Taliban Order NGOs To Fire All Female Employees

According to a letter from the Ministry of Economy given to all registered NGOs, the Taliban government in Afghanistan has instructed all local and foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to restrict the attendance of its female employees at work.

According to the ministry, failure to comply will result in the licenses of those NGOs being revoked.

The ministry cites non-observance of Islamic clothing norms as well as other Islamic Emirate laws and regulations in the letter, the legitimacy of which its spokesman Abdul Rahman Habib confirmed.

“Lately there have been serious complaints regarding not observing the Islamic hijab and other Islamic Emirate’s laws and regulations,” the letter said, adding that as a result “guidance is given to suspend work of all female employees of National and international non-governmental organizations.”

The Taliban administration in Afghanistan earlier this week put a halt to all female students' access to higher education.

The suspension of the university was verified on Tuesday by a representative for the Afghan Ministry of Higher Education. According to a letter released by the ministry of education, the decision was made in a cabinet meeting and the order would take effect right away.

The Taliban's minister of higher education claimed in a televised news conference on Thursday that they had barred women from attending institutions because they did not follow Islamic dress codes and other "Islamic standards," citing female students who had left their male guardians at home. The action incited indignation among Afghan women.

Following the Taliban's ruthless takeover of the nation in August 2021, it represents a new development in their campaign to severely restrict the freedoms of Afghan women.

The Taliban's announcement was criticized by the UN on Saturday.

“Women must be enabled to play a critical role in all aspects of life, including the humanitarian response. Banning women from work would violate the most fundamental rights of women, as well as be a clear breach of humanitarian principles,” the UN statement read. It also added that it would try to obtain a meeting with Taliban leadership to seek clarity.

Amnesty International demanded that the Taliban "stop abusing their power" and that the ban "be promptly annulled."

Despite the Taliban's frequent claims that it will preserve girls' and women's rights, it has really done the exact reverse, taking away the hard-won liberties that they have battled valiantly for over the previous 20 years.

The limits on education have been some of the most glaring, with girls being prohibited from returning to secondary schools in March. Many students and their families were upset by the decision, they had dashed aspirations to become physicians, teachers, or engineers.