Taliban orders NGOs to ban women from going to work

(CNN) — The Taliban regime in Afghanistan has ordered all local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to stop their employees from coming to work, according to a letter sent by the Ministry of Economy to all licensed NGOs.

Failure to comply will result in cancellation of licenses of these NGOs, the ministry said.

In the letter — confirmed to CNN by its spokesman Abdul Rahman Habib — the ministry cited non-compliance with Islamic dress codes and other laws and regulations of the Islamic emirate as reasons for the decision.

“Recently there have been serious complaints regarding the Islamic hijab and non-compliance with other laws and regulations of the Islamic Emirate,” the letter said, and as a result, “directions are issued to suspend the work of all employees. National and international NGOs”.

Earlier this week, the Taliban regime suspended university education for all female students in Afghanistan.

A spokesman for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Higher Education confirmed the university’s suspension to CNN on Tuesday. In a letter issued by the Ministry of Education, it has been informed that a decision to this effect has been taken in the cabinet meeting and this order will come into effect immediately.

In a televised press conference on Thursday, the Taliban’s higher education minister said they had banned women from universities for failing to respect Islamic dress codes and other “Islamic values”. Measure provoked outrage of Afghan women.

About One more step Following the extremist Islamist group’s takeover in August 2021, the Taliban’s brutal crackdown on the freedom of Afghan women.

The UN condemned the Taliban’s announcement on Saturday.

“Women can play a fundamental role in all aspects of life, including humanitarian response. Banning women from working violates women’s fundamental rights and is a clear violation of humanitarian principles,” the UN said. Report.

“This latest decision will further harm the most vulnerable, especially women and girls.”

He also said that he would try to meet the Taliban leadership and seek an explanation.

UNICEF said the directive “will have major consequences for the rights of girls and women (and) the provision of health, nutrition and education services for children”.

“UNICEF stands with all girls and women in Afghanistan and calls on the Taliban to immediately allow all female humanitarians to resume their life-saving work for vulnerable families and communities,” UNICEF South Asia Regional Director George Laria-Adjee tweeted.

Amnesty International called for the ban to be “immediately withdrawn” and for the Taliban to “stop abusing their power”.

“Women and girls should not be punished for demanding and protecting their fundamental rights,” she said in a statement. “The right to work for all people, especially the women of Afghanistan, must be fully realized in accordance with international human rights law.”

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also spoke this Saturday. “The Taliban’s ban on women providing humanitarian aid in Afghanistan will disrupt vital and life-saving aid to millions of people,” she wrote on Twitter.

“Women are critical to humanitarian operations around the world. This decision will be devastating for the people of Afghanistan.”

Thomas West, the US special representative in Afghanistan, tweeted on Saturday that the Taliban’s latest order was “deeply irresponsible”.

“Making deadly risks to millions of people who depend on them for life support. The Taliban are ignoring their most basic responsibilities to their people,” West tweeted.

Although the Taliban have repeatedly claimed to protect the rights of girls and women, in reality they have done the opposite and taken away the freedom they have fought so hard for over the past two decades.

While girls are prohibited from returning to secondary schools in March, there are some of the most significant restrictions in the education sector. The move left many students and their families devastated told CNN Their dreams of becoming doctors, teachers or engineers were dashed.