Statement:
The Dialogue Hub for Common Ground assesses the prohibition of women’s employment in national and international NGOs as a measure with severe humanitarian and legal consequences.
Relevant Legal Instruments:
- ICESCR, Article 6 – Right to work
- ICESCR, Article 7 – Just and favourable conditions of work
- CEDAW, Article 11 – Equality in employment
- Geneva Conventions (Common Article 3) – Protection of civilian welfare in non-international armed contexts
- UNGA Resolution 46/182 – Humanitarian assistance principles (neutrality, impartiality, humanity)
Legal Analysis:
This restriction:
- Directly impairs humanitarian delivery mechanisms
- Constitutes indirect discrimination impacting access to essential services
- Undermines operational compliance of humanitarian actors with “do no harm” principles In practice, it creates a gender-based operational blockade on humanitarian assistance. Systemic Consequences:
- Reduced access to healthcare for women beneficiaries
- Violation of humanitarian neutrality through imposed gender exclusion
- Functional collapse of community-level aid distribution systems
DHCG Position:
The Dialogue Hub for Common Ground recommends:
- Formal review under UN OCHA humanitarian access frameworks
- Escalation to UN Security Council briefings on humanitarian operational constraints
- Monitoring under ICESCR compliance mechanisms
