Taliban Issues Ban on Female Employment by NGOs, Threatens Closures

The Taliban has announced that all national and international NGOs employing women in Afghanistan will be shut down. This latest order, issued by the Economy Ministry, follows a two-year-old directive halting the employment of Afghan women due to alleged non-compliance with Islamic dress codes.

In a letter posted on X, the Taliban warned that NGOs not adhering to this ban would lose their operating licenses. The ministry stated its responsibility for overseeing all activities of national and foreign organizations in the country.

The Taliban has increasingly restricted women's participation in public life, including banning them from most jobs and excluding them from education beyond the sixth grade.