GENEVA: UN human rights chief Volker Turk on Tuesday said Afghanistan`s governing Taliban authorities must reverse their ban on Afghan women working for NGOs.
`I am deeply alarmed at the recent announcement by the de facto authorities in Afghanistan that non-governmental organisations` licences will be revoked if they continue to employ Afghan women. This is absolutely the wrong path being taken, Turk said in a statement.
On Thursday, the Taliban`s economy ministry wrote to ACBAR, the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief and Development which brings together around 200 NGOs, telling them to comply with a decree issued two years ago which bars them from employing Afghan women.
`A follow-up circular has been issued to stop the work of female employees in domestic and foreign non-governmental institutions. In case of noncooperation, all activities of the offending institution will be suspended and the operation licence they had received from this ministry will be cancelled,` it said.
On Sunday, ACBAR met with the ministry and said afterwards that female workers in health and education would be exempt and those working online could continue as normal.-AFP