MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th April, 2023) The European Union will reconsider providing humanitarian aid to Afghanistan if the Taliban (under UN sanctions for terrorism) do not change their decision to ban women from working for the United Nations and its agencies, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Friday.
"We urge the Taliban to allow women to equally and meaningfully participate in aid and services delivery, so that women can engage fully and actively in the society, as well as remain beneficiaries of aid. Female staff must not be replaced ... Where activities cannot be continued in line with the EU's principled approach, i.e. providing aid in a non-discriminatory way, regardless of gender, support to those activities will be reconsidered," the statement read.
It was with "profound shock" that the EU learned about the ban of UN work for Afghan women this past Tuesday, Borrell said. He said the Afghan government's decision followed a series of other bans depriving Afghan women and girls from secondary and higher education, work and freedom of movement.
The Islamist group has slashed women's rights to travel, study and work since it overran Afghanistan in August 2021. Starting December, women have been no longer allowed to work for nonprofit organizations.
