Funviralpark Three major international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) said on Sunday they would halt their operations in Afghanistan after the Taliban announced it would ban women from working in these types of organizations.
Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE International said in a joint release that they are calling for both men and women to continue to participate in “life-saving assistance” in Afghanistan. They said they would suspend programs there until there was “clarification” about the announcement.
“Without female staff, we cannot effectively reach the children, women and men in desperate need in Afghanistan,” they said. “Without women driving our response, we wouldn’t be able to work together and reach out to the millions of Afghans in need after August 2021.”
NGOs said the Taliban’s decision would also affect thousands of jobs as the county is in the midst of an economic crisis.
The Taliban’s decision came when they announced that women would not be allowed to attend the country’s universities or attend religious classes at mosques in the capital, Kabul.
Secretary of State Antony Brinken said the Taliban’s ban on women working in NGOs was “disastrous” and could hamper “important and life-saving assistance” to millions of people. warned.
The Taliban said they enacted the ban in response to “serious complaints” about women working for NGOs wearing the hijab, the Islamic headscarf, improperly.
Since regaining control of the county last August, the Taliban have enacted numerous regulations limiting women’s rights in the country, following a strict interpretation of Sharia law. According to the United Nations, women are severely restricted from working outside the home, must cover their faces in public and must be accompanied by a male escort when traveling.
The country is also suffering severe economic hardships as international aid stopped shortly after the Taliban recaptured the country.
Afghan women have gathered to protest the recent ban on college attendance in cities across the country. We responded severely, such as driving away.
Muslim-majority Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar have also condemned bans on higher education for women.
The Taliban Minister of Higher Education said the ban was necessary to prevent gender mixing in universities and believed some of the subjects being taught violated Islamic principles.
