‘Absolutely the wrong path,’ Türk warns against Afghanistan’s ban on women in NGOs

The measure, issued by the de facto Ministry of Economy on 26 December, enforces a two-year-old decree prohibiting women from working with both national and international NGOs. 

In his statement, Mr. Türk emphasised the devastating impact on the delivery of critical humanitarian aid in Afghanistan the decree will have, where more than half the population lives in poverty.

NGOs, he noted, are essential to the survival of millions of Afghans, offering life-saving support to women, men and children alike.

“This is absolutely the wrong path,” Mr. Türk said, urging the de facto authorities to reconsider what he described as a “deeply discriminatory decree.”

Women’s rights under siege 

Since coming to power, Afghanistan’s de facto authorities have restricted the rights of women and girls, barring them from education, work, healthcare, and movement.

These measures, including the latest crackdown on NGO employment, effectively erase women from public life, undermining Afghanistan’s prospects for progress. 

Mr. Türk emphasised that “no country can progress – politically, economically or socially – while excluding half of its population from public life.”

A plea to rethink the path forward

The High Commissioner called on Afghanistan’s leaders to rethink their course, not just for the sake of women and girls but for the future of the nation as a whole.  

He also highlighted the broader implications of these policies for the global community, noting that restricting women’s participation in public life exacerbates poverty and hampers efforts to build a stable and resilient society. 

“For the future of Afghanistan, the de facto authorities must change course,” Mr. Türk concluded.