Taliban health minister Mulla Mohammad Abbas Akhund has signed a protocol that will allow women to work with the Swiss-based foreign aid organization, Terre Des Hommes (TDH). The agreement will let up to fifty Afghan women work with the TDH in reducing child mortality rates and improving infant health care.
“Women will be back working in the community but it is a pity this has taken so long,” said Colin Tucker, TDH delegate. So far, no other foreign aid groups have similar agreements, but aid workers are hoping that the TDH protocol will set a precedent.
Aid organizations have been struggling to survive in Afghanistan for quite some time, due to limited or restricted funding and the Taliban’s harsh rules. The new TDH protocol will allow the group to expand its program throughout the country for as long as its budget and the Taliban will permit.
