According to the minutes of a meeting between representatives of the UN and the Islamist leadership in Afghanistan, a ban imposed by the Taliban on women working in non-governmental organizations allows for several exceptions.
Female employees of the United Nations and foreign employees of NGOs are exempt, as well as all women who work in the health sector, according to minutes of a meeting between the Taliban’s economy minister, Din Mohammed Hanif, and the executive chief of the UN mission in Afghanistan (Unama ), Ramiz Alakbarov.
The meeting took place on Monday, the minutes are available from the German Press Agency. First, the ARD had reported about it. The Taliban initially did not respond to a request for the meeting on Tuesday.
The work ban had provoked violent reactions in the country and internationally. Several aid organizations that are important for the country, including the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Norwegian Refugee Agency (NRC) and Welthungerhilfe, have already suspended their work.
These incalculable restrictions on women and girls will not only increase the suffering of everyone in Afghanistan.
Volker Türk, head of the UN human rights office
The head of the UN human rights office, Volker Türk, warned that bans on training and working for women in Afghanistan could destabilize the country’s society and trigger “terrible domino effects”.
“These incalculable restrictions on women and girls will not only increase the suffering of everyone in Afghanistan,” High Commissioner Türk warned in Geneva on Tuesday. “I’m afraid that they also pose a threat outside of Afghanistan,” he said, indirectly referring to the risk of further refugee movements.
The Ministry of Economics in Kabul justified its request for the suspension of the employees, which it published on Saturday, with the fact that the women allegedly did not veil themselves properly and thus violated regulations in the Islamic country. According to the minutes, Minister Hanif also confirmed this to Alakbarov.
The Taliban minister said he had observed cases of disregard for women’s veiling regulations throughout the year. He tried to solve the problem through dialogue with the NGOs until the higher Taliban leadership found out about it. His ministry was asked by the top leadership to issue the letter to the NGOs.
From NGO circles it was said that such allegations were not justified. According to an NGO in Kabul with offices in other provinces, the Taliban have never entered their buildings or stopped cars with female employees at checkpoints to check dress codes.
In addition, male Taliban could not enter the office areas where female employees work. An NGO worker also said he had never heard of any complaints that other NGOs had received in this regard.
The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is considered precarious. The economy has collapsed since international troops withdrew. According to the United Nations, the UN and its partners, including national and international NGOs, are currently assisting more than 28 million Afghans who depend on humanitarian aid for their survival. An estimated 37 million people live in the country.
Sharp criticism from Baerbock and Schulze
In view of the impending ban on working, Development Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) questioned the aid for the country. With the ban, the Islamists had “delivered an irresponsible blow to aid for the Afghan people,” explained Schulze. on Monday in Berlin.
“Without female employees, organizations cannot continue their work in many areas for half of the population,” said Schulze on Monday in Berlin. This created a completely new situation. “I am therefore in favor of the current support that we are providing with others being suspended for the time being.”
Schulze announced that she and the World Bank would like to invite participants to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) to a meeting. The fund is managed by the World Bank and finances parts of the health and education systems, for example. Germany is taking the initiative as part of its G7 presidency, which it will hold until the end of the year.
We will not accept that the Taliban make humanitarian aid a pawn in their misogyny.
Annalena Baerbock, Foreign Minister (Greens)
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) said on Twitter: “We will not accept that the Taliban make humanitarian aid a pawn in their contempt for women.” In doing so, they robbed half the population of another fundamental right, violated humanitarian principles and endangered people’s vital supplies. “Those who exclude women and girls from work, education and public life not only ruin their country. Gender-based persecution can also be a crime against humanity,” said the Foreign Minister.
The United Nations (UN) called for the lifting of the ban on women working in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) imposed by the radical Islamic Taliban in Afghanistan. The head of the UN support mission in Afghanistan (Unama), Ramis Alakbarow, insisted on this at a meeting with Afghan Economy Minister Mohammad Hanif, Unama said on Monday. “Millions of Afghans are in need of humanitarian assistance and removing barriers is vital.”
Taliban government rejects criticism
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he was appalled by the decision. The Taliban must lift the ban immediately because they are obliged to respect international humanitarian law and principles. “The EU, along with other donors of aid to the Afghan people, will have to weigh the implications of this decision and the Taliban’s recent decision to close universities to women on their engagement with our countries and organizations,” Borrell said.
A spokesman for the Taliban government dismissed criticism and said that all institutions wishing to operate in Afghanistan are obliged to comply with the country’s rules.
Other NGOs cease their work in Afghanistan
The aid organizations Care, Save The Children and the Norwegian Refugee Agency said in a joint statement that they would not be able to reach those in need in Afghanistan without the help of their employees.
The Taliban’s instruction will not only make life-saving aid impossible for thousands of people, but will also jeopardize thousands of jobs in a society in a major economic crisis. The aid organizations announced that they would temporarily stop their programs until the demands were clear.
The head of Caritas International in Kabul, Stefan Recker, told WDR that Caritas is also temporarily stopping its work. It is a “huge dilemma” for non-governmental organizations: Thousands of people in need of help are initially isolated from basic services.
But now you have to send a message “urgently”. The “Action Against Hunger” also announced that it would temporarily suspend all activities in response – with the exception of vital medical measures for children.
The organizations ActionAid and ChristianAid had also announced that they would suspend their activities in Afghanistan. “Women are vital to any humanitarian response,” said ActionAid on Sunday. This is even more true in Afghanistan, where “only women can interact with women”.
According to the NGO ActionAid, 97 women are currently working for them in Afghanistan. Christian Aid said the organization wanted “quick clarity” about the Taliban’s announcement and urged the authorities to lift the ban. Both ActionAid and ChristianAid said they would initially “temporarily” stop their work. (dpa, Reuters, KNA, AFP)