The World Briefly

April 06, 2023

Barefoot in the Kitchen

Afghanistan

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Taliban officials banned women from working for the United Nations this week, the latest restriction the armed group has imposed on Afghan women since it took control of Afghanistan in 2021, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The UN said Tuesday that Taliban authorities prevented female Afghan staff from entering its offices in the eastern province of Nangarhar. Although the ban was enforced in only one province, UN officials added that the restriction is applicable across the whole country.

One Taliban representative said he had no knowledge of the ban, while the Foreign Ministry did not comment on the matter.

The international organization criticized the move and warned that the UN’s entities “cannot operate and deliver lifesaving assistance without female staff.”

Working for the UN was one of the last areas of employment left for women in Afghanistan, who have experienced increasing restrictions since the Taliban took over nearly two years ago following the withdrawal of US-led foreign troops. Then, the Taliban promised to refrain from restrictions on women and girls.

Last year, the Islamist group barred teenage girls from attending school and later extended the ban to universities. In December, they prohibited women from working for non-governmental organizations – except the UN.

The restrictions could further jeopardize the UN’s efforts to raise $4.6 billion to provide emergency aid to more than half of the population of Afghanistan. According to UN officials, the Taliban’s gender-discriminatory efforts have made it more difficult to raise funds from donors.

The Taliban, meanwhile, have accused the international community of politicizing aid and expressed frustration that other countries are focusing only on the issue of women.

The group has said that it is adhering to Islamic and Afghan culture, adding that some restrictions are temporary until they establish separate facilities for men and women. But despite assurances from some ministers, the ban on girls attending high school still persists.

This story originally appeared in the April 06, 2023 newsletter, The Hero and the Strongman.