The United Nations Mission announced today, Tuesday, that its Afghan female employees have been prevented from working in Nangarhar Province in eastern Afghanistan, reminding the Taliban authorities that the UN body cannot work without women.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan tweeted that “the United Nations in Afghanistan expresses its grave concern” regarding Afghan women employees of the United Nations “who were prevented from coming to work in Nangarhar Province.”
The mission also continued, “We remind the de facto authorities that United Nations entities cannot perform their work and provide vital assistance without their female staff.”
In response to a question by Agence France-Presse, the spokesman for the Taliban government, Zabihullah Mujahid, indicated that he was in the process of inquiring about what happened.
because of the veil
On December 24, 2022, the Ministry of Economy of the Taliban government announced that the 1,260 non-governmental organizations operating in the country had been banned from cooperating with Afghan women, due to “serious complaints” related to adherence to wearing the hijab and covering the body and face, but the United Nations did not. concerned with that decision.
In a speech to the UN Security Council on March 8 on the occasion of International Women’s Day, the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, Rosa Otunbayeva, expressed her concern. At the time, she said, “we fear that the national women’s staff working for the United Nations will also be prevented.”
A member of the Taliban forces
After the ban was issued, several non-governmental organizations announced the suspension of their activities, only to resume them in mid-January with the support of their women’s teams in some areas that were exempted from the effects of the decision, such as health and nutrition.
These restrictions did not initially apply to the United Nations and some other international organizations. In January, the UN deputy secretary-general cited concerns that next time the authorities might restrict the work of Afghan women working with international organisations.
It is noteworthy that the Taliban movement seized power in August 2021, which greatly limited the freedoms and rights of women, such as their ability to attend secondary schools and universities.
The Taliban administration prevents most girls from enrolling in secondary schools, as well as preventing them from enrolling in universities, claiming that this raises problems, some of which relate to adherence to Islamic dress.
