Vital Voices strongly condemns the Taliban’s order to bar all female employees from national and international organizations from employment, and strongly supports the efforts of the international community to lift this ban with immediate effect.
The prohibition of employment by the de facto Afghan authorities is a direct violation of the fundamental rights of women and humanitarian principles. In addition, it is directly impacting the ability of international and national humanitarian organizations to provide life-saving assistance during the brutal Afghan winter.
The Taliban announcement is part of a sustained and systematic effort to deny the most basic human rights to women and girls. These efforts have included a ban on women and girls attending university and secondary school.
“The Taliban is waging a relentless and cruel assault against the most basic rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. We condemn these efforts in the strongest possible terms.” said Alyse Nelson, President and CEO of Vital Voices. ”The Taliban must recognize and immediately restore all rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, including the right to education and employment.”