The Taliban have sought to deflect criticism of their umpteenth policy of restrictions on women in Afghanistan by clarifying that the ban on working for NGOs operating in the country does not affect international or UN personnel, nor does it affect female health workers.
This was made clear by Din Mohammad Hanif, the fundamentalist government’s economic commissioner, during a meeting on Monday in Kabul with the acting head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Ramiz Alakbarov, according to German broadcaster ARD.
According to the transcripts of that meeting Hanif argued that the main reason for this decision is the non-compliance with the dress code for women, especially with regard to the hijab.
«Every government has its rules and regulations that must be respected, including the observance of the Islamic hijab and the creation of a conducive working environment for women,» said Hanif, who assured that over the last year an attempt was made to resolve this issue by talking to NGOs.
This decision was announced on Saturday by the Afghan Ministry of Economy and affects all national and international NGOs. Thus, although it does not directly affect the UN, it makes many of its aid programs impossible, since they are carried out by NGOs affected by the measure.
The announcement also came just days after the Taliban banned women from university education, which sparked criticism from the international community, including much of the Islamic world.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
