Afghan women chant slogans during a protest against the ban on university education for women, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022. Canada's international development minister is calling on the Taliban to reverse its decision to bar women in Afghanistan from working at non-governmental organizations (NGOs.) THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP
OTTAWA – Canada’s international development minister is calling on the Taliban to reverse its decision to bar women from working at non-governmental organizations in Afghanistan.
Harjit Sajjan’s comments come as several major international aid groups announce plans to suspend operations in the country, taken over by the Taliban, a listed terrorist entity, in August 2021.
A joint statement by Save the Children, CARE International and the Norwegian Refugee Council said they cannot provide the assistance needed without their female staff and were suspending programs.
Canadian humanitarian groups have already said they have been unable to deliver aid because the Canadian government has yet to find a workaround to its anti-terrorism laws, which officials warned groups they could be violating if they pay people in Afghanistan for services such as providing transportation or purchasing goods.
Sajjan issued a statement saying the Liberal government is “deeply concerned” by the Taliban’s decision, and is urging them to reverse it, saying “it will only lead to greater suffering of the Afghan people.”
His office says Sajjan is assessing what impact the move will have and plans to reach out to international partners and NGOs in the region.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 25,2022.
– With files from The Associated Press.
