Nearly 40 Countries at UN Condemn Taliban Policies Toward Women, Girls in Afghanistan
New Age Islam News Bureau
15 March 2026
• Nearly 40 Countries at UN Condemn Taliban Policies Toward Women, Girls in Afghanistan
• Israeli strike kills pregnant woman, child in central Gaza
• Shaping Israel’s music: Inside the workshops of women luthiers
• Under the radar: The program bringing ultra-Orthodox women into the IDF
• Three More Members of the Iranian Women’s Soccer Team Decide to Return to Iran
• Nearly 40 Countries at UN Condemn Taliban Policies Toward Women, Girls in Afghanistan
• Turkey Donates Equipment to Okola Rural Women’s House
• 2026 World women's curling championship: Scores, standings and schedule
• More than wigs: The women behind Israel’s sheitels
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Nearly 40 Countries at UN Condemn Taliban Policies Toward Women, Girls in Afghanistan
March 14, 2026
Nearly 40 Countries at UN Condemn Taliban Policies Toward Women, Girls in Afghanistan
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A group of nearly 40 member states at the United Nations has condemned policies by the Taliban restricting the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, according to a joint statement delivered during a session of the United Nations Security Council.
The statement was presented ahead of a Security Council briefing on the work of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), where representatives discussed the human rights situation of women in the country following the wide-ranging restrictions imposed since the Taliban returned to power.
The signatory countries expressed solidarity with Afghan women and girls, stating that policies preventing girls from accessing education and limiting women’s participation in the workforce violate fundamental rights and could have long-term social and economic consequences for Afghanistan.
The countries said their position aligns with international initiatives, including the UN’s Women, Peace and Security agenda and the Group of Friends of Women, Peace and Security, which advocate for the protection of women’s rights in conflict-affected regions.
The statement also noted that despite repeated calls from the international community to lift restrictions on women and girls, the policies remain in place, raising ongoing concerns about the human rights situation in Afghanistan.
Source: shiawaves.com
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Israeli strike kills pregnant woman, child in central Gaza
by Sakina Fatima
15th March 2026
A Palestinian woman sits on the rubble of her home destroyed in an Israeli strike in Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza, March 19. Photo: AFP
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Gaza Strip: At least four Palestinians, including a boy and his pregnant mother, were killed Sunday by an Israeli airstrike in the war-torn Gaza Strip, hospital authorities said.
The strike hit a house in Nuseirat, an urban refugee camp in central Gaza, killing a couple and their young son, according to the nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. The fourth fatality was taken to the Awda hospital in Nuseirat.
The deaths were the latest fatalities among Palestinians in the coastal enclave since an October ceasefire deal attempted to halt a more than 2-year war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
While the heaviest fighting has subsided, the ceasefire has still seen almost daily Israeli fire. Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes and frequently fire on Palestinians near military-held zones, killing more than 650 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.
Israel says it has responded to violations of the ceasefire or targeted wanted militants. But about half of those killed have been women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
They were among more than 72,200 Palestinians killed in the war which was triggered when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The militant attack killed over 1,200 people and took over 250 others hostage.
The health ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. But it does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants.
Militants have carried out shooting attacks on troops, and Israel says its strikes are in response to that and other violations. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire.
Source: www.siasat.com
https://www.siasat.com/israeli-strike-kills-pregnant-woman-child-in-central-gaza-3435306/
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Shaping Israel’s music: Inside the workshops of women luthiers
By SARAH HERSHENSON
MARCH 14, 2026
Luthiers are craftspeople skilled in making string instruments – guitars, violins, violas, cellos, double basses. Their hands carve, chisel, gouge, varnish, and fit together various types of inanimate pieces of wood and other materials so the finished instrument “sings” in the hands of the right musician.
It is an art that has evolved over centuries. From the simple plucked harp or lyre of ancient times to the many different sized and voiced instruments of the modern string family, luthiers have been honing their techniques based on the models and measurements of the great Austrian and Italian luthiers, such as Jacob Stainer, Nicola Amati, and Antonio Stradivari.
It is a profession that does not require great physical strength but has nevertheless been dominated by men and passed on from male masters to their apprentices. The famous luthier Antonio Stradivari learned the trade from the eminent Nicola Amati in the 17th century, who learned from his father, Hieronymus, and grandfather Andrea. Their work, measurements, and high standards remain the template for the modern instruments produced today, and their work began the great era of violin making based in Cremona, Italy.
Source: www.jpost.com
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-889838
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Under the radar: The program bringing ultra-Orthodox women into the IDF
By SHOSHANNA KEATS JASKOLL
MARCH 14, 2026
Meet the haredi women helping others like them join the IDF while maintaining their values, serving their nation, the community, and their families.
Maybe it’s something about the name, but there seem to be a lot of Esti’s (short for “Esther”) doing groundbreaking work in Israel. Each in her own way, these women continue the work of Queen Esther, getting involved where and how the community needs them – even at personal risk. At Purim time, during the war to bring down the oppressive Iranian Islamic regime and for International Women’s Month, I’m pleased to introduce you to another Esti: Esti Solomon.
Solomon is the latest haredi woman I’ve had the privilege to interview who is making waves to further her community, via her ATIDA (“her future” in Hebrew) organization. Not everyone loves what Solomon is doing, however, and like the other women active in her community, she has her share of detractors.
Source: www.jpost.com
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-889629
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Three More Members of the Iranian Women’s Soccer Team Decide to Return to Iran
By Jon Emont
March 15, 2026
Three more members of the Iranian women’s soccer team who were granted humanitarian visas in Australia have decided to return to Iran.
Seven members of the Iranian women’s soccer team claimed humanitarian assistance in Australia earlier this month. They did so out of fear that they would face retribution at home for their refusal to sing the Iranian national anthem at a tournament in Australia.
Source: www.wsj.com
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Turkey Donates Equipment to Okola Rural Women’s House
Paru le samedi
14 mars 2026
Turkey's ambassador to Cameroon visited the town of Okola in the Centre region on March 10, 2026, to deliver equipment aimed at supporting rural women’s activities. Volkan Öskiper presented the equipment to strengthen the Okola Rural Women's House, a training and exchange centre built three years ago through Turkish cooperation. Beneficiaries say the initiative builds on ongoing efforts to improve women’s economic autonomy in the area.
The Okola Rural Women's House, inaugurated in September 2023, was built at a cost of about 20 million CFA francs. The project was largely financed by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), which contributed 16 million CFA francs. The initiative was led by Virginie Edoa, who advocates for the economic and social advancement of women in the community.
For the president of the Association des femmes MvogNnamnyeOnandua Sud, the equipment donated by Turkish diplomats represents tangible support for the work carried out at the centre. “The equipment we received today will allow women to be better equipped. We will also improve our training programs with this equipment,” she told the national broadcaster.
Conceived as a gathering and training centre, the Okola Rural Women's House provides women with a space to develop income-generating activities, share experiences and attend training sessions in various fields. In donating the equipment, Ambassador Öskiper reaffirmed Turkey’s commitment to empowering rural women. “This is a house we built a few years ago. We decided to do more for it because we truly believe women are our future,” he said.
The handover came just days after International Women's Rights Day, which promotes women’s rights and leadership worldwide. Beyond the symbolism, the initiative reflects growing cooperation between Cameroon and Turkey across sectors including education, humanitarian assistance and community development. For women in Okola and nearby villages, the new equipment is expected to help diversify activities, strengthen training programs and support local economic initiatives, contributing to improved living conditions in this town in the Lékié department.
Source: www.stopblablacam.com
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2026 World women's curling championship: Scores, standings and schedule
March 15, 2026 -
Team Kerri Einarson gets another chance to represent Canada at the world women's curling championship, March 14-22 in Calgary.
The Manitoba skip won her fifth Scotties Tournament of Hearts last month in Mississauga, Ont. Einarson's best finishes at worlds are a pair of bronze medals in 2022 and 2023.
Thirteen teams will play a round-robin this year to determine the six playoff squads. Here are the standings, schedule and results:
Source: www.sportsnet.ca
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More than wigs: The women behind Israel’s sheitels
By RIVKAH LAMBERT ADLER
MARCH 14, 2026
On a residential street in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Rachel Levitan begins her day not with scissors but with prayer. Before she opens her business each morning, she stands alone in her home salon and asks for help.
“I ask Hashem [God] for [livelihood] for my family, but more importantly, I ask Him to help me make His mitzvah beautiful,” she says. Sometimes she recites Tehillim before a client arrives.
Levitan is one of Israel’s many sheitel machers (wig stylists), serving married Jewish women who cover their hair as part of religious observance. Outsiders often imagine glamour: glossy hair, high-end clientele, and luxury price tags.
But the women behind the wigs describe something far more complex – a profession that is part artisan, part therapist, part entrepreneur, and part spiritual caretaker.
“It’s not glamorous,” Levitan says plainly. “It’s a lot of standing. A lot of chemicals. Bleach. Sewing for hours alone. You’re working with pieces worth thousands of shekels. It’s draining.
Levitan’s path to the sheitel world began far from Israel. Born in Poland and raised in a non-religious home with Christian roots, she describes herself as “a seeker of truth” from childhood.
Eventually, her search led her to Judaism. She volunteered in Israel in 2017, converted through a beit din in Bnei Brak, and married in 2018. Like many newly married religious women, she began covering her hair immediately. And she struggled.
What began as a necessity became her calling. She trained wherever she could, often working essentially for free just to gain experience. “I wanted to understand the ‘glow’ that happens when a woman feels like herself again.”
Over the years, she has shared in the full spectrum of her clients’ lives: engagements, weddings, births, and losses. “I rejoice when they rejoice, and I carry their burdens when they grieve.”
“She invites me to her parties. I go to her [Torah] classes. I was nervous around her at first. She’s like a rebbetzin to me. But we became very close. When I was struggling a few months ago, she was there for me.”
The work is intensely personal. “Every snip of the shears and every set of curls is done with the prayer that the women walk out feeling not only beautiful on the outside but seen, supported, and strengthened on the inside,” Levitan says.
She pauses. “When I put a sheitel on a woman, and she looks in the mirror, I can see the energy switch instantly. She looks 20 years younger. Beautiful, strong, and confident.
Born in France, Sullivan made aliyah at 16 and later moved to Lakewood, New Jersey, as a young mother of five seeking income. She answered a newspaper ad to “ventilate” hair, only later learning that meant hand-tying individual strands into wigs to create natural hairlines.
Years later, while raising children, she began repairing wigs from home. She analyzed each one that came in, studying its construction, weak points, and hair quality.
Eventually, she began producing custom wigs and sourcing factories overseas, a financially risky, painstaking process she describes as a “painful, heart-exhausting” process. That experience inspired her to teach others.
“The prohibition isn’t about limiting women’s beauty,” she says. “Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Abigail, Esther, and Batsheva are all women in the Bible who were praised for their beauty.”
Source: www.jpost.com
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-889647
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