KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – UN experts have strongly condemned the Taliban’s ongoing ban on Afghan women entering United Nations offices, calling it a direct attack on women’s rights, including their right to work.
In a statement released on Tuesday, March 31, the experts said there is “no cultural, religious, or administrative justification for this policy.”
The experts described the situation as “outrageous,” noting that armed guards have been stationed at the gates of UN facilities to prevent women from entering. They emphasized that the consequences of this ban are immediate and severe.
“In a society where it is imperative that women deliver services to women, life-saving aid, including in response to natural disasters, as well as humanitarian and protection operations, are being compromised, and women and girls are the primary casualties,” the statement said.
The UN experts also warned that the continued enforcement of this ban, along with other broad restrictions on women’s rights, is unacceptable, violates international law, and severely damages Afghanistan’s future. They stressed the need for a unified and principled international response, calling on all UN agencies, funds, and programs operating in Afghanistan to adopt a strong, coordinated stance.
“The UN cannot operate effectively – or in accordance with its values and Charter – when women are deliberately and systematically excluded,” they said. “We call on the UN Secretary-General, who has condemned this ban, to rally a unified, system-wide response, while urging Member States to apply sustained diplomatic pressure to reverse these restrictions without delay.”
They highlighted the resilience of Afghan women. “Afghan women have never stopped serving their communities, often under extraordinary pressure and at significant personal risk,” the experts said. “They need clear support and solidarity, and the space to work safely and with dignity.
The restrictions began in September 2025, when the Taliban prohibited Afghan female staff from entering UN offices across the country. Prior to this, the group had already barred Afghan women from working in government offices as well as domestic and international NGOs.
The United Nations has repeatedly requested the lifting of this ban, but the Taliban have so far ignored these appeals.
Richard Bennett, joined by 27 UN mandate holders, also publicly condemned the ban via X:
Joined by 27 UN mandate holders, I condemn the ongoing ban on Afghan women accessing UN premises – an unjustifiable attack on women’s right to work which is also undermining life-saving aid. This highly discriminatory policy must be reversed immediately
Experts have warned that the ban not only blocks women from professional participation but also disrupts vital humanitarian services. Life-saving aid, protection programs, and disaster response efforts that rely on female staff are particularly affected, leaving women and girls in Afghanistan at heightened risk. Such restrictions deepen gender inequality and threaten the overall stability and recovery of Afghan communities.
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women’s rights, barring most girls from secondary and higher education, restricting women’s access to employment and public spaces, and limiting their participation in social and political life.
UN experts, rights groups, and activists have repeatedly said the scale and systematic nature of these policies amount to “gender apartheid,” describing them as an institutionalized system designed to subjugate women solely based on their gender.
The Taliban say their policies are based on their interpretation of Islamic law and have shown no sign of reversing course despite repeated international appeals and widespread criticism, including from Islamic countries and organizations.
