In wanting Mumsnet to help Judi Dench and Joanna Lumley

Except we don't all think it's manipulative, many of think it's a worthy cause. Those who don't can't just say that and go they seem to also want to completely derail with all the others causes they think should be addressed.

Yes if they want to do that I, and I am sure others, would be interested to read it. It would likely raise awareness of the issues and potentially generate some groundswell momentum to explore ways to help facilitate change.

Presumably the best approach @whatwouldafeministdo can take is to write an open letter placing the responsibility on a random vaguely public figure who has absolutely no influence over the situation?

Can you start up a thread detailing the action you're taking on this issue in Afghanistan and put a link on this thread to it please?

I'm sure a lot of women on this site would get behind the action you're taking.

But this isn’t a thread about Gaza, it is a thread about people writing a manipulative letter to the head of Mumsnet to try and get her to use the weight of its membership to support a particular cause.

If we are to be used to back up Justine pushing specific causes then we should be entitled to say that if she wants to support maternity services for women then Afghanistan should at the top of the list rather than allow us to be used by Hamas in their mistreatment of women to achieve their political ends.

Have you even read what the registration requirements are? Giving notice doesn't mean anything, youre and others are being deliberately vague and acting like they just need to give the names of their employees when you know it's not true. And after Israel have murdered hundreds of aid and healthcare workers, many of us don't have much care for Israel "alleging" of anything and we would prefer that the NGOs can continue to do anything they can to support women and children living in hell.

Why don't you start a thread about it? Everyone can see what you're doing. Everytime someone tries to talk about Gaza people like you detail the thread with multiple posts about all the other things OP should be posting about (as if a thread about every world crisis would even be efficient). You sound really clued up on Afghanistan and Iran.and like you'd be amazing organising a public campaign for support for their maternity care! Maybe you should start a thread and an open letter and post all your resources there? You could contact any public figures you want support from on social media.

Because you do actually really care of course and are taking practical actions yourself to raise awareness and funds and support right, so it sounds like posting in this particular thread about it is the way to get it off the ground.

Thanks for making it even clearer that you're missing the term 😁

And from the same article in the Guardian, 2 interesting quotes:

"Israeli officials said they had given ample warning to aid organisations about the new registration requirements and that about 15% of nongovernmental organisations working in Gaza had not had their permits renewed."

"In its statement on Tuesday, the Israeli ministry alleged that an investigation had found that MSF employed two individuals with links to Palestinian militant groups: an alleged sniper with Hamas and a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad."

"The pregnant women of Gaza" mantra hides a few inconvenient truths, doesn't it?

OP, you seem very well-intended and full of compassion, but I think you are being played and instrumentalised by people whose motives have nothing to do with helping women and girls.

edited typo

Why isn’t any of your ire aimed at Hamas?

Not for women or maternity care, no they don't. Why don't you care about these women?

Compare the maths 97% fewer HCPs that can treat women in Afghanistan in Herat. And those that remain have to wear a burqa.

Only 15% of NGOs are refusing to provide the evidence that would allow them access to Gaza.

Gazans still have far more NGOs that can provide care TO WOMEN than Afghanistan.

For the 3 remaining female HCPs at the end of 2025, I'd imagine trying to do any kind of complicated medical care WHILST WEARING A BURQA would be a) very difficult and b) quite unhygienic.

Oh actually, I did just find something else from 2025:

New restrictions limit access to care for women in Herat | MSF

At the Islam Qala border crossing with Iran, humanitarian organisations are witnessing similar challenges while bringing care to returnees who have been expelled from Iran. Out of more than one hundred female staff who previously worked there, only three - a midwife, a doctor, and a nurse - are currently permitted to work, under strict conditions requiring them to wear a burqa at all times.

So it appears that no, the Taliban are not really allowing humanitarian staff to treat women. That's a 97% reduction in female staff who can treat women.

If they're also strictly enforcing the 'no men treating women' rule this leaves Afghan women and girls without care.

I wonder why there's not more media noise about this. Maybe Joanna Lumley and Judi Dench could do a letter?

I mean since women wearing the burkha is to prevent men seeing their bodies and there is now a ban on females working as HCPs it raises the question of whether there is anyone to treat them even if they do turn up in the hospital in a burkha. And what happens to any HCPs who might provide this care.

I'm not at all sure this is still true. Most of the information on their webpage pre-dates the most restrictive bans on women being HCPs, and receiving care from HCPs.

It's quite worrying actually - the latest post I can find is from Oct 25 talking about how women cannot now access any healthcare unless they wear a burkha. There is very limited information and they do not address the question of whether they are able to provide care to women and girls as well as men now. I could find an article with only men pictured talking about caring for men in 2025 - the lack of women was a bit concerning.

I wish MSF(and other aid agencies who say they're working in Afghanistan) would explicitly address this - there are certainly reports that aid agencies have been denied access to help women in Afghanistan.

The LATEST date on the webpage you've posted is 2024. A lot has changed for women and girls in Afghanistan in the past year.

It's baffling though that out of all the ways they've chosen to focus their energy they've chosen to focus it on exerting pressure uniquely on Justine

Strange for women who must have a network of publicists and media types at their fingertips to feel that they needed to single out an individual to run this campaign for them rather than just getting on doing it themselves