The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has condemned the Taliban’s recent directive threatening to revoke the licences of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that employ women.
Türk described the move as a profound error and called on the Taliban to reverse all policies targeting Afghan women with discrimination.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Türk voiced deep concern over the Taliban’s Ministry of Economy warning NGOs to cease hiring women, labelling the directive as “entirely wrong.” He urged the Taliban to adopt a different path to ensure Afghanistan’s future prosperity.
Highlighting the dire situation in Afghanistan, Türk noted that more than half the population now lives in poverty. He underlined the vital role played by NGOs in providing life-saving aid to Afghan women, men, and children, warning that the Taliban’s decree would jeopardise access to humanitarian assistance across the country.
Türk called on the Taliban to revoke this “deeply discriminatory decree” and other measures that deny women and girls their fundamental rights, including access to education, employment, healthcare, and freedom of movement.
He further stressed that no nation could achieve sustainable political, economic, or social development while marginalising half its population. Türk urged the Taliban to reconsider their policies for the sake of Afghanistan’s stability and progress.
The directive follows a letter issued by the Taliban’s Ministry of Labour last week, instructing NGOs to comply with a two-year-old decree banning women from employment. Organisations failing to adhere to the ban risk losing their operating licences.
