The Taliban authorities have ordered national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to no longer employ women. The economy ministry reportedly received complaints that women were not respecting an appropriate dress code, he told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Saturday (December 24th).
“There have been serious complaints about the non-compliance with the Islamic hijab and other rules and regulations relating to the work of women in national and international organizations”, said the ministry, responsible for approving the licenses of NGOs operating in Afghanistan, in a letter obtained by AFP. A ministry spokesperson confirmed that the economy ministry sent the order to the NGOs. “In case of disregard of the directive (…) the license of the organization which has been issued by this ministry will be cancelled”says the courier.
Higher education also prohibited
This announcement comes just four days after the Taliban government decided to ban Afghan women from attending public and private universities in the country for an indefinite period.
The Minister of Higher Education, Neda Mohammad Nadeem, explained in a television interview that he took this decision because the “students going to university (…) did not respect the instructions on the hijab”. “The hijab is obligatory in Islam”he insisted, referring to the obligation imposed on women in Afghanistan to cover their faces and bodies entirely.
Despite their promises to be more flexible, the Taliban have returned to the ultra-rigorous interpretation of Islam that marked their first spell in power (1996-2001).
Since their return to the leadership of the country in August 2021, liberticidal measures have multiplied in particular against women who have been gradually excluded from public life and excluded from colleges and high schools.