KABUL: The Taliban warned national and foreign NGOs employing Afghan women of losing licenses if they disobey new restrictions imposed.
This announcement follows a 2021 decree suspending female NGO workers over alleged non-compliance with Islamic headscarf requirements.
A letter posted on X detailed that licenses would be revoked entirely if institutions failed to follow these measures.
The United Nations condemned this development, saying it gravely limits humanitarian aid in a country already facing severe crises.
UN officials emphasized women’s shrinking role in Afghanistan deeply affects assistance delivery for millions living in poverty and despair.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Economy enforces NGO coordination, monitoring, and continues banning all female work outside Taliban-governed sectors.
“Non-cooperation leads to activity suspension, including cancellation of operational licenses,” stated the official ministry letter circulated Sunday.
This recent move intensifies Taliban control over NGO activities despite rising concerns from international bodies about Afghan women’s treatment.
UN Security Council noted increasing harassment faced by Afghan humanitarian workers, impacting female staff’s participation within essential relief missions.
Taliban officials refute allegations, insisting aid organizations are neither restricted nor interfered with in their on-ground operations.
Women are already barred from education beyond sixth grade, public spaces, most professions, significantly eroding their societal roles.
Another Taliban decree requires obscuring residential areas from view, limiting house designs, enforcing compliance through authorities across Afghan cities.
Windows overlooking areas women might frequent must now include walls, fences, or screens to obstruct direct visibility, decree states.
The UN strongly urged reversals on restrictions, highlighting harmful consequences for women amidst deepening Afghanistan’s humanitarian crises and inequalities.
