After the Taliban authorities stopped women and girls from attending high school and universities and banned the majority of female aid workers, the United Nations deputy secretary general met with the acting foreign minister of Afghanistan on Wednesday to discuss women’s rights.
“to take stock of the situation, convey solidarity, and discuss ways to promote and protect women’s and girls’ rights,” deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq said in New York of Amina Mohammed’s meetings with aid groups, UN staff, and Afghan women.
According to Haq, Mohammed “stressed the need to uphold human rights, especially for women and girls” in those conversations and was “encouraged by exemptions” from the ban on female aid workers. Some work in areas like healthcare has been able to resume thanks to the exemptions.
Haq told reporters that Mohammed also “understood the importance of continuing to be driven by principles.”
Read: UNSC urges taliban to reverse restriction on Afghanistan’s women
Mohammed met with officials from Turkey, Qatar, and Pakistan on her way to Kabul to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, which Haq summarized as follows: On the issue of women’s and girls’ rights to employment and education, there was unmistakable agreement.”
A spokesperson for the Afghan foreign affairs ministry stated that she met acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, though Haq did not specify which officials from the Taliban administration Mohammed had seen thus far.
According to a statement issued by the foreign ministry, Muttaqi stated that banking sanctions, travel restrictions for Taliban leaders, and the absence of formal recognition was causing issues that should be addressed by other nations. He added that women could work in education and health care.
Read: G7 tells taliban to urgently reverse ban on women aid workers.
Days after banning women from universities, the Taliban administration issued an order on December 24 directing local and international aid organizations to prevent female employees from working until further notice. The Taliban claimed that some women had not adhered to its interpretation of the Islamic dress code, which was condemned worldwide, and that the orders were justified.
Following the ban, many aid organizations ceased operations, some of which carry out humanitarian work under contracts with the United Nations.