Women for Women International staff worker based in Afghanistan spoke with CNN's Christiane Amanpour about the latest bans on women including education and the right to work for NGOs.
An Afghan aid worker with Women for Women International spoke with CNN anonymously to protect her identity about the current situation in Afghanistan and the crushing bans on women. A portion of the interview is available on CNN's podcast series (around 22 minute mark).
Update from Women for Women International:
We cannot meet the urgent needs of the women we serve without our female staff, who currently make up over half of our local team in Afghanistan. We rely on them to reach the most marginalized women and to create a safe space to gather and learn.
In light of the recent ban on women working in NGOs, we have paused our in-person trainings. We cannot and will not resume the full extent of our programs without our female staff. They continue to do vital work from home, dealing with their own stress while exploring ways to serve women in Afghanistan in this unstable and restricting environment. Their fortitude is extraordinary.
Thanks to our locally-led team we have secured special permission from the de facto authorities for our female staff to complete the distribution of $60 cash assistance to each of our program participants in a specific location. This distribution began before the ban and allows women to invest in their small businesses, income-generating activities or to help meet their urgent needs. We are also exploring ways to provide virtual training and support for 850 women who have recently received mobile phones from WfWI.
Women for Women International is collaborating with other NGOs, women-led organizations and UN agencies to advocate for the ban to be revoked. We will not give up. As always, we stand and act with Afghan women, amplifying their voices. We remain grateful for our global community of supporters who believe in our mission.