UN chief ‘disturbed’ by Taliban’s ban on women working for NGOs in Afghanistan

UN Secretary-General has expressed deep concern about the ban imposed by the Taliban on women from working for national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

“The Secretary-General is deeply disturbed by the reported order of the de facto Taliban authorities banning women from working for national and international non-governmental organizations,” said Secretary-General Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric in a statement.

“This decision will undermine the work of numerous organizations working across the country helping those most vulnerable, especially women and girls,” he added.

The United Nations and its partners, including national and international NGOs, are helping more than 28 million Afghans who depend on humanitarian aid to survive. The reported ban on women working with the international community to save lives and livelihoods in Afghanistan will cause further untold hardship for the people of Afghanistan.

UN Secretary-General reiterated the rights of all women to participate in the workforce thus contributing to the greater good.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the United Nations is profoundly concerned about reports that the Taliban’s order barring all female employees of national and international organizations from going to work with immediate effect.

“Any such order would violate the most fundamental rights of women, as well as be a clear breach of humanitarian principles,” OCHA said.

The UN said that it will seek to meet with the Taliban leadership to obtain clarity on the reported order.

“Women must be enabled to play a critical role in all aspects of life, including the humanitarian response. Their participation must be both respected and safeguarded. This latest decision will only further hurt those most vulnerable, especially women and girls,” OCHA said in a statement.

The UN in Afghanistan and its partners condemned the reported order and reminded the de facto authorities that taking away women’s free will to choose their own fate disempowering and excluding them systematically from all aspects of public and political life.

On Saturday, the Taliban regime ordered all local and foreign NGOs to stop female employees from coming to work in the country.

The Taliban-led Ministry of Economy (MOE) ordered all national and international non-government organizations to suspend the jobs of female employees until further announcement, TOLOnews reported.

This comes a few days after the Taliban ordered the closure of universities to female students across the country.