Afghanistan bans women from working for charities

According to a letter from the Afghan Ministry of Economy, the Taliban-run administration of Afghanistan has ordered all local and foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to keep female employees out of work.

According to The Guardian, the letter, which was confirmed by Economy Ministry spokesman Abdulrahman Habib, said that women employees of the NGO were not allowed to work until further notice.

The document said the move was the result of some women allegedly not adhering to the authorities’ interpretation of the Islamic dress code for women.

Aid workers have said female staff is critical to ensuring that women can receive support.

Habib, a spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Economy, said the ban applies to organizations that are part of Afghanistan’s coordinating body for humanitarian organizations, known as ACBAR. More than 180 local and international NGOs belong there, and the UN often employs such groups, registered in Afghanistan, to carry out its humanitarian work.

It is not yet clear how this order will affect the UN agencies, which have a strong presence in Afghanistan and provide services in the context of the humanitarian crisis in the country. It is also unclear whether this rule also applies to foreign women.

Dozens of organizations operate in remote areas of Afghanistan, and many of their employees are women, with some warning that a ban on the use of female employees will hinder the work of the organizations.

The International Rescue Committee said in a statement that its more than 3,000 female staff members in Afghanistan play a “critical role in bringing humanitarian aid” to the country.

A spokesman for an international food distribution NGO said the ban was a “big blow”. “We have a female staff, mainly to deal with humanitarian issues for Afghan women,” he said. “How are we going to solve their problems now?”

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said women are “central to humanitarian operations around the world” and that the ban would be “devastating” for Afghans as it would “interrupt life-saving assistance to millions”.

The European Union, a major donor to aid organizations working in Afghanistan, condemned the decision and said it was evaluating “the impact it will have on our assistance on the ground.”

This latest assault on women’s rights and freedoms comes just days after the Taliban administration ordered universities to close their doors to women and girls.

The move drew international condemnation. Last week, G7 foreign ministers urged the Taliban to lift the ban, warning that “gender persecution could amount to a crime against humanity.”

However, the Afghan Minister of Higher Education supported the ban. Nida Mohammad Nadeem said that this would prevent the mixing of men and women in universities, and he believes that some of the subjects taught violate the principles of Islam.

“We told the girls to wear the proper hijab, but they didn’t wear it and wore dresses like they were going to a wedding ceremony,” he said. “The girls studied agriculture and engineering, but this does not fit the Afghan culture. Girls should study, but not in areas that are contrary to Islam and Afghan honor.”

The head of the Afghan Ministry of Higher Education has promised that universities will reopen to women as soon as these issues, which he says are being worked on, are resolved. However, this echoes Taliban promises of girls’ access to secondary school, which was banned last year.

Nadim insists classes for girls will resume after “technical issues” regarding uniforms and transport are resolved. However, the ban remains in place.

The Taliban also banned girls and all female staff, including primary school teachers, meaning that the country currently has a complete ban on education for women.

Recall that the Taliban movement is recognized in Russia as a terrorist organization, its activities are prohibited on the territory of the Russian Federation.