An official statement from the Taliban leadership indicates that the ban applies across the country, said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General. Foreign female UN workers are exempt.
The board has not commented on why the ban has been issued.
– We expect to meet with the authorities in Kabul on Wednesday, and try to get some clarity, Dujarric told reporters on Tuesday.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the decision on Wednesday and is demanding that it be immediately revoked, according to Reuters.
– It is a violation of women’s inalienable basic human rights, said Stéphane Dujarric.
What happens now?
Afghanistan expert Anders Fänge, former country director of the Swedish Afghanistan Committee, believes that it will be difficult for the UN to continue working in Afghanistan if women are not allowed to work within the organization, as the UN charter prohibits all kinds of discrimination.
– If the organization leaves, it would have enormous consequences for the humanitarian work needed in the country. More than half of the population suffers from acute food shortages and the economy has largely collapsed, he adds.
Decisions by the Taliban leadership over the past year have included banning women from accessing higher education, working for non-governmental organizations and entering many public places.
Anders Fänge tells more in the clip above.
