Another blow for women in Afghanistan. Authorities taliban ordered the non-governmental organizations National and international NGOs (NGOs) to no longer work with women after “serious complaints” that they did not respect an appropriate dress code, the economy ministry told AFP on Saturday.
“There have been serious complaints about non-compliance with the Islamic hijab and other rules and regulations relating to women’s work in national and international organizations,” said the ministry, which is responsible for approving licenses for NGOs operating in Afghanistan, in a letter obtained by AFP.
A ministry spokesman confirmed that the Economy Ministry sent the order to the NGOs. “In case of neglect of the directive (…) the license of the organization which was issued by this ministry will be canceled”, specifies the letter.
Banned from going to university
This announcement comes just four days after the Taliban government decided to ban Afghan women to study at universities public and private 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 “students who went to university (…) did not respect the instructions on the hijab”. “The hijab is compulsory in theislam he insisted, referring to the obligation for women in Afghanistan to cover their faces and their entire bodies.
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 power in August 2021, draconian measures have multiplied, in particular against women who have been gradually excluded from public life and excluded from colleges and high schools.