Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers say will close all NGOs employing women

Last Updated on December 31, 2024 6:18 am

The Taliban government says it will close all national and foreign nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) employing women in Afghanistan.

In a letter published on X on Sunday night, the country’s Ministry of Economy warned that failure to comply with the latest order would lead to NGOs losing their licence to operate in Afghanistan.

The directive came two years after the government told NGOs to suspend the employment of Afghan women, allegedly because they did not adhere to the administration’s interpretation of the Islamic dress code for women.

The Economy Ministry said it was responsible for the registration, coordination, leadership and supervision of all activities carried out by national and foreign organisations.

The government was once again ordering the stoppage of all female work in institutions not controlled by the Taliban, according to the letter. “In case of lack of cooperation, all activities of that institution will be cancelled and the activity licence of that institution, granted by the ministry, will also be cancelled,” it said.