After banning Afghan girls from going to schools and universities, the IE imposed sanctions on women’s employment in national and international non-governmental organizations, but exempted the UN female staff.
Recently, the denial of permission to local UN female employees in the Eastern Province of Nangarhar provoked strong international reactions and called the decision a great loss for the ordinary Afghans.
UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has denounced IE’s decision and warned that if it is not reversed, it will affect their assistance in Afghanistan.
Guterres said: “I strongly decry the decision to ban our Afghan female colleagues from working in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. If the decision is not withdrawn, it will seriously undermine our ability to deliver life-saving assistance to those who need it.”
Meanwhile, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, called IE’s decision a violation of women’s rights and against UN Charter.
Bennett uttered: “Taliban’s decision to ban Afghan female employees from working at the UN is another severe violation of their basic rights, which violates the UN Charter and affects essential services for Afghans. Female staff is necessary, so I ask the Taliban authorities to withdraw their decision immediately.”
Zalmay Khalilzad, the US Former Representative for Afghan peace, called the decision to ban the employment of female workers in the UN entities wrong.
Khalilzad said the IE made promises regarding Afghan women’s rights in all Doha meetings and now they must implement them.
He added: “The Taliban’s decision to ban the work of Afghan women in the United Nations offices in Afghanistan is wrong. This decision will complicate the international interaction and relations with the Taliban. Afghan women have inalienable rights in terms of education and work, which are recognized in Islam and international conventions. Taliban leaders have promised to respect these rights in public and private meetings in Doha, now they should fulfill their promises for Afghans.”
The IE has not yet responded to its recent decision and international reactions, but it had previously said that the ban on female employees is a domestic issue of Afghans and foreigners should not interfere in it.
