- In Afghanistan, the radical Islamic Taliban continue to restrict women’s rights.
- In a new decree, the Ministry of Economy has informed the aid organizations in the country that they are no longer allowed to employ female employees.
- This applies to all aid organizations – whether national or international.
In Afghanistan, employees of all national and international non-governmental organizations are to be suspended from their work until further notice. This was requested by the country’s Ministry of Economic Affairs in a letter.
The reason for this is that the women did not comply with the regulations of the Taliban leadership in relation to wearing a hijab, i.e. a headscarf. If an organization does not comply with this order, its license will be revoked, the letter said. It is not clear whether the order also applies to the UN organizations active in the country.
“Deeply concerned”
The decree has raised international concerns. UN Secretary-General António Guterres was “deeply concerned” about the alleged order of the radical Islamic Taliban, said his spokesman.
The Swiss foreign department EDA was shocked, it said. The EDA is evaluating the consequences for the humanitarian efforts, it wrote on Saturday evening on the short message service Twitter. “We call on the Taliban to reconsider the decision,” the EDA said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the European Union also condemned the new law. It is a “clear breach of humanitarian principles”.
Women banned from colleges
Since taking power in August 2021, the Islamists have massively restricted women’s rights in Afghanistan. Many women were not allowed to return to their jobs. Girls and women are now largely excluded from public life.
On Tuesday, the Taliban banned women from all universities. In the past, women who protested for their rights were repeatedly detained, sometimes for several weeks.