In Solidarity: Afghan UN Male Employees Stop Work To Support Banned Female Workers

On Wednesday, the United Nations reported that the Taliban had issued a notification stating that Afghan women are prohibited from working for the UN in Afghanistan, and they plan to strictly implement this measure.

Ergo, a senior UN official said that Afghan male employees in Kabul will not be going to work to show support to their female colleagues, who are prohibited from working for the global organization by the Taliban.

The United Nations said that 3,300 Afghan men and women stayed home for a second day to protest the Taliban's ban.

Afghan UN Men Support Banned Female Employees

Ramiz Alakbarov, the Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations, who also serves as a Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, notably characterized the actions taken by the Taliban as an unprecedented infringement of basic human rights.

He stressed that the safety and welfare of women in Afghanistan are at risk, and it is essential to include women to assist them in overcoming the present challenges.

He also mentioned that the United Nations employees deployed in Afghanistan will remain in their current work positions.

United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has called for Afghanistan's leaders to immediately withdraw the order due to its discriminatory nature and violation of international human rights law. He stated that female staff members play a crucial role in UN operations, especially in providing assistance that saves lives. The implementation of this verdict would have an impact on millions of Afghan people who are dependent on this aid.

There is currently no information available from their government regarding the reason behind issuing the order. However, it is worth noting that female UN workers who are foreign nationals are exempt from this order.

The UN has been striving to send humanitarian relief to Afghanistan's 23 million people, who are suffering from a devastating financial and humanitarian catastrophe. Female relief workers are critical on the ground, particularly in locating other women in need.

After overthrowing the US government in 2021, the Taliban regime has strengthened restrictions upon women's participation in public life, including prohibiting women from attending university and shutting the majority of girls' high schools.

In December, Taliban authorities barred most female NGO staff from working, according to charity workers, making it more difficult to contact female beneficiaries and perhaps causing donors to withhold support.

Initially, these limits did not apply to the United Nations and several other international organisations.

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