This was disclosed by the Afghanistan Ministry of Economy to AFP on Saturday, adding that the government would suspend the operating licences of any organisation that failed to comply with the directive.
The Taliban authorities have ordered all national and international Non-Governmental Organisations to stop their women employees from working after “serious complaints” about their dress code.
This was disclosed by the Afghanistan Ministry of Economy to AFP on Saturday, adding that the government would suspend the operating licences of any organisation that failed to comply with the directive.
The order is coming less than a week after Taliban authorities prohibited women from attending universities, sparking international outrage and protests in some Afghan cities.
This was in line with the Islamists’ hardline approach to Afghan women's right to education and freedom.
While the Taliban promised a softer form of rule when they retook power in August of last year, they instead imposed harsh restrictions on women, effectively excluding them from public life.
“There have been serious complaints regarding the non-observance of the Islamic hijab and other rules and regulations pertaining to the work of females in national and international organisations,” said a notification sent to all NGOs, a copy of which was obtained by AFP and confirmed by a spokesman for the economy ministry.
The notification continued: “The ministry of economy… instructs all organisations to stop females working until further notice.
“In case of negligence of the above directive, the license of the organisation which has been issued by this ministry will be cancelled,” it added.
Two international NGOs confirmed that they had received the notification.
“We are suspending all our activities from Sunday,” a top official at an international NGO involved in humanitarian work told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“We will soon have a meeting of top officials of all NGOs to decide how to handle this issue.”
Dozens of national and international NGOs continue to work in several sectors across remote areas of Afghanistan, and many of their employees are women.
Another official working at an international NGO involved in food distribution said the ban was a “big blow to women staff”.
“We have women staff largely to address humanitarian aid concerns of Afghan women,” the official said.
“How do we address their concerns now?”
Amnesty International said the ban was a "heinous attempt to erase women from political, social, and economic spaces" in Afghanistan.
The order is the country's latest assault on women's rights.