On Sunday, the United Nations urged the Taliban to remove its ban on Afghan women working in its offices, warning that this restriction jeopardizes “life-saving services.”
Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Afghan women have faced bans from most jobs, parks, beauty salons, and schooling beyond age 12.
In September, the Taliban began stopping women employees from entering UN offices.
“We urge the reversal of the ban on Afghan women staff and contractors entering United Nations premises, ensuring their safe access to offices and the field,” stated Susan Ferguson, the UN women’s agency special representative in Afghanistan.
“The longer these restrictions persist, the greater the threat to these life-saving services,” Ferguson emphasized, noting they contradict the UN’s human rights and equality principles.
The statement did not specify the number of affected staff, but UN sources suggest several hundred women face this ban.
For the last three months, staff have been working remotely, notably aiding earthquake victims and Afghan migrants deported from Pakistan and Iran, Ferguson noted.
She described their work as “indispensable,” adding, “Only through their presence can we safely reach women and girls and offer culturally sensitive assistance.”
The Taliban did not immediately reply to AFP’s request for comment.
In September, the UN refugee agency halted cash aid to returning Afghan migrants, citing difficulties in interviewing and gathering data on over 50% of returnees, who are women.
