The Taliban have banned Afghan women from working at non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the country.
It was not clear if the ban, announced in a letter and confirmed by the economy ministry, also applied to foreign women or those working for the United Nations (UN), which has a significant presence in the country.
The economy ministry says the ban applies to Afghanistan’s coordinating body for humanitarian organisations, known as
ACBAR – which does not include the United Nations.
However, the UN does contract NGOs that are part of ACBAR in Afghanistan to carry out its humanitarian work.
The letter said female employees would not be allowed to work for NGOs until further notice because some had not adhered to the Taliban’s interpretation of the Islamic dress code for women.
The economy ministry said it had received “serious complaints” about female staff not wearing the “correct” headscarf or hijab.
This ban comes days after Afghan women were stopped from going to university by the Taliban, a move that drew international condemnation.
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