One statement given by Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stating that Secretary General António Guterres was “deeply disturbed by the reported order of the actual Taliban government” and the head of the United Nations “reiterates the right of all women to participate in the labor force, thereby contributing to the greater benefit.”
According to media reports, the Taliban has ordered all foreign and domestic non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Afghanistan to suspend the recruitment of women after receiving “serious complaints” about their dress code.
Reports of this latest restriction come less than a week later The Taliban government forbids women from attending universitiesprompted strong condemnation by the United Nations and sparked reported protests in some parts of Afghanistan.
The statement released by the United Nations Spokesperson on Saturday goes on to note that the United Nations and its partners, including national and international NGOs, are helping more than 28 million Afghans depend on humanitarian aid to survive.
“The effective delivery of humanitarian assistance requires full, safe and unfettered access to all aid workers, including women. The statement concluded that a ban on women working with the international community to save lives and livelihoods in Afghanistan would cause further hardship for the Afghan people.
UN in Afghanistan to seek clarification
In a separate statement, the UN’s humanitarian coordination office in Afghanistan, condemn the latest round of restrictions on women’s participation, and stressed that any such order by the government “would in fact violate women’s most basic rights, as well as a clear violation of humanitarian principles.”
The United Nations in Afghanistan continued to say that it would seek to meet with the Taliban leadership to clarify the reported order.
“Women must be empowered to play an important role in all aspects of life, including humanitarian work. Their participation must be respected and protected. This latest decision will only further hurt the most vulnerable, especially women and girls,” the statement said.
In addition, the United Nations in Afghanistan and its partners remind the authorities in effect that “depriving women of their freedom to choose their fate, depriving them of their rights and systematically excluding them from every aspect of public and political life would set the country back, jeopardizing efforts for any meaningful peace or stability in the country.”
