of Afghanistan in August 2021 and had initially said it would uphold women's rights in the country. In the 16 months since then, however, the group's initial promise has rung hollow.

In May, the Taliban ordered that all women must be covered from head to toe when in public and that any women who fail to obey this order could have their father or closest male relative imprisoned or fired from their government positions.

NHL responds to backlash after declaring 'trans women are women'

Luke Gentile

November 24, 11:52 AM November 24, 11:52 AM

The NHL stood by its claim that "trans women are women" after being dragged on social media for making the claim Tuesday.

The league's Twitter account initially posted the claim after a user belittled the NHL's support of the Team Trans Draft Tournament in Middleton, Wisconsin.

NHL GETS DRAGGED AFTER DECLARING, 'TRANS WOMEN ARE WOMEN'

The tournament saw all 80 participants identify as either transgender or nonbinary and served as the first of its kind, the NHL said.

"So, men playing on [a women's] team?" one user tweeted at the NHL.

"Trans women are women. Trans men are men. Nonbinary identity is real," the NHL shot back.

Social media erupted in the wake of the tweet, with many bashing the league as woke, but the NHL has doubled down, reiterating its support for the transgender and LGBT community in an initiative called "Hockey is or Everyone."

"We support any teammate, coach or fan who brings heart, energy and passion to the rink," the NHL said in a statement.

"We believe all hockey programs — from professionals to youth organizations — should provide a safe, positive and inclusive environment for players and families regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, disability, sexual orientation and socio-economic status," it continued.

The NHL's recent comments pushing inclusivity come as the league has come under fire for its lack of diversity.

Tampon shortage hits major vendors nationwide

Cassidy Morrison

June 11, 05:00 AM June 11, 05:00 AM

First, it was little one components. Now, it truly is tampons.

Keep shelves the place tampons should really be stocked have been bare in modern months because of to provide chain issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, setting the scene for a shortage that’s been brewing for a although.

Proof of the lack has been increasing on social media and forums, although knowledge mapping out the training course of the shortage have nonetheless to be compiled. Discouraged ladies have shared their hassle finding their favored menstrual goods on Twitter and Reddit, typically such as pics of vacant shelves at major-box vendors these kinds of as CVS and Walgreens.

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“With China shut down thanks to Covid, offer chain issues are going from bad to worse,” one lady wrote on Twitter in April. “I can't locate the feminine cleanliness goods I like everywhere. I can uncover them on line however for $10 for a box of pads and $17 for a box of tampons?! This is not some fancy manufacturer. This f***ing sucks.”

One more Twitter person wrote, “Is a female apocalypse coming or a thing?! Why is each individual keep out of tampons?”

The scarcity has been driven by source chain issues that have plagued the manufacture of other goods, most notably child components. The big tampon suppliers, Procter & Gamble, Edgewell, and Kimberly-Clark, have cited COVID-19-similar limitations on employees’ potential to do the job and travel, transport and transportation bottlenecks, and issues sourcing raw supplies.

Cotton and rayon, key components for the manufacture of tampons, have been in superior desire in the course of the pandemic, which has also led to increased fees. The rate for every pound of cotton, for occasion, has also climbed about 88% since the get started of the pandemic.

Procter & Gamble, which manufactures Tampax products, America’s most common tampon manufacturer, reported the firm has ramped up production at its Maine plant to work all over the clock.

“We fully grasp it is irritating for customers when they just cannot find what they will need. We can guarantee you this is a temporary situation, and the Tampax group is manufacturing tampons 24/7 to fulfill the increased desire for our merchandise,” a organization spokesperson explained to the Washington Examiner.

A firm spokesperson also attributed elevated demand from customers and very low supply to the “hit” 2020 ad campaign showcasing comedian Amy Schumer, according to Time.

Kimberly-Clark and Edgewell, manufacturers of Kotex and Playtex respectively, did not answer to requests for remark. The providers disclosed in stories for investors that the pandemic could keep on to disrupt their qualities to satisfy heightened desire for the products and solutions. Kimberly-Clark, for occasion, told traders the pandemic could have numerous negative impacts on the enterprise, “including resulting in important volatility in demand for our solutions, alterations in shopper actions and choice, disruptions in our manufacturing and supply chain functions … substantial improvements in the economic or political disorders in markets in which we run.”

Major vendors have acknowledged the lack of distinct models, nevertheless they insist they are in typical speak to with businesses about their initiatives to improve supplies.

“Walgreens works diligently with our suppliers to assure we have tampon source accessible,” a spokesperson for Walgreens stated. “However, similar to other vendors, we are encountering some short-term model-certain shortages in particular geographies. Although we will continue on to have items at shelf and online, it may well only be in unique manufacturers whilst we navigate the offer disruption.”