The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA) in a statement announced earlier today that Afghanistan’s interim government should revoke its decision on banning women from working with NGOs.
Four days after the announcement barring Afghan women from attending universities and educational institutions, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan administration put in place a rather strict decree banning women from working with national and international non-governmental organizations. The latest move has sparked unprecedented condemnations on national and international levels.
The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan together with other renowned NGOs is now seeking clarity on the implementation of this ban and assessing its consequences. SCA opposes the decision and urges the de facto authorities to revise the decision.
According to the SCA, Afghan female employees are playing a decisive role in implementing its services to the Afghan communities across different domains including education, healthcare services, humanitarian aid, and livelihood support. Should the ban be implemented, the consequence for those families with women as their only breadwinners is catastrophic?
Currently, SCA employs 2800 female staff working across domains in 19 provinces of Afghanistan – greatly contributing towards their family income. The many life-saving services women employees implement cannot be ignored at national or international levels.
Similar to many other NGOs including Care International, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and AfghanAid, SCA urges Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to revoke the decision to ban of female employees working with NOGs, otherwise, its consequences will severely affect the living conditions of the ordinary people.
This comes as the country is already faced with a grave humanitarian and economic crisis, with no provision or solution to tackle the existing problems in the near future.
