KABUL (Reuters) – The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has called for the lifting of a ban imposed by the Taliban interim government on women working in non-governmental organizations operating in the country.
“With millions of people in Afghanistan in need of humanitarian assistance, it is essential to remove barriers,” UNAMA said in a statement. UNAMA interim representative Ramiz Arakbarov said he had met with Economy Minister Hanif.
The economy ministry on Thursday ordered NGOs not to hire female workers, saying some women did not follow Islamic dress codes as interpreted by the Taliban. While the directive does not apply directly to the United Nations, many of its programs are implemented by NGOs.
NGOs say they cannot run programs without female staff and four major NGOs around the world have already announced their suspension.
Aid agencies say more than half of the Afghan population depend on humanitarian assistance, making basic assistance essential, especially in winter.
In Afghanistan, where the economy is collapsing, NGOs have become an important source of employment, especially for women.
