Aid chief says Taliban agree to consider allowing women to resume agency work in Kandahar
By RIAZAT BUTT
Associated Press
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The head of a major international aid organization says Taliban officials in Kandahar have agreed to consider allowing women to resume work at the agency in the Afghan province. The Taliban in December barred Afghan women from working at nongovernmental organizations, or NGOs, allegedly because they were not wearing the hijab — the Islamic headscarf — correctly or observing gender segregation rules. Jan Egeland, the secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said Thursday that his agency and the Taliban have agreed to start immediate talks about temporary arrangements that will allow female staff to resume work at the NGO.