The Taliban says it will close all national and foreign NGOs in Afghanistan that employ women. This comes two years after they asked NGOs to suspend the employment of Afghan women, claiming they were not wearing the Islamic hijab properly.
In a message posted on X on Sunday night, the Ministry of Economy warned that failure to comply with the latest order would result in NGOs losing their license to operate in Afghanistan.
The ministry said it is responsible for registering, coordinating, leading and supervising all activities carried out by national and foreign organizations.
The letter said that the government had once again ordered the cessation of all women’s work in institutions not controlled by the Taliban.
“In the event of non-cooperation, all activities of that institution will be cancelled, and the activity license of that institution granted by the Ministry will be cancelled.”
It is the Taliban’s latest attempt to control or interfere with NGO activity.
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Earlier this month, the UN Security Council heard that a growing proportion of female Afghan humanitarian workers were being prevented from carrying out their work even though relief work remained essential.
According to Tom Fletcher, a senior UN official, the proportion of humanitarian organizations reporting that their female or male staff have been arrested by the Taliban’s morality police has also risen.
The Taliban denies that it prevents aid agencies from carrying out their work or interferes in their activities.
They already barred women from working in many jobs and most public settings, and excluded them from education beyond the sixth grade.
In another development, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada ordered that buildings not contain windows overlooking areas where women can sit or stand.
According to a four-item decree published late Saturday, the order applies to new buildings as well as existing ones.
Windows should not overlook or look into areas such as courtyards or kitchens. When a window overlooks such a space, the person in charge of that property must find a way to block that view to “eliminate the damage,” by installing a wall, fence, or barrier.
The decree added that municipalities and other authorities must supervise the construction of new buildings to avoid installing windows that overlook or above residential properties.
It was not immediately possible to contact a spokesman for the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing to comment on Akhundzadeh’s instructions.
& Edition 2024 The Canadian Press
