Afghanistan: 3 foreign NGOs stop work over Taliban women ban
Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE said they could not resume their work without women staff. The Taliban had ordered all nongovernmental organizations to suspend their female employees.
Three foreign aid groups announced on Sunday that they were suspending their work in Afghanistan after the Taliban ordered nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to ban women from working.
Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and CARE said they could not operate without women in their workforce.
"Whilst we gain clarity on this announcement, we are suspending our programs, demanding that men and women can equally continue our lifesaving assistance in Afghanistan," the three aid groups said in a joint statement.
What is the Taliban's order?
On Saturday, the Taliban said female NGO employees were not allowed to work because some had not adhered to a strict interpretation of the Islamic dress code for women.
The decision is the latest in a string of restrictions that Afghanistan's hardline Islamist rulers have imposed since they seized power in August 2021.
It came less than a week after the Taliban banned women from attending universities.
The Taliban's crackdown on women's rights has contributed to hampering their administration's efforts to gain international recognition, which could help lift sanctions and bring in much-needed aid amid the deteriorating state of the Afghan economy.
Ban sparks international backlash
The UN condemned the ban. It said excluding women "systematically from all aspects of public and political life takes the country backward, jeopardizing efforts for any meaningful peace or stability in the country."
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock urged the international community to take a stand against the Taliban's latest restrictions on women's freedoms.
"Those who exclude women and young girls from work, from education and from public life not only ruin their country," Baerbock wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
She added, "We will try to get a clear reaction from the international community," and noted, "Sexist persecution can constitute a crime against humanity."
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the decision would be "devastating" to Afghans as it would "disrupt vital and lifesaving assistance to millions."
fb/ar (AFP, AP)
On Saturday, the Taliban said female NGO employees were not allowed to work because some had not adhered to a strict interpretation of the Islamic dress code for women.
The decision is the latest in a string of restrictions that Afghanistan's hardline Islamist rulers have imposed since they seized power in August 2021.
It came less than a week after the Taliban banned women from attending universities.
The Taliban's crackdown on women's rights has contributed to hampering their administration's efforts to gain international recognition, which could help lift sanctions and bring in much-needed aid amid the deteriorating state of the Afghan economy.
Ban sparks international backlash
The UN condemned the ban. It said excluding women "systematically from all aspects of public and political life takes the country backward, jeopardizing efforts for any meaningful peace or stability in the country."
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock urged the international community to take a stand against the Taliban's latest restrictions on women's freedoms.
"Those who exclude women and young girls from work, from education and from public life not only ruin their country," Baerbock wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
She added, "We will try to get a clear reaction from the international community," and noted, "Sexist persecution can constitute a crime against humanity."
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the decision would be "devastating" to Afghans as it would "disrupt vital and lifesaving assistance to millions."
fb/ar (AFP, AP)
Save the Children among NGOs halting Afghan operations after ban on female staff
Issued on: 25/12/2022 -
04:26 A burqa-clad woman walks through a street in Kandahar on December 25, 2022. © Naveed Tanveer, AFP
Text by: NEWS WIRES|
Video by: FRANCE 24
Three foreign aid groups, including Save the Children, announced on Sunday they were suspending their operations in Afghanistan after the Taliban ordered all NGOs to stop their women staff from working.
The announcement came as top officials from the United Nations and dozens of NGOs operating in Afghanistan met in Kabul to discuss a way ahead after the Taliban's latest restriction delivered a blow to humanitarian work across the country.
"We cannot effectively reach children, women and men in desperate need in Afghanistan without our female staff," Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE said in a joint statement.
"Whilst we gain clarity on this announcement, we are suspending our programmes, demanding that men and women can equally continue our lifesaving assistance in Afghanistan."
Saturday's order issued by the Taliban authorities drew swift international condemnation, with governments and organisations warning of the impact on humanitarian services in a country where millions rely on aid.
The latest restriction comes less than a week after the hardline Islamists banned women from attending universities, prompting global outrage and protests in some Afghan cities.
The Ministry of Economy on Saturday threatened to suspend the operating licences of NGOs if they failed to implement the order.
The ministry, which issues these licences, said it had received "serious complaints" that women working in NGOs were not observing a proper Islamic dress code.
A meeting of the Humanitarian Country Team, which comprises top UN officials and representatives of dozens of Afghan and foreign NGOs was being held in Kabul to discuss whether to suspend all aid work following the latest Taliban directive, aid officials told AFP.
The United Nations condemned the ministry's directive and said it would seek an explanation from the Taliban about the order, which by excluding women "systematically from all aspects of public and political life takes the country backward, jeopardising efforts for any meaningful peace or stability in the country".
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the ban would be "devastating" to Afghans as it would "disrupt vital and life-saving assistance to millions".
'Hell for women'
"I'm the only breadwinner of my family. If I lose my job my family of 15 members will die of hunger," said Shabana, 24, a woman employee with an international NGO working in Afghanistan for decades.
"While the world is celebrating the arrival of the new year, Afghanistan has become a hell for women."
The ministry said women working in NGOs were not observing "the Islamic hijab and other rules and regulations pertaining to the work of females in national and international organisations".
But women employees AFP spoke to dismissed the charge.
"Our offices are gender segregated, and every woman is properly dressed," said Arezo, who works for another foreign NGO.
It remained unclear whether the directive impacted foreign women staff at NGOs.
The international community has made respecting women's rights a sticking point in negotiations with the Taliban government for its recognition and the restoration of aid.
The ban comes at a time when millions across the country depend on humanitarian aid provided by international donors through a vast network of NGOs.
Afghanistan's economic crisis has only worsened since the Taliban seized power in August last year, which led to Washington freezing billions of dollars of its assets and foreign donors cutting aid.
Dozens of organisations work across remote areas of Afghanistan and many of their employees are women, with several warning the ban would stymie their work.
"The ban is going to impact all aspects of humanitarian work as women employees have been key executors of various projects focussing on the country's vulnerable women population," said another top official of a foreign NGO in Kabul.
On Tuesday, the minister of higher education banned women from universities, charging that they too were not properly dressed.
That ban triggered widespread international outrage and some protests, which were forcefully dispersed by the authorities.
Since returning to power in August last year, the Taliban have already barred teenage girls from secondary school.
Women have also been pushed out of many government jobs, prevented from travelling without a male relative and ordered to cover up outside of the home, ideally with a burqa.
They are also not allowed to enter parks or gardens.
(AFP)
Taliban bans female NGO staff, jeopardizing aid efforts
Taliban flag-raising ceremony in Kabul
Sat, December 24, 2022
KABUL (Reuters) -Afghanistan's Taliban-run administration on Saturday ordered all local and foreign NGOs to stop female employees from working, in a move the United Nations said would hit humanitarian operations just as winter grips a country already in economic crisis.
A letter from the economy ministry, confirmed by spokesperson Abdulrahman Habib, said female employees of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) 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 administration ordered universities to close to women, prompting global condemnation and sparking some protests and heavy criticism inside Afghanistan.
Both decisions are the latest restrictions on women that are likely to undermine the Taliban-run administration's efforts to gain international recognition and clear sanctions that are severely hampering the economy.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter he was "deeply concerned" the move "will disrupt vital and life-saving assistance to millions," adding: "Women are central to humanitarian operations around the world. This decision could be devastating for the Afghan people."
Ramiz Alakbarov, the U.N. deputy special representative for Afghanistan and humanitarian coordinator, told Reuters that although the U.N. had not received the order, contracted NGOs carried out most of its activities and would be heavily impacted.
"Many of our programmes will be affected," he said, because they need female staff to assess humanitarian need and identify beneficiaries, otherwise they will not be able to implement aid programs.
International aid agency AfghanAid said it was immediately suspending operations while it consulted with other organisations, and that other NGOs were taking similar actions.
The potential endangerment of aid programmes that millions of Afghans access comes when more than half the population relies on humanitarian aid, according to aid agencies, and during the mountainous nation's coldest season.
"There's never a right time for anything like this ... but this particular time is very unfortunate because during winter time people are most in need and Afghan winters are very harsh," said Alakbarov.
He said his office would consult with NGOs and U.N. agencies on Sunday and seek to meet with Taliban authorities for an explanation.
Aid workers say female workers are essential in a country where rules and cultural customs largely prevent male workers from delivering aid to female beneficiaries.
"An important principle of delivery of humanitarian aid is the ability of women to participate independently and in an unimpeded way in its distribution so if we can't do it in a principled way then no donors will be funding any programs like that," Alakbarov said.
When asked whether the rules directly included U.N. agencies, Habib said the letter applied to organisations under Afghanistan's coordinating body for humanitarian organisations, known as ACBAR. That body does not include the U.N., but includes over 180 local and international NGOs.
Their licences would be suspended if they did not comply, the letter said.
Afghanistan's struggling economy has tipped into crisis since the Taliban took over in 2021, with the country facing sanctions, cuts in development aid and a freeze in central bank assets.
A record 28 million Afghans are estimated to need humanitarian aid next year, according to AfghanAid.
(Reporting by Kabul newsroom; additional reporting by Susan Heavey in WashingtonEditing by Mark Potter and Josie Kao)
Issued on: 25/12/2022 -
04:26 A burqa-clad woman walks through a street in Kandahar on December 25, 2022. © Naveed Tanveer, AFP
Text by: NEWS WIRES|
Video by: FRANCE 24
Three foreign aid groups, including Save the Children, announced on Sunday they were suspending their operations in Afghanistan after the Taliban ordered all NGOs to stop their women staff from working.
The announcement came as top officials from the United Nations and dozens of NGOs operating in Afghanistan met in Kabul to discuss a way ahead after the Taliban's latest restriction delivered a blow to humanitarian work across the country.
"We cannot effectively reach children, women and men in desperate need in Afghanistan without our female staff," Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE said in a joint statement.
"Whilst we gain clarity on this announcement, we are suspending our programmes, demanding that men and women can equally continue our lifesaving assistance in Afghanistan."
Saturday's order issued by the Taliban authorities drew swift international condemnation, with governments and organisations warning of the impact on humanitarian services in a country where millions rely on aid.
The latest restriction comes less than a week after the hardline Islamists banned women from attending universities, prompting global outrage and protests in some Afghan cities.
The Ministry of Economy on Saturday threatened to suspend the operating licences of NGOs if they failed to implement the order.
The ministry, which issues these licences, said it had received "serious complaints" that women working in NGOs were not observing a proper Islamic dress code.
A meeting of the Humanitarian Country Team, which comprises top UN officials and representatives of dozens of Afghan and foreign NGOs was being held in Kabul to discuss whether to suspend all aid work following the latest Taliban directive, aid officials told AFP.
The United Nations condemned the ministry's directive and said it would seek an explanation from the Taliban about the order, which by excluding women "systematically from all aspects of public and political life takes the country backward, jeopardising efforts for any meaningful peace or stability in the country".
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the ban would be "devastating" to Afghans as it would "disrupt vital and life-saving assistance to millions".
'Hell for women'
"I'm the only breadwinner of my family. If I lose my job my family of 15 members will die of hunger," said Shabana, 24, a woman employee with an international NGO working in Afghanistan for decades.
"While the world is celebrating the arrival of the new year, Afghanistan has become a hell for women."
The ministry said women working in NGOs were not observing "the Islamic hijab and other rules and regulations pertaining to the work of females in national and international organisations".
But women employees AFP spoke to dismissed the charge.
"Our offices are gender segregated, and every woman is properly dressed," said Arezo, who works for another foreign NGO.
It remained unclear whether the directive impacted foreign women staff at NGOs.
The international community has made respecting women's rights a sticking point in negotiations with the Taliban government for its recognition and the restoration of aid.
The ban comes at a time when millions across the country depend on humanitarian aid provided by international donors through a vast network of NGOs.
Afghanistan's economic crisis has only worsened since the Taliban seized power in August last year, which led to Washington freezing billions of dollars of its assets and foreign donors cutting aid.
Dozens of organisations work across remote areas of Afghanistan and many of their employees are women, with several warning the ban would stymie their work.
"The ban is going to impact all aspects of humanitarian work as women employees have been key executors of various projects focussing on the country's vulnerable women population," said another top official of a foreign NGO in Kabul.
On Tuesday, the minister of higher education banned women from universities, charging that they too were not properly dressed.
That ban triggered widespread international outrage and some protests, which were forcefully dispersed by the authorities.
Since returning to power in August last year, the Taliban have already barred teenage girls from secondary school.
Women have also been pushed out of many government jobs, prevented from travelling without a male relative and ordered to cover up outside of the home, ideally with a burqa.
They are also not allowed to enter parks or gardens.
(AFP)
Taliban flag-raising ceremony in Kabul
Sat, December 24, 2022
KABUL (Reuters) -Afghanistan's Taliban-run administration on Saturday ordered all local and foreign NGOs to stop female employees from working, in a move the United Nations said would hit humanitarian operations just as winter grips a country already in economic crisis.
A letter from the economy ministry, confirmed by spokesperson Abdulrahman Habib, said female employees of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) 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 administration ordered universities to close to women, prompting global condemnation and sparking some protests and heavy criticism inside Afghanistan.
Both decisions are the latest restrictions on women that are likely to undermine the Taliban-run administration's efforts to gain international recognition and clear sanctions that are severely hampering the economy.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter he was "deeply concerned" the move "will disrupt vital and life-saving assistance to millions," adding: "Women are central to humanitarian operations around the world. This decision could be devastating for the Afghan people."
Ramiz Alakbarov, the U.N. deputy special representative for Afghanistan and humanitarian coordinator, told Reuters that although the U.N. had not received the order, contracted NGOs carried out most of its activities and would be heavily impacted.
"Many of our programmes will be affected," he said, because they need female staff to assess humanitarian need and identify beneficiaries, otherwise they will not be able to implement aid programs.
International aid agency AfghanAid said it was immediately suspending operations while it consulted with other organisations, and that other NGOs were taking similar actions.
The potential endangerment of aid programmes that millions of Afghans access comes when more than half the population relies on humanitarian aid, according to aid agencies, and during the mountainous nation's coldest season.
"There's never a right time for anything like this ... but this particular time is very unfortunate because during winter time people are most in need and Afghan winters are very harsh," said Alakbarov.
He said his office would consult with NGOs and U.N. agencies on Sunday and seek to meet with Taliban authorities for an explanation.
Aid workers say female workers are essential in a country where rules and cultural customs largely prevent male workers from delivering aid to female beneficiaries.
"An important principle of delivery of humanitarian aid is the ability of women to participate independently and in an unimpeded way in its distribution so if we can't do it in a principled way then no donors will be funding any programs like that," Alakbarov said.
When asked whether the rules directly included U.N. agencies, Habib said the letter applied to organisations under Afghanistan's coordinating body for humanitarian organisations, known as ACBAR. That body does not include the U.N., but includes over 180 local and international NGOs.
Their licences would be suspended if they did not comply, the letter said.
Afghanistan's struggling economy has tipped into crisis since the Taliban took over in 2021, with the country facing sanctions, cuts in development aid and a freeze in central bank assets.
A record 28 million Afghans are estimated to need humanitarian aid next year, according to AfghanAid.
(Reporting by Kabul newsroom; additional reporting by Susan Heavey in WashingtonEditing by Mark Potter and Josie Kao)
US slams Taliban for women's NGO jobs ban in Afghanistan
RIAZAT BUTT
Sun, December 25, 2022
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.S. has condemned the Taliban for ordering non-governmental groups in Afghanistan to stop employing women, saying the ban will disrupt vital and life-saving assistance to millions.
The Taliban takeover last year sent Afghanistan’s economy into a tailspin and transformed the country, driving millions into poverty and hunger. Foreign aid stopped almost overnight. Sanctions on Taliban rulers, a halt on bank transfers and frozen billions in Afghanistan’s currency reserves have already restricted access to global institutions and the outside money that supported the country’s aid-dependent economy before the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces.
“Women are central to humanitarian operations around the world," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday. "This decision could be devastating for the Afghan people.”
The NGO order came in a letter from Economy Minister Qari Din Mohammed Hanif. It said any organization found not complying with the order will have their operating license revoked in Afghanistan. It is the latest blow to female rights and freedoms since the Taliban seized power last year and follows sweeping restrictions on education, employment, clothing and travel.
The U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was deeply disturbed by reports of the ban.
“The United Nations and its partners, including national and international non-governmental organizations, are helping more than 28 million Afghans who depend on humanitarian aid to survive,” he said in a statement.
Aid agencies and NGOs are expected to make a statement Sunday.
The Economy Ministry's edict comes days after the Taliban banned female students from attending universities across the country, triggering backlash overseas and demonstrations in major Afghan cities.
At around midnight Saturday in the western city of Herat, where earlier protesters were dispersed with water cannons, people opened their windows and chanted “Allahu Akbar (God is great)” in solidarity with female students.
In the southern city of Kandahar, also on Saturday, hundreds of male students boycotted their final semester exams at Mirwais Neeka University. One of them told The Associated Press that Taliban forces tried to break up the crowd as they left the exam hall.
“They tried to disperse us so we chanted slogans, then others joined in with the slogans,” said Akhbari, who only gave his last name. “We refused to move and the Taliban thought we were protesting. The Taliban started shooting their rifles into the air. I saw two guys being beaten, one of them to the head.”
A spokesman for the Kandahar provincial governor, Ataullah Zaid, denied there was a protest. There were some people who were pretending to be students and teachers, he said, but they were stopped by students and security forces.
RIAZAT BUTT
Sun, December 25, 2022
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.S. has condemned the Taliban for ordering non-governmental groups in Afghanistan to stop employing women, saying the ban will disrupt vital and life-saving assistance to millions.
The Taliban takeover last year sent Afghanistan’s economy into a tailspin and transformed the country, driving millions into poverty and hunger. Foreign aid stopped almost overnight. Sanctions on Taliban rulers, a halt on bank transfers and frozen billions in Afghanistan’s currency reserves have already restricted access to global institutions and the outside money that supported the country’s aid-dependent economy before the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces.
“Women are central to humanitarian operations around the world," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday. "This decision could be devastating for the Afghan people.”
The NGO order came in a letter from Economy Minister Qari Din Mohammed Hanif. It said any organization found not complying with the order will have their operating license revoked in Afghanistan. It is the latest blow to female rights and freedoms since the Taliban seized power last year and follows sweeping restrictions on education, employment, clothing and travel.
The U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was deeply disturbed by reports of the ban.
“The United Nations and its partners, including national and international non-governmental organizations, are helping more than 28 million Afghans who depend on humanitarian aid to survive,” he said in a statement.
Aid agencies and NGOs are expected to make a statement Sunday.
The Economy Ministry's edict comes days after the Taliban banned female students from attending universities across the country, triggering backlash overseas and demonstrations in major Afghan cities.
At around midnight Saturday in the western city of Herat, where earlier protesters were dispersed with water cannons, people opened their windows and chanted “Allahu Akbar (God is great)” in solidarity with female students.
In the southern city of Kandahar, also on Saturday, hundreds of male students boycotted their final semester exams at Mirwais Neeka University. One of them told The Associated Press that Taliban forces tried to break up the crowd as they left the exam hall.
“They tried to disperse us so we chanted slogans, then others joined in with the slogans,” said Akhbari, who only gave his last name. “We refused to move and the Taliban thought we were protesting. The Taliban started shooting their rifles into the air. I saw two guys being beaten, one of them to the head.”
A spokesman for the Kandahar provincial governor, Ataullah Zaid, denied there was a protest. There were some people who were pretending to be students and teachers, he said, but they were stopped by students and security forces.
Top UN, NGO officials to meet over Taliban ban on women staff in Afghanistan
AFP
AFP
Published December 25, 2022
Top officials from the United Nations and dozens of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in Afghanistan are meeting on Sunday to discuss the way ahead after the Taliban authorities ordered all NGOs to stop women employees from working, aid officials said.
The Taliban administration on Saturday threatened to suspend the operating licences of NGOs if they failed to implement the order.
The Ministry of Economy, which issues these licences, said it had received “serious complaints” that women working in NGOs were not observing a proper Islamic dress code.
“A meeting of Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) is scheduled later today to consult and discuss how to tackle this issue,” Tapiwa Gomo, public information officer for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told AFP.
The HCT comprises top UN officials and representatives of dozens of Afghan and international NGOs who coordinate the distribution of aid across the country.
The meeting will discuss whether to suspend all aid work following the latest Taliban directive, some NGO officials said.
The United Nations, which said it would seek an explanation from the Taliban about the order, condemned the ministry’s directive.
It said the order excluding women “systematically from all aspects of public and political life takes the country backward, jeopardising efforts for any meaningful peace or stability in the country”.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the ban would be “devastating” to Afghans as it would “disrupt vital and life-saving assistance to millions”.
The ban comes at a time when millions across the country depend on humanitarian aid provided by international donors through a vast network of NGOs.
Afghanistan’s economic crisis has only worsened since the Taliban seized power in August last year, which led to Washington freezing billions of dollars of its assets and foreign donors stopping aid.
The ministry said women working in NGOs were not observing “the Islamic hijab and other rules and regulations pertaining to the work of females in national and international organisations”.
It remained unclear whether the directive impacted foreign women staff at NGOs.
Dozens of organisations work across remote areas of Afghanistan and many of their employees are women, with several warning a ban on women staff would stymie their work.
The latest restriction comes less than a week after the Taliban authorities banned women from attending universities, prompting global outrage and protests in some Afghan cities.
Since returning to power in August last year, the Taliban have already barred teenage girls from secondary school.
Women have also been pushed out of many government jobs, prevented from travelling without a male relative and ordered to cover up outside of the home, ideally with a burqa.
They are also not allowed to enter parks or gardens.
Top officials from the United Nations and dozens of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in Afghanistan are meeting on Sunday to discuss the way ahead after the Taliban authorities ordered all NGOs to stop women employees from working, aid officials said.
The Taliban administration on Saturday threatened to suspend the operating licences of NGOs if they failed to implement the order.
The Ministry of Economy, which issues these licences, said it had received “serious complaints” that women working in NGOs were not observing a proper Islamic dress code.
“A meeting of Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) is scheduled later today to consult and discuss how to tackle this issue,” Tapiwa Gomo, public information officer for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told AFP.
The HCT comprises top UN officials and representatives of dozens of Afghan and international NGOs who coordinate the distribution of aid across the country.
The meeting will discuss whether to suspend all aid work following the latest Taliban directive, some NGO officials said.
The United Nations, which said it would seek an explanation from the Taliban about the order, condemned the ministry’s directive.
It said the order excluding women “systematically from all aspects of public and political life takes the country backward, jeopardising efforts for any meaningful peace or stability in the country”.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the ban would be “devastating” to Afghans as it would “disrupt vital and life-saving assistance to millions”.
The ban comes at a time when millions across the country depend on humanitarian aid provided by international donors through a vast network of NGOs.
Afghanistan’s economic crisis has only worsened since the Taliban seized power in August last year, which led to Washington freezing billions of dollars of its assets and foreign donors stopping aid.
The ministry said women working in NGOs were not observing “the Islamic hijab and other rules and regulations pertaining to the work of females in national and international organisations”.
It remained unclear whether the directive impacted foreign women staff at NGOs.
Dozens of organisations work across remote areas of Afghanistan and many of their employees are women, with several warning a ban on women staff would stymie their work.
The latest restriction comes less than a week after the Taliban authorities banned women from attending universities, prompting global outrage and protests in some Afghan cities.
Since returning to power in August last year, the Taliban have already barred teenage girls from secondary school.
Women have also been pushed out of many government jobs, prevented from travelling without a male relative and ordered to cover up outside of the home, ideally with a burqa.
They are also not allowed to enter parks or gardens.
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