EU 'Strongly Condemns' Taliban Ban on Women Working for NGOs

"The European Union (EU) strongly condemns the Taliban's recent decision to ban women from working in national and international NGOs", a spokeswoman for EU forgein policy chief Josep Borrell told AFP.

Women's freedoms and rights in Afghanistan continue to be upended by the Taliban as the Islamist rulers recently announced that women who work at all local and foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are now banned from doing so.

The Taliban's announcement comes just days after women were banned from universities, a continued attack on women's education following their decision to ban young girls from going to secondary school last year. The Taliban's crackdown on women's freedoms has sparked outrage, fear, and criticism within the country as well as abroad.

The Taliban's decision to ban women from working at NGOs was prompted by some female employees allegedly failing to adhere to the Taliban's interpretation of Islamic dress code for women, according to a letter from the economy ministry which was confirmed by spokesperson Abdulrahman Habib. The Taliban have been implementing their interpretation of Islamic law since claiming power in August of 2021.

On Saturday the EU condemned the Taliban's decision to ban women from working for NGOs and said it would evaluate what impact the decision would have on the union's aid in the country.

“Taking away the free will of women to choose their own fate, disempowering and excluding them systematically from all aspects of public and political life takes the country backward, jeopardizing efforts for any meaningful peace or stability in the country,” the UN's statement said.

"If I cannot go to my job, who can support my family?" One Afghan woman told a British media source, adding that she is the primary earner in her household.

"This news is shocking," said another woman who added that she had complied with the Taliban's strict dress code for women. "I am confused what will happen to my life."

The Taliban's ban will be applied to more than 180 local and international NGOs, some of which the UN uses to provide humanitarian services to a country that is in desperate need of those services.

Foreign ministers from the G7 also condemned the Taliban earlier this week following their decision to ban women from being allowed to be educated, as well as to teach. The G7 called on the Taliban to lift the ban and warned that "gender persecution may amount to a crime against humanity".

“Taliban policies designed to erase women from public life will have consequences for how our countries engage with the Taliban”, the ministers had added.

*The Taliban is under UN sanctions for terrorist activities.