UN’s women staff blocked from working in Nangarhar

ATLANTA (Pajhwok): The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has expressed concern over the caretaker government’s ban on its female workers in eastern Nangarhar province.

UNAMA tweeted: “The @UNin #Afghanistan expresses serious concern that female national UN staff have been prevented from reporting to work in Nangarhar province.”

The mission wrote: “We remind de facto authorities that United Nations entities cannot operate and deliver life-saving assistance without female staff.”

Authorities in Nangarhar and Kabul have not yet commented in this regard, but the Islamic Emirate has imposed restrictions on women and girls over the past 20 months.

The interim government has closed girls’ schools above sixth grades and suspended their university education until next notice.

Women and girls have also been banned from working for NGOs, except for a few health institutions. Females have been barred from going to amusement parks, sports clubs and baths.

But Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for Islamic Emirate, defended the decision, insisting the ban was in accordance with Islamic guidelines.

He told media: “The Islamic Emirate has now come to the conclusion that women do not need to work in NGOs in fields where they are not needed.”

In December 2022, the Ministry of Economy issued a letter restricting women and girls from working in domestic and NGOs over non-observance of hijab.

Mujahid added: “In compliance with the decree of the Islamic Emirate, which seeks to implement sharia law in the country, women should not go to NGOs, just like government institutions that have been working without women for the past one hand half year.”

He argued government officials were responsible for the safety and security of all Afghans, but they were unable to do this for women working for NGOs, because these institutions were not independent and not under government control.

sa/mud