UN Women Afghanistan has said that it will not work with men-only teams amid the ongoing restrictions by the Taliban barring women from working for nonprofits and UN entities.
In a statement on Monday, UN Women said that the organisation is “uniquely impacted” by the restrictions targeting women, as 70% of its staff are women and 55% of its national staff are women.
“The most pressing question we face right now is how we move forward in a principled manner in what the world’s gravest humanitarian and women’s rights crisis is,” the statement said.
UN Women said that it will continue to work in Afghanistan, but that it will do so in a way that respects the rights of women and girls.
“We will continue to stay in Afghanistan, and we will continue to innovate, reinvent, and rethink,” the statement said. “We will do everything possible to ensure we deliver an impact on the lives of women and girls.”
UN Women’s statement comes as the Taliban continues to impose severe restrictions on girls and women in Afghanistan. The group has banned girls from attending secondary school, and it has also restricted women’s access to higher education and employment.
The Taliban’s restrictions have been condemned by the international community, and many have called on the group to lift them. However, the Taliban has so far refused to do so.
