Faint hopes that Taliban will relax ban on NGO women after UN condemnation
GuardianDec 28, 2022
The UN announced on Wednesday that some “time-critical” programs in Afghanistan have temporarily stopped and warned that many other activities will also likely need to be paused due to the Taliban government's ban on female aid workers.
In a joint statement with the heads of UN agencies and several aid groups, UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said that women's "participation in aid delivery is not negotiable and must continue," calling on the Taliban to undo the ban put in place on Saturday.
A rare unanimous condemnation by the UNSC may be adequate to demonstrate that the Taliban has gone too far in its crackdown on women's rights, amounting to unjustifiable human rights violations against the Afghan people as it silences and excludes half of its population — a move that not only slows human rights and domestic economic progress but hinders humanitarian efforts in the country.
The suspension of women's employment in foreign NGOs is a matter of Afghanistan's internal affairs that has been decided by its own leaders, so foreign powers should refrain from meddling in it. And, given that Afghanistan is a sovereign state, all those institutions willing to operate within the country must comply with its rules and regulations instead of making threats.