NGOs Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE International said Sunday that they are suspending their activities in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s decision to ban women from working in non-governmental organizations.
«Pending clarity on this announcement, we are suspending our programs, demanding that men and women can continue to provide equal life-saving assistance in Afghanistan,» they said in a joint statement.
In this regard, they warned that without their female staff they cannot «effectively reach children, women and men» in need in the country. «Beyond the impact on aid, this will affect thousands of jobs in the midst of a huge economic crisis,» they concluded.
The Afghan Taliban authority’s Ministry of Economy issued a decree on Saturday ordering all NGOs, whether domestic or international, to suspend women’s employment contracts until further notice for failing to comply with hijab regulations.
The move comes in the same week that the Ministry of Education banned women from university education, also citing non-compliance with the dress code, among other alleged violations of the law.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
