Several aid organizations have restored some operations in Afghanistan after they received assurances from Taliban authorities that women could work in areas such as health, in spite of restrictions last month barring female workers in nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).
Al Jazeera says the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Save the Children and CARE said this week that they were again operating some programs, mostly in health and nutrition.
The Taliban administration last month ordered local and foreign aid organizations to stop letting female staff work until further notice. It said the move — condemned globally — was justified because some women had not adhered to the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic dress code.
Many NGOs suspended operations in response, saying they needed female workers to reach women in the conservative country.
Al Jazeera cited Ms. Nancy Dent, a spokeswoman for IRC, as saying that “last week, the Ministry of Public Health offered assurances that female health staff, and those working in office support roles, can resume working.”
According to her, based on this clarity, IRC has restarted health and nutrition services through its static and mobile health teams in four provinces.
TOLOnews reports that CARE, an international aid agency, in said a statement on January 16 that it will be resuming its health and nutrition operations in Afghanistan after obtaining the necessary assurances from the Ministry of Public Health that its female staff will be able to carry out their work safely and unfettered, both in community-based and support roles.
Earlier, Save the Children reportedly announced that it would resume some of its activities in the country.
“Our female colleagues are an essential part of our organization and we cannot deliver a principled response without them, so we welcome the opportunity to resume our health and nutrition operations given the scope of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan,” the statement said.
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan reportedly said there have been no restrictions for women in the health sector and that CARE had stopped operations based on its own decision.
Analysts said that the caretaker government should cancel its decision on banning women from working in NGOs and education.
