Afghanistan's Taliban government announced it would shut down all national and foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) employing women.
The announcement comes following an earlier directive suspending Afghan women from NGO roles over alleged non-compliance with strict dress codes.
In a letter published on X Sunday night, the Economy Ministry warned that NGOs that fail to comply with the latest order will lose their license to operate in Afghanistan.
The ministry said it was responsible for the registration, coordination, leadership and supervision of all activities carried out by national and foreign organizations.
The government was 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.”
It’s the Taliban’s latest attempt to control or intervene in NGO activity.
Earlier this month, the U.N. 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 U.N. official, the proportion of humanitarian organizations reporting that the Taliban’s morality police stopped their female or male staff 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.
