Taliban announces shutdown of NGOs employing women

Shafaq News/ The Afghan Taliban has declared the closure of all national and foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that employ women, marking the latest crackdown on women's rights since the group assumed power in August 2021.

This announcement follows two years after the Taliban first instructed NGOs to suspend hiring Afghan women, citing improper adherence to Islamic hijab requirements, according to the Associated Press.

In a letter released on Sunday, the Ministry of Economy warned that failure to comply with the latest directive would result in NGOs losing their licenses to operate in Afghanistan.

The United Nations has noted that the space available for women in Afghanistan has significantly diminished over the past two years and has reiterated its call for the Taliban to lift these restrictions. Florenceia Soto Niño Martínez, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN, stated, "This significantly impacts the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to all people in Afghanistan. We are deeply concerned, as we discuss a country where half the population is deprived of their rights, living in poverty, and many, not just women, are facing a humanitarian crisis."

The Ministry of Economy, responsible for registering, coordinating, leading, and supervising all activities conducted by national and foreign organizations, reaffirmed in the letter that all work by women in institutions not controlled by the Taliban must cease. It added, "In case of non-cooperation, all activities of that institution will be canceled, and its operating license granted by the ministry will be revoked."

This is the latest attempt by the Taliban to control or interfere with NGO activities. Earlier this month, the United Nations Security Council heard that an increasing number of female Afghan humanitarian workers have been prevented from performing their duties despite the ongoing necessity of relief efforts.

According to Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs at the UN, there has been a rise in reports of Taliban "morality police" halting both male and female staff members of humanitarian organizations. The Taliban denies preventing aid agencies from conducting their work or interfering with their activities. However, they have already barred women from many jobs, most public places, and education beyond the sixth grade.

Furthermore, Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada ordered that buildings should not have windows overlooking places where women might be. According to a four-point decree published on X on Saturday, this applies to both new and existing buildings. The decree stated that windows should not overlook areas like courtyards or kitchens, and if a window does, the person responsible for the property must find a way to obscure the view by installing a wall or fence "to eliminate the harm." The decree further instructed municipalities and other authorities to oversee the construction of new buildings to prevent the installation of windows overlooking or above residential properties.

Immediate comments from the spokesperson for the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing on Akhundzada's instructions were not available. Soto Niño Martínez stated that the UN also urged the revocation of thisrestriction.