UN Special Rapporteur urges Taliban to lift ban on Afghan women working in NGOs
Dec 25, 2023
Kabul [Afghanistan], December 25 : The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, has urged the Taliban to lift the ban on women working in non-governmental organisations, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported.
He stressed that women are crucial to the economy and that their contributions are essential for the well-being and progress of Afghan society.
In a post shared on X, Richard Bennett stated, "One year ago #Taliban banned women from working in NGOs. Once again I urge the lifting of the ban. Education and work are vital to a full and dignified life, women are crucial for the economy and their contributions are essential for the well-being and progress of #Afghan society."
He made the statement while marking the first anniversary of the Taliban's ban on women working in non-governmental organisations. Taliban's ban on women working in NGOs highlights the ongoing restrictions faced by women in Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported.
On December 24, 2022, the Taliban's Ministry of Economy ordered domestic and international NGOs to suspend the employment of women workers until further notice. Domestic and international NGOs had reacted to the Taliban's decision. However, the Taliban has not yet made any new decisions regarding this issue.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a report that the ban on women working in NGOs in Afghanistan has had a major impact on the country's economy, Afghanistan-based TOLO News reported. As per the report, the economy of Afghanistan, "a country that relies on humanitarian aid," is currently deteriorating due to the ban on women's work.
An Afghan economic expert, Mohammad Nabi, said: "In the future, we must build a good economy in cooperation with women, and the Taliban must build a proper mechanism and provide work for women in government offices so that women can serve in society," TOLO News reported.
Earlier this month, the United Nations Women's Division urged the international community to hear the voices of women and girls in Afghanistan, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported. The organisation called on nations to support Afghan women and girls and invest in their resistance.
In a post on X, the UN Women's Division stated, "Listen to Afghan women and girls. Remember their words and call to action. Support their struggle. Invest in their resistance. We continue to stand with Afghan women & girls. Their fight is our global fight."
According to Khaama Press report, the organisation called for supporting the struggles of women, as the struggles of women in Afghanistan have always been suppressed and several protesting women, including Zhulia Parsi, Manizha Seddiqi, and Parisa Azada, have been kept in prison under the Taliban's rule.
