It is the Taliban’s latest attempt to control or intervene in NGO activity.
By AP Reporter
The Taliban have said they will close all national and foreign non-governmental groups (NGOs) in Afghanistan employing women.
It comes two years after they told NGOs to suspend the employment of Afghan women, allegedly because they did not wear the Islamic headscarf correctly.
In a letter published on social media platform X on Sunday night, the Economy Ministry warned that failure to comply with the latest order would lead to NGOs losing their licence to operate in Afghanistan.
The ministry said it was responsible for the registration, co-ordination, leadership and supervision of all activities carried out by national and foreign organisations.
The government was once again ordering the stoppage of all female work in institutions not controlled by the Taliban, according to the letter.
It is the Taliban’s latest attempt to control or intervene in NGO activity.
Earlier this month, the UN Security Council heard that an increasing proportion of female Afghan humanitarian workers were prevented from doing their work even though relief work remains essential.
According to Tom Fletcher, a senior UN official, the proportion of humanitarian organisations reporting that their female or male staff were stopped by the Taliban’s morality police has also increased.
The Taliban deny they are stopping aid agencies from carrying out their work or interfering with their activities.
They have already barred women from many jobs and most public spaces, and also excluded them from education beyond sixth grade.
In another development, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has ordered that buildings should not have windows looking into places where a woman might sit or stand.
According to a four-clause decree posted on X late Saturday, the order applies to new buildings as well as existing ones.
NGO responds to Taliban work ban with guidelines to protect female staff in health, education sectors
KABUL, Afghanistan — In response to the Taliban’s renewed enforcement of a ban on women working in non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief and Development (ACBAR) issued a set of detailed recommendations on Sunday to ensure female staff in health and education sectors can continue working under the restrictions.
The organization’s Immediate Response Team emphasized compliance measures, including full hijab requirements, separate facilities for female employees, and documented justification for their presence in offices.
The letter, dated December 26, 2024, reaffirmed the Taliban’s enforcement of a December 2022 directive and warned that non-compliance could result in the suspension of operations or revocation of licenses for NGOs.
In response, ACBAR held a meeting with the Taliban-run Ministry of Economy on Sunday, December 29, to address the implications of the directive and to clarify how NGOs can comply while maintaining critical operations.
Exemptions and updated guidelines
ACBAR emphasized that while the general ban remains in effect, specific exemptions apply to women working in health and education sectors. Additionally, the Taliban provided updated rules that NGOs employing female staff must follow:
Remote Work: Women working remotely (online) may continue their roles.
Travel Requirements: Female staff commuting to fieldwork or workplaces must be accompanied by a male guardian (mahram).
Hijab Enforcement: Women must observe full hijab at all times, including in transit and within the office.
Separate Facilities: NGOs must provide female staff with designated entrances, rest areas, and prayer spaces.
Workplace Justification: The presence of female employees in offices must be documented and justified, particularly in health and education roles.
ACBAR’s recommendations for NGOs
ACBAR’s Immediate Response Team issued further recommendations to help NGOs navigate the restrictions:
Compliance and Sensitization: All staff, especially female employees, must be briefed on the new regulations, and organizations should be prepared for inspections by Taliban officials.
Facility Adjustments: Separate facilities for female staff must be implemented where possible.
Incident Reporting: NGOs are encouraged to report any challenges or irregularities caused by the restrictions to ACBAR for further action and advocacy.
The organization also advised NGOs to adapt quickly to the guidelines to mitigate their operational impact while continuing to serve Afghanistan’s most vulnerable populations.
Impact on female workers
Although women in health and education sectors are allowed to work under these conditions, the restrictions pose significant logistical challenges for other female employees. Requiring a male guardian and strict dress codes, even within offices, limits mobility and complicates daily operations.
ACBAR acknowledged these challenges but emphasized its commitment to supporting female staff and ensuring critical humanitarian operations continue uninterrupted.
A Pattern of increasing restrictions
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed progressively stricter limitations on women’s participation in public life, including education and employment. The initial NGO work ban in 2022 faced widespread international condemnation. The latest letter reaffirms that ban, while introducing detailed conditions under which women can still work in specific roles.
Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most acute humanitarian crises, with millions dependent on aid delivered by NGOs. Many of these organizations rely on female workers to provide essential services, particularly in maternal health and education, areas where male staff often cannot operate due to cultural barriers
Taliban's Latest Restriction Against Women Comes As A Way To 'Stop Obscene Acts'
As per the spokesperson of the Taliban government, new residential buildings will not have windows which overlook the courtyard, kitchen, neighbouring wells and other places usually used by women."
Outlook Web Desk
The Taliban has now banned the construction of windows in residential buildings.
As per the spokesperson of the Taliban government, new residential buildings will not have windows which overlook the courtyard, kitchen, neighbouring wells and other places usually used by women."
READ | Afghanistan: A Battle-Scarred Nation At War With Its Women | Never-Ending Wars
Taking to X, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Taliban government stated that this ban comes as seeing women in their houses can "lead to obscene acts."
"Seeing women working in kitchens, in courtyards or collecting water from wells can lead to obscene acts," he wrote on X.
The announcement further added that municipal authorities and other departments under the Taliban government would have to monitor construction sites and ensure that the view to the neighbouring houses in blocked.
As reported by AFP, in houses where such windows exist, owners would be asked to build a wall or obscure the view using other methods in order to avoid "nuisances caused to neighbours".
Since taking over Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban has carried out the complete suppression of women's rights.
Starting with a ban on their education, under the Taliban government, Afghan women are not allowed education beyond the sixth grade.
As the extremist regime continues, women have slowly been erased from public spaces, including places of employment.
Women are also not allowed to step out in public unless they are covered from head to toe in a burqa and are accompanied by a male family member.
The most recent restriction from the Taliban included prohibiting women from singing or reciting in public and to "veil" their voices outside their homes.
The government was once again ordering the stoppage of all female work in institutions not controlled by the Taliban, according to the letter.
It is the Taliban’s latest attempt to control or intervene in NGO activity.
Earlier this month, the UN Security Council heard that an increasing proportion of female Afghan humanitarian workers were prevented from doing their work even though relief work remains essential.
According to Tom Fletcher, a senior UN official, the proportion of humanitarian organisations reporting that their female or male staff were stopped by the Taliban’s morality police has also increased.
The Taliban deny they are stopping aid agencies from carrying out their work or interfering with their activities.
They have already barred women from many jobs and most public spaces, and also excluded them from education beyond sixth grade.
In another development, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has ordered that buildings should not have windows looking into places where a woman might sit or stand.
According to a four-clause decree posted on X late Saturday, the order applies to new buildings as well as existing ones.
No comments:
Post a Comment