NRC chief writes to Kandahar governor, clerics over ban on female workers

Jan Egeland, the Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, has written a letter to the governor and members of Ulema Council in Kandahar, calling for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to reverse its ban on women working for non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Speaking in an interview with Ariana News that was broadcast on Friday, Egeland said they would resume operations with women observing Islamic principles and Afghan culture if IEA allows them to work for NGOs.

“Giving aid only to males would be bad aid, and we would be a bad employer. It is not that we are suspending work. We have been forced to stop by this edict, and it is the first time in 20 years that we have been totally paralyzed,” Egeland said.

He said that the ban on women’s work is against IEA’s promises.

“This is also against the promises from high-level Taliban (IEA) leaders in Doha, in Oslo, in Islamabad and here in Afghanistan where we worked in Taliban-controlled areas for more than a decade, we had schools in Taliban areas. We have a long history of working with them and this is a real blow. I feel disappointed. I feel that they did not keep their word to me,” Egeland said.

IEA last month ordered all local and foreign aid groups to stop letting female staff work until further notice.

The IEA said the move, which was condemned globally, was justified because some women had not adhered to the Islamic dress code.

Many NGOs suspended operations in response, saying they needed female workers to reach women in the country.