The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday called for the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and girls in Afghanistan, condemning a ban by the Taliban-led government about women attending college or working for humanitarian aid groups.
In a unanimous statement, the 15-member panel said the ban on women and girls from secondary and tertiary education in Afghanistan “represents a growing erosion of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms”.
The council added that the ban “will have a significant and immediate impact on humanitarian activities in the country”, including those of the United Nations.
On Saturday, Afghan authorities banned women from working in NGOs, saying the move was justified because some workers had failed to adhere to their interpretation of the dress code. Islamic.
The Taliban had suspending higher education for women and high school for girls.
It also restricts women from most employment fieldorder them to wear dress from head to toe in publicand ban them from going to the park and the gym.
The international community sees respect for women’s rights as a key point in negotiations with the Taliban government on the recognition and restoration of aid.
“These restrictions contradict the Taliban’s commitments to the people of Afghanistan and the expectations of the international community,” the Security Council said, expressing its full support for the political mission. of the United Nations in Afghanistan, known as UNAMA.
UNAMA also urged Taliban authorities to reverse a ban that charities fear will exacerbate winter hardships.
“Millions of Afghans need humanitarian assistance and the removal of barriers is critical,” UNAMA said in the statement, adding that acting head and humanitarian coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov had met Economy Minister Mohammad Hanif.
The directives banning women from working in NGOs came from Hanif’s ministry. The orders do not apply directly to the United Nations, but many of its programs are carried out by NGOs that obey the orders.
Four major global NGOs, whose humanitarian efforts have reached millions of Afghans, announced that they would suspend operations on Sunday. Other smaller NGOs have also announced suspensions, including UK-based Global Islamic Relief.
NGOs say they cannot run their programs without female staff. According to aid agencies, more than half of the population depends on humanitarian aid. Basic aid becomes more important during the mountainous nation’s harsh winters.
NGOs are also an important source of employment for tens of thousands of Afghans, especially women, as the local economy has collapsed following the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces. leadership and the subsequent Taliban takeover last year.
