UN Asks Taliban For Exemptions To Ban On Women From Work In International NGOs - Griffiths

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st January, 2023) The United Nations has asked the Taliban government in Afghanistan to provide exemptions on its ban on women working for international and national non-governmental organizations (NGO) and hopes the decision will be rescinded, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths said on Monday.

"So we expressed our opposition to the ban. Hope for it to be rescinded and in the meantime, asked... to be granted these exemptions or authorizations for the role and the function of women," Griffiths said.

Senior Taliban officials said the United Nations should wait for further guidelines to be issued on the matter and the international community should see if they do come through, Griffiths said.

The InterAgency Standing Committee asked Griffiths to visit Kabul to take a closer look at the effects of the ban on women being employed in international and local NGOs implemented on December 24.

Also in December, Afghanistan's Education Ministry ordered the suspension of women's education in private and public higher education institutions.