Taliban orders NGOs to fire female workers

Women have been largely erased from public spaces since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021

The Taliban government has said it would close all national and foreign nongovernmental organizations in Afghanistan that continue to employ female workers. The move marks the latest crackdown on women’s rights since the Taliban took power in 2021.

The directive comes two years after the Taliban ordered a stoppage of all work done by females in institutions not controlled by the Taliban.

In a letter published on X on Sunday, the Economy Ministry warned that NGOs failing to comply with the order would lose their licenses to operate in Afghanistan.

“In case of lack of cooperation, all activities of that institution will be cancelled and the activity license of that institution, granted by the ministry, will also be cancelled,” the document shared by the ministry says.

Since returning to power in Afghanistan amid the botched withdrawal of US forces more than three years ago, the Taliban has been bringing all areas of life in the country in line with its strict interpretation of Islam, with women being largely erased from public spaces. The steps, which include shutting down beauty salons and prohibiting girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade, prompted the UN to denounce the “gender apartheid” the government has established.

The latest ban has been sharply criticized by the UN, which called it “a deeply discriminatory measure” that threatens humanitarian efforts in the country. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has called for an immediate reverse of the ban.

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Meanwhile, the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief and Development issued a set of detailed recommendations to ensure female staff in health and education sectors can continue working under the restrictions. The independent non-governmental body said that compliance measures, including full hijab requirements, separate facilities for female employees, and documented justification for their presence in offices, would be introduced.