IEA urged to revisit ban on Afghan women working with UN

KABUL (Agencies): The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has called on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to revisit the “unacceptable” decision to ban women from working with the United Nations.
“The new edict will intensify the successive restrictive measures imposed on women and girls, including banning them from education, government jobs, and from working for non-governmental organizations,” OIC said in a statement.
It said that the ban is a counter-productive decision with potentially consequential ramifications not just for Afghan women, but more significantly for UN humanitarian operations across the country.
“The General Secretariat calls on de facto authorities to revisit this unacceptable decision and allow Afghans, both men and women, to partake in the reconstruction of their country after decades of violent conflict and socio-economic vulnerability,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief in a statement said that the decision places women in an increasingly vulnerable position and have “direct and life-threatening repercussions, as banning women from work disrupts the delivery of humanitarian aid, basic needs and services to large parts of the entire Afghan population, including women, children and men.”
Josep Borrell noted that this is happening while Afghanistan continues to face one of the worst economic and humanitarian crises in the world, with more than 28 million or two thirds of the population in need of humanitarian assistance and millions of Afghans already on the verge of famine.
“The EU calls upon the Taliban (IEA) to deliver on their promises and prove their ability to respect and protect the human rights and provide basic services for the entire population of Afghanistan, in line with their earlier statements and promises,” Borrell said.