Taliban threatens to shut down NGOs hiring Afghan women

In Afghanistan, the Taliban has announced its intent to shut down all national and foreign NGOs that employ Afghan women as of December 31, 2024. This decision reiterates a previous order issued two years earlier, which required NGOs to stop employing women due to alleged violations of Islamic dress codes. Following this decree, the Taliban has threatened to revoke licenses and cease operations of institutions that refuse to comply, further tightening their grip on civil society and women's roles in Afghanistan. The Taliban's governance since their return to power in August 2021 has led to a systematic exclusion of women from public life and workplaces, drawing condemnation from the international community. Human Rights Chief Volker Türk characterized this situation as a form of gender apartheid, calling on the Taliban to reverse discriminatory policies that restrict women and girls from education, work, and public services. He emphasized that excluding women from NGOs directly endangers humanitarian efforts in a country where over half the population lives in poverty and urgently requires aid. There has been a documented increase in barriers faced by humanitarian workers in Afghanistan, including Afghan women who are essential to delivering aid. Many female workers have reported being stopped by the Taliban's morality police while attempting to perform their duties. Despite the Taliban's claims that they are not interfering with aid delivery, reports of growing restrictions paint a different picture, stifling efforts to address the dire humanitarian situation affecting both genders in Afghanistan. The crackdown on women’s rights also extends to limiting their freedoms and participation in public life. In addition to banning women from most public spaces and employment opportunities, the Taliban has instituted laws aimed at controlling women’s visibility and voice in society. This includes sexual segregation in public areas and recent directives barring women from education beyond sixth grade. Overall, the Taliban’s policies signal a complete retraction of women's rights, raising grave concerns about the future of human rights and humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan.