The prohibition came days after the Taliban prohibited women in Afghanistan from attending university, a decision that received international outrage.
Afghan women are prohibited from working for non-governmental organizations by the Taliban.
It was unclear whether the restriction, which was published in a letter and confirmed by the economy ministry, also applied to foreign women and those employed by the United Nations, which has a substantial presence in the country.
The economy ministry stated that the prohibition applies to ACBAR, Afghanistan’s coordination body for humanitarian organizations, but not to the UN.
In Afghanistan, the UN contracts with ACBAR-affiliated NGOs to carry out its humanitarian activities.
The letter stated that until further notice, female employees would not be permitted to work for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) because some had not adhered to the Taliban’s interpretation of the Islamic dress code for women.
The economy ministry reported receiving “severe concerns” regarding female employees not wearing the “proper” headscarf or hijab.
This prohibition came days after the Taliban barred Afghan women from attending university, a decision that received international outrage.
In recent days, the Taliban have used water cannons to disperse protesters against the university attendance ban for women.
Saturday, according to witnesses in the western city of Herat, security personnel fired a water cannon to disperse more than 20 women screaming “Education is our right” on their way to the provincial governor’s residence.
The video depicts women shrieking and hiding to avoid the water.
Maryam, one of the protest organizers, estimated that between 100 and 150 women participated in the protests, traveling in smaller groups.
She stated, “There was security on every street and square, as well as armored trucks and armed guards.”
When we began our demonstration in Tariqi Park, the Taliban beat us with tree branches. However, we maintained our protest. They enhanced their security measures. Around 11 am, the water cannon was deployed.”
Hamidullah Mutawakil, the local governor, refuted this account, stating that just about five persons with “no objective, they just came here to film” were there.
The militants promised a more moderate approach to women’s rights when they seized power a year ago, but have subsequently restricted women from schools, most employment, parks, and gyms.
In public, women are compelled to cover their entire bodies with a niqab, leaving just their eyes exposed.
