UN Deputy Representative for Afghanistan Markus Potzel has called for the lifting of the veto against women’s education and their work for NGOs, during a meeting with the acting Taliban minister for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, Mohamed Khalid Hanafi.

The ban on hiring women from NGOs has crippled the activities of many organizations that needed their employees to interact with women in the country, given the strict segregation policy imposed by the fundamentalist movement since the return to power.

According to a statement from the United Nations mission in Afghanistan, Unama, Potzel transferred the Taliban minister who these bans are an “act of discrimination against women” which prevents Afghans from receiving essential aid to survive“, reported the news agency Europa Press.

Likewise, Potzel recalled the the impact of these bans on the Afghan economy, For this reason, he asked the minister to consider “his urgent removal”, the statement concludes.

Potzel recently had another meeting with the Taliban Minister of Higher Education, Mohamed Nadim, considered one of the most extremist elements of the fundamentalist movement, from whom he also asked for the urgent lifting of the bans which, according to the ‘Unama, could usher in a “new era of crisis in the country”.

Since coming to power, after the departure of American troops on August 30, 2021, the Taliban have been settling in and with this, women are losing their rights.

Since coming to power, after the departure of American troops on August 30, 2021, the Taliban have been settling in and with this, women are losing their rights

Saturday On December 24, the Taliban banned national and international NGOs from having or hiring female employees alleging that they violated the rules of Islamic dress that apply in the Muslim country.

A week earlier, they had announced that women would no longer be able to attend university, and before that they had been excluded from secondary education.

These measures have received strong international criticism.

Germany, Australia, Canada, Denmark, United States, France, Italy, Japan, Norway, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Netherlands and the High Representative of the European Union, Josep Borell, signed a statement late last year expressing their concern “over the reckless and dangerous order of the Taliban” and called for its immediate dismissal, because “it endangers the survival of millions of Afghans who depend on humanitarian aid”.

Similarly, the foreign ministers of the G7 powers have called on the Taliban to reverse the ban “as a matter of urgency”.

foreign ministers of G7 powers called on Taliban to reverse ban ‘as a matter of urgency’

Previously, many NGOs operating in the country – including Save The Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Care International and the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Christian Aid and Unicef ​​– have expressed concern and disagreement with the measure.