Today, Saturday, the Taliban-led Afghan government called on all foreign and local non-governmental organizations to stop working for women across the country.
The Ministry of Economy said it had noticed that "female employees in foreign and local institutions do not abide by the Islamic headscarf and the laws of the Islamic Emirate."
The ministry called on all institutions to stop women from working, and threatened to revoke the work permits of foreign and local companies and institutions if they did not comply with the decision.
The decision comes days after the government issued an order to close public and private universities to girls and women across Afghanistan.
For his part, the Norwegian Chargé d'Affairs, Paul Kloman Peken, condemned the decision, in a tweet on Twitter, "The ban on female employees of non-governmental organizations must be lifted immediately."
He added that this step is a "blow to women's rights," stressing that it "will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and harm Afghans."
The ban on female employees in NGOs must be reversed immediately.
In addition to being a blow to women´s rights, this move will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and hurt the most vulnerable Afghans.
- Paul Klouman Bekken (@NorwayinAFG) December 24, 2022
It is not yet clear whether the matter applies to the UN agencies that have a large presence in Afghanistan, where they provide services in light of the humanitarian crisis in the country.
The United Nations often contracts with non-governmental organizations registered in Afghanistan to carry out its "humanitarian" work.
Aid workers say the presence of female workers is important to ensuring that women receive aid.
Afghanistan's ailing economy has already entered crisis in 2021, as the country faces sanctions and cuts in development aid.
Humanitarian aid, designed to meet urgent needs, provides a lifeline to millions.
More than half of Afghanistan's population also depends on aid, according to the International Rescue Committee.
The US State Department strongly condemned what it called the Taliban's "unjustified" decision to ban girls and women from universities, and said that the United States would impose measures to hold the movement accountable while continuing to help the Afghan people.
It is noteworthy that about 40% of private universities were closed due to financial conditions after the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, and a source in the Ministry of Higher Education said that more than 200 university professors left the country after the Taliban came to power.