Volker Türk Warns Against Afghanistan’s Ban on Women in NGOs

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has expressed deep alarm over Afghanistan’s recent decision to revoke the licenses of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that continue to employ Afghan women in the country.  

The de facto Ministry of Economy issued the measure on 26 December. It enforces a two-year-old decree which prohibits women from working with both national and international NGOs.

In his statement, Mr. Türk emphasised the devastating impact on the delivery of critical humanitarian aid in Afghanistan the decree will have, where more than half the population lives in poverty.

NGOs, he noted, are essential to the survival of millions of Afghans. They offer life-saving support to women, men, and children alike.

Mr. Türk said, “This is absolutely the wrong path,” urging the de facto authorities to reconsider what he described as a “deeply discriminatory decree.”

Women’s Rights Under Siege 

Since coming to power, Afghanistan’s de facto authorities have restricted the rights of women and girls. They have barred them from education, work, healthcare, and movement.

These measures, including the latest crackdown on NGO employment, effectively erase women from public life, undermining Afghanistan’s prospects for progress. 

Mr. Türk emphasised that “no country can progress – politically, economically or socially – while excluding half of its population from public life.”

Also See: IEA Government will Close all NGOs Employing Women

A Plea to Rethink the Path Forward 

The High Commissioner called on Afghanistan’s leaders to rethink their course, not just for the sake of women and girls but for the future of the nation as a whole.  

He also highlighted the broader implications of these policies for the global community. He noted that restricting women’s participation in public life exacerbates poverty. It also hampers efforts to build a stable and resilient society.

“For the future of Afghanistan, the de facto authorities must change course,” Mr. Volker Türk concluded. 

This news is sourced from [United Nations] and is for informational purposes only.