"Stop Employing Women Or Will Close All National And Foreign NGOs Employing Women": Taliban's Diktat
New Age Islam News Bureau
30 December 2024
· "Stop Employing Women OrWill Close All National And Foreign NGOsEmploying Women": Taliban's Diktat
· Taliban Bans Windows Overlooking Women's Spaces To Prevent 'Obscene Acts'
· Over 480,000 Saudi Women Join Employment Market In 4 Years
· Syria’s New FM: We Stand With Women And Will Defend Their Rights
· In Gaza’s Crowded Tent Camps, Women Wrestle With A Life Stripped Of Privacy
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/women-national-ngos-employing-taliban/d/134191
-----
"Stop Employing Women OrWill Close All National And Foreign NGOsEmploying Women": Taliban's Diktat
Dec 30, 2024
Taliban told NGOs to suspend the employment of Afghan women two years ago.
------------
In yet another draconian move to curtail women's freedom in Afghanistan, the Taliban said it will close all national and foreign non-governmental groups in the country employing women.
In a letter published on X on Sunday night, Afghanistan's Economy Ministry warned that failure to comply with the latest order would lead to NGOs losing their license to operate in the country.
"The Ministry of Economy, as the authority for registering non-Emirati institutions, is responsible for coordinating, leading, and supervising all activities of domestic and foreign NGOs," the post in Persian read.
"Therefore, once again, a follow-up circular has been issued to stop the work of female employees in non-Emirati and foreign institutions. In case of non-cooperation, all activities of the offending institution will be suspended and the activity license they received from this ministry will be cancelled," it added.
This comes two years after the Taliban told NGOs to suspend the employment of Afghan women, allegedly because they didn't wear the Islamic headscarf correctly, according to a report by the Associated Press.
The Taliban have already barred women from many jobs and most public spaces. They have also excluded them from education beyond sixth grade.
Source: ndtv.com
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/stop-employing-women-or-face-closure-talibans-latest-diktate-to-ngos-in-afghanistan-7362675
---------
Taliban bans windows overlooking women's spaces to prevent 'obscene acts'
------------
Dec 29, 2024,
The Taliban has issued a decree banning the construction of windows in buildings overlooking areas where women are present, citing concerns over "obscene acts" that might arise from men observing women in domestic spaces. The latest edict represents a continuation of the group's systematic erosion of women's rights since reclaiming power in Afghanistan in 2021.
The decree, announced by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, mandates that new buildings must avoid windows that allow visibility into courtyards, kitchens, or wells—spaces traditionally used by Afghan women. Existing windows offering such views must be blocked to prevent "nuisances caused to neighbours," according to the directive. Local municipal authorities are tasked with enforcing the order by monitoring construction sites and ensuring compliance.
"Seeing women working in kitchens, in courtyards or collecting water from wells can lead to obscene acts," Mujahid said in a post on X.
Latest in a series of bans
The measure adds to an expanding list of restrictions aimed at erasing women from public and domestic life under the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islamic law. Women in Afghanistan are already barred from education beyond primary school, public employment, and access to public spaces such as parks. These policies, labelled "gender apartheid" by the United Nations, have drawn widespread international condemnation.
Under the Taliban’s governance, women's voices and appearances have also been heavily censored. A decree earlier this year prohibited women from reciting the Quran aloud in the presence of other women, asserting that a woman’s voice is "awrah," or an intimate part that must be concealed. Beauty salons, women-run bakeries, and co-educational spaces have been shut down, while travel and health access for women have been severely restricted. Female students, who once thrived in nursing and midwifery programmes, are now barred from attending classes, further crippling their professional opportunities.
The Taliban's relentless imposition of morality laws mirrors their governance during the 1990s, a period marked by severe repression of women’s rights. Recent measures, such as requiring male guardians for women’s travel and mandating full-body coverings in public, have underscored the regime’s commitment to these draconian policies.
Source: indiatimes.com
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/taliban-bans-windows-overlooking-womens-spaces-to-prevent-obscene-acts/articleshow/116771876.cms
---------
Over 480,000 Saudi women join employment market in 4 years
December 29, 2024
RIYADH — More than 480,000 Saudi women have joined the employment market in just four years, specifically from the end of the second quarter of 2020 until the same period in 2024.
This figure shows an average of 328 Saudi women entered the labor market on a daily basis for four years in a row. This coincided with a sharp decline in the unemployment rate of Saudi women, falling from 31.4 percent to 12.8 percent.
This was revealed in a monitoring carried out by Okaz daily on the basis of the government data collected from the announcements of the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI), the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD), and the National Labor Observatory.
According to the monitoring, the total number of Saudi women working and registered in GOSI crossed 1.09 million by the end of the first half of 2024 while the number of Saudi female employees registered in social insurance by the end of the same period in 2020 was about 652000.
The rate of increase of Saudi female employees accounted for about 78.25 percent of the total number of female employees over four years, in a strong increase in the number of Saudi female workers in jobs registered in social insurance in both public and private sectors.
The monitoring period witnessed 208 Saudi women submitting their resignations from their jobs to move to a government agency, in addition to the exclusion of 722 women from social insurance due to their death.
The average number of Saudi women working at the beginning of working age recorded strong growth, as the average number of Saudi women working between the ages of 15-19 in 2020 was about 11,000 women, while the average number of women working at this age in 2024 rose to 20,000 women, which confirms the integration of female graduates from educational stages into the labor market directly without waiting to search for jobs.
The Riyadh region has the highest share of working Saudi women, as their number registered with social insurance exceeds 528000 women, equivalent to 48.38 percent of the total number of working Saudi women in the Kingdom. The Makkah region came in second place, with the number of working women exceeding 222000 women, equivalent to 20.38 percent of working Saudi women registered with social insurance. The Eastern Province came in third place, with the number of working Saudi women reaching about 189000, so the region accounts for 17.29 percent of Saudi women's jobs.
Madinah ranked fourth and it was followed by the regions of Asir, Qassim, Jazan, Tabuk, Hail, Najran, Al-Jouf, Northern Borders and Al-Baha.
Jobs occupied by Saudi women have recorded strong growth exceeding 100 percent in four Saudi regions over the past four years, with jobs growing by 145 percent in Al-Jouf region with the creation of 3,623 jobs, followed by Makkah region with a 126 percent increase in jobs by employing 19,152 Saudi women, then Asir and Al-Baha regions with a 110 percent increase in jobs in both regions, with the creation of 15,477 jobs for Saudi women in Asir region, and 1,980 jobs in Al-Baha.
The rest of the regions witnessed a remarkable growth exceeding 50 percent in women’s employment, with the exception of the Northern Borders region, which recorded a slight decline.
The monitoring period witnessed the issuance of 14 decisions related to raising the Saudization rate in the private sector by MHRSD, along with raising the minimum wage. The first of these decisions was to amend the localization rates in the NitaqatSaudization program for maintenance and operation contracting activities, in addition to raising the minimum limit for calculating Saudi wages to SR4000 instead of SR3000.
Among the decisions was calculating the employee hired from government and Saudi universities and other government agencies as a full-time employee, with a decision to prohibit the dismissal of Saudi workers in large and medium-sized establishments collectively except in cases of declaring bankruptcy or the final closure of the establishment.
The decisions also included the localization of the tourism accommodation sector in three stages, including supervisory leadership positions, and the localization of leadership positions in the Madinah region, and then a similar decision to localize jobs in the Jazan region. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development issued the localization of women's decoration and sewing service outlets, in cooperation with the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, in addition to the localization of project management professions in two stages in cooperation with the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing as well.
Among the decisions of MHRSD included localizing the purchases sector by 50 percent for establishments employing three or more workers; localizing services of shipping activities and shipping brokers, and sales professions by 15 percent for establishments that hire five or more workers; localization of the education sector operating in private and international schools, and localization of engineering professions, in addition to adopting the updated procedural guide for localization of wholesale and retail commercial outlets.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
https://www.saudigazette.com.sa/article/648219/SAUDI-ARABIA/Over-480000-Saudi-women-join-employment-market-in-4-years
---------
Syria’s New FM: We stand with women and will defend their rights
By Fidel Rahmati
December 30, 2024
Asaad Hassan al-Shaybani, the new Syrian Foreign Minister, wrote in a message on X/Twitter that the country’s officials will stand alongside women and fully defend their rights. He added, “We believe in the active role of women in society and trust in their capabilities.”
This comes at a time when hundreds of Syrian citizens gathered in central Damascus on Thursday, December 29, to demand the establishment of democracy and the guarantee of women’s rights in the country.
Both women and men present at the demonstration chanted slogans such as “We want democracy, not a religious government,” “Syria is free and civil,” and “The Syrian nation is one.”
Some of the protesters were also holding placards that read, “There is no free nation without free women.”
Opposition groups to Bashar al-Assad, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, managed to end five decades of Assad family rule in Syria by taking control of Damascus on December 18.
Following this, the interim Syrian government appointed Aisha al-Dabbas as the head of the Office of Women’s Affairs in the country. Aisha al-Dabbas is the first woman to hold an official position in the new Syrian government under the leadership of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
The appointment of Aisha al-Dabbas and the growing calls for women’s rights reflect a shift in Syria’s political landscape, where voices demanding democratic reform and gender equality are becoming more prominent. As the country navigates a new era, the inclusion of women in leadership roles could be an essential step toward broader societal change.
However, challenges remain, particularly given the complexities of Syria’s ongoing conflict and the political influence of Islamist factions. The future of women’s rights in Syria will depend on the government’s ability to balance political power, regional influences, and the demands of its citizens for a more inclusive and democratic society.
Source: khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/syrias-new-fm-we-stand-with-women-and-will-defend-their-rights/
---------
In Gaza’s crowded tent camps, women wrestle with a life stripped of privacy
December 30, 2024
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza City: For Gaza’s women, the hardships of life in the territory’s sprawling tent camps are compounded by the daily humiliation of never having privacy.
Women struggle to dress modestly while crowded into tents with extended family members, including men, and with strangers only steps away in neighboring tents. Access to menstrual products is limited, so they cut up sheets or old clothes to use as pads. Makeshift toilets usually consist of only a hole in the sand surrounded by sheets dangling from a line, and these must be shared with dozens of other people.
AlaaHamami has dealt with the modesty issue by constantly wearing her prayer shawl, a black cloth that covers her head and upper body.
“Our whole lives have become prayer clothes, even to the market we wear it,” said the young mother of three. “Dignity is gone.”
Normally, she would wear the shawl only when performing her daily Muslim prayers. But with so many men around, she keeps it on all the time, even when sleeping — just in case an Israeli strike hits nearby in the night and she has to flee quickly, she said.
Israel’s 14-month-old campaign in Gaza has driven more than 90 percent of its 2.3 million Palestinians from their homes. Hundreds of thousands of them are now living in squalid camps of tents packed close together over large areas.
Sewage runs into the streets, and food and water are hard to obtain. Winter is setting in. Families often wear the same clothes for weeks because they left clothing and many other belongings behind as they fled.
Everyone in the camps searches daily for food, clean water and firewood. Women feel constantly exposed.
Gaza has always been a conservative society. Most women wear the hijab, or head scarf, in the presence of men who are not immediate family. Matters of women’s health — pregnancy, menstruation and contraception — tend not to be discussed publicly.
“Before we had a roof. Here it does not exist,” said Hamami, whose prayer shawl is torn and smudged with ash from cooking fires. “Here our entire lives have become exposed to the public. There is no privacy for women.”
Even simple needs are hard to meet
Wafaa Nasrallah, a displaced mother of two, says life in the camps makes even the simplest needs difficult, like getting period pads, which she cannot afford. She tried using pieces of cloth and even diapers, which have also increased in price.
For a bathroom, she has a hole in the ground, surrounded by blankets propped up by sticks.
The UN says more than 690,000 women and girls in Gaza require menstrual hygiene products, as well as clean water and toilets. Aid workers have been unable to meet demand, with supplies piling up at crossings from Israel. Stocks of hygiene kits have run out, and prices are exorbitant. Many women have to choose between buying pads and buying food and water.
DoaaHellis, a mother of three living in a camp, said she has torn up her old clothes to use for menstrual pads. “Wherever we find fabric, we tear it up and use it.”
A packet of pads costs 45 shekels ($12), “and there is not even five shekels in the whole tent,” she said.
Anera, a rights group active in Gaza, says some women use birth control pills to halt their periods. Others have experienced disruptions in their cycles because of the stress and trauma of repeated displacement.
The terrible conditions pose real risks to women’s health, said Amal Seyam, the director of the Women’s Affairs Center in Gaza, which provides supplies for women and surveys them about their experiences.
She said some women have not changed clothes for 40 days. That and improvised cloth pads “will certainly create” skin diseases, diseases related to reproductive health and psychological conditions, she said.
“Imagine what a woman in Gaza feels like, if she’s unable to control conditions related to hygiene and menstrual cycles,” Seyam said.
‘Everything is destroyed’
Hellis remembered a time not so long ago, when being a woman felt more like a joy and less like a burden.
“Women are now deprived of everything, no clothes, no bathroom. Their psychology is completely destroyed,” she said.
Seyam said the center has tracked cases where girls have been married younger, before the age of 18, to escape the suffocating environment of their family’s tents. The war will “continue to cause a humanitarian disaster in every sense of the word. And women always pay the biggest price,” she said.
Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, over half of them women and children, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. Its count does not differentiate between combatants and civilians.
Israel launched its assault in retaliation for the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on southern Israel, in which militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted around 250 others.
With large swaths of Gaza’s cities and towns leveled, women wrestle with reduced lives in their tents.
Hamami can walk the length of her small tent in a few strides. She shares it with 13 other people from her extended family. During the war, she gave birth to a son, Ahmed, who is now 8 months old. Between caring for him and her two other children, washing her family’s laundry, cooking and waiting in line for water, she says there’s no time to care for herself.
She has a few objects that remind her of what her life once was, including a powder compact she brought with her when she fled her home in the Shati camp of Gaza City. The makeup is now caked and crumbling. She managed to keep hold of a small mirror through four different displacements over the past year. It’s broken into two shards that she holds together every so often to catch a glimpse of her reflection.
“Previously, I had a wardrobe that contained everything I could wish for,” she said. “We used to go out for a walk every day, go to wedding parties, go to parks, to malls, to buy everything we wanted.”
Women “lost their being and everything in this war,” she said. “Women used to take care of themselves before the war. Now everything is destroyed.”
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2584700/middle-east
---------
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/women-national-ngos-employing-taliban/d/134191