Taliban orders NGOs to stop employing women
Afghanistan's Taliban-run administration on Saturday ordered all local and foreign non-governmental organisations (NGO) to stop female employees from coming to work, according to an economy ministry letter, in the latest crackdown on women's freedoms. The letter, confirmed by economy ministry spokesperson Abdulrahman Habib, said the female employees were not allowed to work until further notice because some had not adhered to the administration's interpretation of Islamic dresscode for women. It comes days after the Taliban-run administration ordered universities to close to women, prompting global condemnation and sparking some protests and heavy criticism inside Afghanistan. Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN deputy special representative for Afghanistan and humanitarian coordinator, said he was "deeply concerned" by reports of the letter, which was a "clear breach of humanitarian principles". It was not immediately clear how the order would affect UN agencies, which have a large presence in Afghanistan delivering services amid the country's humanitarian crisis. The UN office for humanitarian affairs said the United Nations would try to meet with Taliban leadership to "obtain clarity on the reported order". The Charge D'Affaires for Norway, which funds aid in Afghanistan and hosted talks between Taliban and civil society members in January, condemned the move. "The ban on female employees in NGOs must be reversed immediately," Paul Klouman Bekken tweeted. "In addition to being a blow to women´s rights, this move will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and hurt the most vulnerable Afghans." (Reuters)