Canada urges Taliban to reverse decision to ban women from working in NGOs

OTTAWA – Canada’s minister for international development is calling on the Taliban to reverse its decision to ban women from working in non-governmental organizations in Afghanistan.

Harjit Sajjan’s comments come as several major international aid groups announce plans to suspend operations in the country taken over by the Taliban, a listed terrorist entity, in August 2021.

Millions have since fallen into poverty and now face hunger, and the United Nations estimates that up to six million Afghans are currently at risk of famine. The International Committee of the Red Cross has also reported an increase in malnutrition and pneumonia among children, with concerns growing due to the onset of winter.

In light of the Taliban’s decision, Save the Children, CARE International and the Norwegian Refugee Council issued a joint statement saying that they cannot provide the necessary assistance without their female staff and that they were suspending the programmes.

“Our government is deeply concerned by the Taliban’s recent decision to ban female employees (of non-governmental organizations) from doing their important work in Afghanistan,” Sajjan said in a statement on Sunday.

“You are contributing to the critical work of meeting the urgent humanitarian needs of the Afghan people. We urge the Taliban to reverse this decision because it will only lead to further suffering for the Afghan people.”

Sajjan is evaluating what impact the move will have and plans to reach out to international partners and international groups in the region, his office added.

Canadian humanitarian groups have already said they have been unable to deliver aid because the Canadian government has yet to find a solution to its anti-terror laws, which officials have warned the groups they could be violating if they pay people in Afghanistan for services such as transportation. or purchase of goods.

Citing Canada’s sanctions, a spokesman for the Canadian Red Cross, which is part of a coalition of aid groups lobbying Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to find accommodation for them to work in the region, said it was not affected by the decision of the Taliban.

Sajjan has said his government plans to amend the Penal Code to provide a solution for aid groups, but said no changes could be made until at least spring 2023.

The Taliban’s ban on women in non-governmental organizations has sparked protests among international aid organizations including UNICEF, whose executive director called the move a “blatant violation” of both international humanitarian law and women’s rights. .

“These decisions will have far-reaching consequences for the delivery of essential services for children and families across the country, especially in the areas of health, nutrition, education and child protection, areas where humanitarian workers have an extremely important role to play. Catherine Russell said in a statement.

The International Committee of the Red Cross says it employs hundreds of women in Afghanistan and is particularly concerned about what the Taliban’s decision means for those in its health care system.

The Canadian government has long expressed concern about the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan, including last week when Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly joined her counterparts in allied countries in condemning that the Taliban exclude women from universities and girls from secondary schools. They issued a statement at the time saying such policies “will have consequences for the way our countries engage with the Taliban.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on December 25, 2022.

— With archives from The Associated Press.

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