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A30 world news
Diaranson 18 Mei 2022

Spanish govt proposes wider abortion rights, menstrual leave

MADRID (AP) — The government institutions had
Spanish government ap- to “discard taboos, stigmas
proved a draft bill Tues- and guilt regarding women’s
day that widens abortion bodies.” She expressed sup-
rights for teenagers and port for feminist movements
may make Spain the first fighting for abortion rights in
country in Europe enti- the United States and Poland,
tling workers to paid men- as well as in Chile, Argentina
strual leave. and Colombia.
Government officials have
The measures are part of a said that slight discomfort
package of proposals that will would not qualify women
be sent to the Spanish parlia- for menstrual leave. The
ment for debate. The pack- proposed law targets more
age includes an extension of serious symptoms, such as
abortion rights, scrapping diarrhea, fever and bad head-
the requirement for 16- and aches, they say.
17-year-olds to obtain paren- The proposals stirred debate
tal consent before terminat- over whether the menstrual
ing a pregnancy. leave measure would help or
The Spanish move comes just hinder women in the work-
as the U.S. Supreme Court place, with some fearing
appears poised to reverse that Women walk towards an office building in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, May 17, 2022. women could be stigmatized.
country’s constitutional right Associated Press Some private companies in
to abortion, in place for near- medical incapacity, a doctor years ago, has made wom- provided free of charge by the Europe have voluntarily ad-
ly a half-century. must sign off on the health en’s rights one of its politi- national health service under opted period policies. Parts of
Spanish government spokes- problem. cal banners. The Cabinet has the proposals. They currently Asia, ranging from Japan to
woman Isabel Rodríguez said The driving force behind the 14 women and eight men in cost up to 20 euros ($21) at South Korea, have long had
the proposals represented “a law is the junior member of ministerial positions. pharmacies, according to the menstrual leave rules, though
new step forward for wom- Spain’s left-wing coalition Abortion on demand is per- government. the extent to which they are
en, a new step forward for government, the “United We mitted in Spain through the Spanish Equality Minister used has been debated.
democracy.” Can” Party. It was not im- 14th week of pregnancy. The Irene Montero says if the Italy considered the idea in
The Spanish government mediately clear whether the draft bill also scraps the re- proposals are approved by 2016, proposing a bill that
also proposes giving workers Socialist-led coalition has quirement of a three-day lawmakers, Spain will be the would have provided three
who are experiencing period enough support in parlia- waiting period between re- first European country to fully paid days off to workers
pain as much time off as they ment to pass the proposed questing an abortion and the grant paid sick leave for pe- who obtained medical cer-
need, with the state social se- legislation, which could take pregnancy being terminated. riod pains. tificates. The proposal failed
curity system — not employ- months. The latest generation of con- “The days of (women) go- to progress before the par-
ers — paying for sick leave. The government, which traceptive pills, including ing to work in pain are over,” liamentary term ran out in
As with any other temporary came to power almost four morning-after pills, are to be Montero said, adding that 2018.

Zimbabwe urges sale of stockpile of seized elephant ivory

The Zimbabwean officials African countries, as well as the booming numbers and
appealed to the European from China and Japan, will are pressing to be allowed to
Union and other countries consider ways to manage the sell their stockpiles of tusks
to support the sale of ivory populations of the world’s seized from poachers or re-
which has been banned since largest land animal. moved from dead elephants.
1989 by CITES, the interna- “We need assistance. These Other African countries,
tional body that monitors en- elephants are multiplying at such as Kenya, insist that all
dangered species. a dangerous rate, 5% per an- ivory sales should be banned
Zimbabwe has 130 tons of num,” the parks and wildlife to discourage any interna-
ivory and 6 to 7 tons of rhino agency’s director-general, tional trade in ivory.
horn, said Mangwanya. Fulton Mangwanya, said In addition to banning ivory
Envoys from the Nether- during the tour. sales, CITES in 2019 also im-
lands, Germany, France, Brit- Zimbabwe’s estimated posed restrictions on the sales
ain, Switzerland, Canada and 100,000 elephants are double of wild elephants caught in
the United States viewed the the carrying capacity of its na- Zimbabwe and Botswana, a
ivory tusks in heavily guard- tional parks. The overcrowd- move that pleased some con-

An armed Zimbabwe National Parks ranger guards some of the ed vaults in Harare. ed elephants are destroying servationists but dismayed
elephant tusks during a tour of the ivory stockpiles in Harare, Swiss ambassador to Zimba- the trees and shrubs that are officials struggling to manage
Monday, May, 16, 2022. bwe Niculin Jager, speaking vital for them and other wild- their overloaded parks.
life, say parks officials.
There is a flourishing illegal
Associated Press on behalf of the envoys, em-
phasized the need to fight the Zimbabwe’s elephant popu- trade in ivory in which in-
poaching of elephants. lation is getting so big that ternational syndicates fund
HARARE, Zimbabwe “dangerous.” “Conservation and preven- Mangwanya warned “it will poachers to kill elephants and
(AP) — Zimbabwe is tion of illegal wildlife trade is be very difficult for us to do saw off their ivory tusks. The
seeking international Officials from the Zimbabwe an international issue because anything but culling which is ivory is then smuggled over-
support to be allowed to National Parks and Wild- of the involvement of crimi- opposed by everyone.” seas, where there is a demand
sell its stockpile of seized life Management Authority nal syndicates in illegal wild- Neighboring Botswana has for ivory for jewelry and trin-
ivory, saying the $600 mil- showed ambassadors from life trade, hence there is need the world’s largest elephant kets.
lion it expects to earn is European Union countries to strengthen international population with more than Increased poaching and loss
urgently needed for the the stockpile of ivory tusks co-operation,” he said. 130,000. Together Zimbabwe of habitat have made Africa’s
conservation of its rapidly that have been seized from Later this month Zimbabwe and Botswana have nearly elephant populations more
growing elephant popula- poachers and collected from will be hosting what it calls 50% of the world’s elephants. endangered, the Internation-
tion which it describes as elephants that have died. an “elephant summit” in The two countries say they al Union for Conservation of
which representatives of 14 are struggling to cope with Nature said last year.