Key Points
- The letter, confirmed by economy ministry spokesperson Abdulrahman Habib on Saturday, said the female employees were not allowed to work until further notice.
- It was not immediately clear whether the order applied to United Nations agencies, which have a large presence in Afghanistan.
- Dozens of national and international NGOs continue to work in several sectors across remote areas of Afghanistan, and many of their employees are women.
Afghanistan's Taliban-run administration has ordered all local and foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to stop female employees from coming to work, according to an economy ministry letter, in the latest crackdown on women's freedoms.
The letter, confirmed by economy ministry spokesperson Abdulrahman Habib on Saturday, said the female employees were not allowed to work until further notice because some had not adhered to the administration's interpretation of the Islamic dress code for women.
"There have been serious complaints regarding the non-observance of the Islamic hijab and other rules and regulations pertaining to the work of females in national and international organisations," said the notification sent to all NGOs.
"The ministry of economy... instructs all organisations to stop females working until further notice," the notification said, warning that if a group ignores the order, its license "will be cancelled".
It was not immediately clear whether the order applied to United Nations agencies, which have a large presence in Afghanistan.
Dozens of national and international NGOs continue to work in several sectors across remote areas of Afghanistan, and many of their employees are women.
It comes days after the Taliban-run administration ordered universities to close to women, prompting strong global condemnation and sparking some protests and heavy criticism inside Afghanistan.
Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN deputy special representative for Afghanistan and humanitarian coordinator said he was "deeply concerned" by reports of the letter, which was a "clear breach of humanitarian principles".
Rights group Amnesty International tweeted that the ban was a "deplorable attempt to erase women from the political, social and economic spaces" in Afghanistan.
The International Rescue Committee said in a statement that more than 3,000 women staff in Afghanistan were "critical for the delivery of humanitarian assistance" in the country.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Saturday that the Taliban order would disrupt aid delivery and could be "devastating" for Afghanistan.
"Deeply concerned that the Taliban's ban on women delivering humanitarian aid in Afghanistan will disrupt vital and life-saving assistance to millions," Mr Blinken tweeted.
The European Union — a major funder of aid organisations that work in Afghanistan, though it does not recognise the Taliban as the country's official government — condemned the decision and said it was assessing "the impact it will have on our aid on the ground".
"Our foremost concern will continue to be the welfare, rights, and freedoms of the people of Afghanistan," Nabila Massrali, spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, said in a statement.
The Charge D'Affaires for Norway, which funds aid in Afghanistan and hosted talks between Taliban and civil society members in January, condemned the move.
"The ban on female employees in NGOs must be reversed immediately," Paul Klouman Bekken tweeted.
"In addition to being a blow to women´s rights, this move will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and hurt the most vulnerable Afghans."
Aid workers say female workers are critical to ensuring women can access aid.
Afghanistan's already struggling economy has tipped into crisis since the Taliban took over in 2021, with the country facing sanctions and cuts in development aid.
Humanitarian aid, aimed at meeting urgent needs, has provided a lifeline to millions of people. Over half of Afghanistan's population are reliant on humanitarian aid, according to the International Rescue Committee.
