Taliban order all NGOs in Afghanistan to stop employing women or face closure

The Taliban says it will close all national and foreign nongovernmental groups in Afghanistan employing women. It comes two years after they told NGOs to suspend the employment of Afghan women, allegedly because they didn’t wear the Islamic headscarf correctly.

In a letter published on X Sunday night, the Economy Ministry warns that failure to comply with the latest order will lead to NGOs losing their license to operate in Afghanistan.

The ministry says it is responsible for the registration, coordination, leadership and supervision of all activities carried out by national and foreign organizations.

The government is once again ordering the stoppage of all female work in institutions not controlled by the Taliban, according to the letter.

“In case of lack of cooperation, all activities of that institution will be canceled and the activity license of that institution, granted by the ministry, will also be canceled.”

The Taliban have already barred women from many jobs and most public spaces. They have also excluded them from education beyond sixth grade.