UN: Ban on Afghan female staffers by Taliban unacceptable

Apr 5, 2023, 2:56 AM | Updated: 10:12 pm

This is a locator map for Afghanistan with its capital, Kabul. (AP Photo)Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS...

This is a locator map for Afghanistan with its capital, Kabul. (AP Photo)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo)

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The United Nations said Wednesday it cannot accept a Taliban decision to bar Afghan female staffers from working at the agency, calling it an “unparalleled” violation of women’s rights.

The statement came a day after the U.N. said it had been informed by Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban that Afghan women would no longer be allowed to work for the world body. That announcement came after the U.N. mission in the country expressed concern that its female staffers were prevented from reporting to work in eastern Nangarhar province.

Prior to Tuesday, Afghan women were already barred from working at national and international non-governmental organizations, disrupting the delivery of humanitarian aid. But the ban did not cover working for the U.N.

That changed this week. On Wednesday, the U.N. mission said that under the Taliban order, no Afghan woman is permitted to work for the U.N. in Afghanistan, and that “this measure will be actively enforced.”

The ban is unlawful under international law and cannot be accepted by the United Nations, the statement said.

The Taliban decision is “an unparalleled violation of women’s rights, a flagrant breach of humanitarian principles, and a breach of international rules,” Wednesday’s statement said.

The Taliban have not commented publicly on the ban.

The U.N. statement said several U.N. national female personnel have already experienced restrictions on their movements, including harassment, intimidation and detention.

“The UN has therefore instructed all national staff — men and women — not to report to the office until further notice,” the statement said.

The Taliban decision drew condemnation from the world’s most recognized organizations. A joint statement singed by the Save the Children, Norwegian Refugee Council, Danish Refugee Council, INTERSOS, Action Against Hunger, and World Vision urged the lifting of the ban on Afghan women aid workers that has been extended to U.N. agencies.

“Without our female staff, the humanitarian community cannot effectively reach women and girls. With more than 28 million people in desperate need of aid to survive, this act will cut off people’s lifelines,” said the statement.

“We call on the De Facto Authorities to lift the ban and allow all female aid workers in Afghanistan to return to work immediately,” it said. “With Afghanistan facing record levels of hunger, the cost of this ban will be measured by lives lost.”

Separately, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said Afghanistan is home to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. More than 28 million people, including over 15 million children, need humanitarian and protection assistance this year — a staggering increase of 4 million people over 2022. Hunger and disease are lurking and the economy is in tatters.

“Yet despite this devastating situation, the de facto authorities have taken the unconscionable and confounding decision to ban Afghan women from working with the United Nations in Afghanistan, including UNICEF,” Russell said in a statement. “Coming on the heels of the decree banning Afghan women from working with NGOs, this decision is yet another affront to women’s fundamental rights and further undermines the delivery of humanitarian assistance across the country.” She said Afghan women are the lifeblood of the humanitarian response. They are highly skilled and uniquely placed to reach the most vulnerable Afghans, including children and women, the sick and elderly, and those living with disabilities.

“They have access to populations that their male colleagues cannot reach,” she said.

Despite initial promises of a more moderate rule than during its previous stint in power in the 1990s, the Taliban have imposed harsh measures since taking over the country in 2021 as U.S. and NATO forces were pulling out of Afghanistan after two decades of war.

Girls are banned from education beyond sixth grade. Women are barred from working, studying, traveling without a male companion, and even going to parks. Women must also cover themselves from head to toe.

The secretary-general’s special representative for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, was engaging Taliban authorities to convey the U.N.’s protest and to seek an immediate reversal of the order. The U.N. said it is also engaging member states, the donor community and humanitarian partners.

“In the history of the United Nations, no other regime has ever tried to ban women from working for the Organization just because they are women,” said Otunbayeva. “This decision represents an assault against women, the fundamental principles of the U.N., and on international law.”

Ramiz Alakbarov, the U.N. deputy special representative for Afghanistan, said at a news conference in New York that both male and female Afghan national staff have been asked to stay home until they can return to work under “normal conditions.”

“We will not have a situation where we are only working with all-male teams,” he said.

The U.N. has a staff of about 3,900 in Afghanistan, including approximately 3,300 Afghans and 600 international personnel. The total also includes 600 Afghan women and 200 women from other countries.

Alakbarov said this means all 3,300 U.N. national staff will stay home until the women can return to work, and they will be paid.

He said the ban doesn’t apply to international female staff and they are able to move freely and provide aid. But he said they are only about 30% or less of the total U.N. Afghanistan staff.

Alakbarov said the new U.N. policy in the country will be revised depending on what sort of exemptions or operational environment can be negotiated. However, he said there is no scenario in which the U.N. would provide aid in the country with men only.

“It is not possible to reach women without women. And without women, they will not be reached. And that’s the unfortunate reality,” he said.

Alakbarov said U.N. officials led by Otunbayeva met Tuesday with the Taliban’s foreign minister and they were told “there will be no additional order because the order was already issued in December,” apparently a reference to the Taliban decision that month to bar women from working for NGOs.

Taliban restrictions in Afghanistan have drawn fierce international condemnation. But the Taliban have shown no signs of backing down, claiming the bans are temporary suspensions in place allegedly because women were not wearing the Islamic headscarf, or hijab, correctly and because gender segregation rules were not being followed.

___

Lederer reported from the United Nations.

World

Artist and photographer Roger Ballen watches as visitors enter the "Shack" installation during an e...

Associated Press

Renowned artist confronts destruction of African wildlife in latest art show

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Often depicted as an integral feature of the continent, African wildlife, from iconic big beasts to its vast array of species, continues to attract millions of foreign travelers every year. But a new art exhibition in the heart of Johannesburg is questioning the relationship between humans and animals on the continent, which […]

1 day ago

Associated Press

4 Indigenous children lost in jungle for 40 days after plane crash are found alive in Colombia

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Four Indigenous children who disappeared 40 days ago after surviving a small plane crash in the Amazon jungle were found alive Friday, Colombian authorities announced, ending an intense search that gripped the nation. The children were alone when searchers found them and are now receiving medical attention, President Gustavo Petro told […]

1 day ago

FILE - Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson returns to 10 Downing Street after meeting with Queen...

Associated Press

From dizzying heights to tumultuous lows, UK’s political showman Boris Johnson steps down

LONDON (AP) — He was the mayor who reveled in the glory of hosting the 2012 London Olympics, and the man who led the Conservatives to a whopping election victory on the back of his mission to “get Brexit done.” But Boris Johnson’s time as prime minister was marred by his handling of the coronavirus […]

1 day ago

FILE - In this Sept. 23, 2015 file, photo, Central Illinois farmers deposit harvested corn on the g...

Associated Press

Canada joins US in trade dispute hearings against Mexico’s proposed ban on GM corn

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Canada said Friday it will join a trade dispute panel that the United States requested over Mexico’s proposed limits on imports of genetically modified corn. The U.S. government asked that the dispute process be formally opened on June 2, after talks with the Mexican government failed to yield results. The panel […]

1 day ago

Associated Press

11 UN peacekeepers accused of sexual exploitation, abuse in Central African Republic

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — Eleven U.N. peacekeepers stationed in Central African Republic have been accused of sexual exploitation and abuse, the United Nations said Friday. Investigations were still underway, but preliminary evidence gathered by the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services revealed that the members of a Tanzanian peacekeeping unit deployed in the […]

1 day ago

Associated Press

U.N. suspends food aid to Ethiopia over diversion of supplies, a day after U.S. does the same

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The United Nations World Food Program said Friday that it is temporarily suspending food aid to Ethiopia because its supplies are being diverted, an announcement that came a day after the United States Agency for International Development said it was doing the same. “Food diversion is absolutely unacceptable, and we welcome […]

1 day ago

Sponsored Articles

Education families...

Education that meets the needs of students, families

Washington Virtual Academies (WAVA) is a program of Omak School District that is a full-time online public school for students in grades K-12.

Emergency preparedness...

Emergency planning for the worst-case scenario

What would you do if you woke up in the middle of the night and heard an intruder in your kitchen? West Coast Armory North can help.

Innovative Education...

The Power of an Innovative Education

Parents and students in Washington state have the power to reimagine the K-12 educational experience through Insight School of Washington.

Medicare fraud...

If you’re on Medicare, you can help stop fraud!

Fraud costs Medicare an estimated $60 billion each year and ultimately raises the cost of health care for everyone.

Men's Health Month...

Men’s Health Month: Why It’s Important to Speak About Your Health

June is Men’s Health Month, with the goal to raise awareness about men’s health and to encourage men to speak about their health.

Internet Washington...

Major Internet Upgrade and Expansion Planned This Year in Washington State

Comcast is investing $280 million this year to offer multi-gigabit Internet speeds to more than four million locations.

UN: Ban on Afghan female staffers by Taliban unacceptable