In a letter on Saturday, the Afghan Ministry of Economic Affairs demanded that employees of all national and international NGOs be suspended from their work until further notice. The reason for this is that the women did not comply with the regulations of the militant Islamist Taliban leadership in relation to wearing a hijab, i.e. a headscarf. If an organization does not comply with this order, its license will be revoked, the letter said.
The announcement by the militant Islamists sparked concern around the world. Among others, the UN Secretary General, the EU Commission and the foreign ministers of the USA and Germany condemned the move.
Afghanistan: Hardly any more rights for women
In Afghanistan, the Taliban continue to restrict women’s rights. Now employees of aid organizations are no longer allowed to go to work. Girls and women are largely excluded from public life. Fewer and fewer women are protesting for their rights.
Thousands of jobs affected
The aid organizations Care, Save the Children and the Norwegian Refugee Agency emphasized that without women, millions of Afghans would not have received any help since the Taliban took power in August 2021. “As we gain clarity on this announcement, we are suspending our programs and demanding that women and men alike continue to provide life-saving assistance in Afghanistan.” Thousands of jobs are affected by the demand amid a tremendous economic crisis.
Another NGO, the International Rescue Committee, had previously spoken of more than 3,000 workers in the country alone. “Our workers are critical to delivering humanitarian aid in Afghanistan,” she tweeted.
UN Secretary-General Guterres ‘deeply concerned’
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “deeply concerned” by the Taliban’s alleged order, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in New York on Saturday (local time). “This decision will undermine the work of many organizations across the country that are helping the most vulnerable, especially women and girls.” The United Nations and its partners, including national and international NGOs, are currently supporting more than 28 million Afghans who are fighting for depended on humanitarian aid for their survival.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also expressed “deeply concerned” on Twitter on Saturday evening (local time). This ban on women will disrupt the delivery of humanitarian aid in Afghanistan. “Women play a central role in humanitarian relief efforts around the world,” said Blinken. Such a decision could have devastating consequences for the people of Afghanistan.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock rejected the request on Sunday. “We will not accept that the Taliban make humanitarian aid a pawn in their misogyny,” tweeted the Green politician. “They rob half of the population of another basic right, violate humanitarian principles and endanger people’s vital needs.” Gender-based persecution can also be a crime against humanity. “We are committed to a clear response from the international community.”
EU: “Clear violation of humanitarian principles”
EU Commission spokeswoman Nabila Massrali described the move as a “clear breach of humanitarian principles”. The EU is currently assessing the impact that the ban will have on its aid to Afghanistan, she wrote on Twitter on Sunday night.
Since taking power in August 2021, the militant Islamists have severely restricted women’s rights in Afghanistan. Many women were not allowed to return to their jobs. Girls and women are now largely excluded from public life. On Tuesday, the Taliban banned women from all universities. In the past, women who protested for their rights were repeatedly detained, sometimes for several weeks.
