Taliban Reiterates Ban on Women Working in NGOs

Taliban’s Ministry of Economy, marking the second year since banning women from employment in non-governmental organisations (NGOs), has issued a renewed warning to domestic and international organisations to strictly adhere to this directive.

In a statement dated Thursday, 26 December, Mohammad Alam, Deputy Minister of Finance and Administration for the Ministry of Economy, emphasised that women are prohibited from working in NGOs. He warned that any organisation found violating this ban would face suspension of its activities and revocation of its licence.

The ministry urged all domestic and international organisations to comply with the order and to refrain from employing women in any capacity.

The Taliban first issued this ban in December 2022, instructing NGOs to “suspend” all female employees. The decision sparked widespread global condemnation, with some organisations halting their operations in Afghanistan in protest.

Humanitarian groups have reported that the exclusion of women from their workforce has severely disrupted relief efforts, further exacerbating the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the country.

Despite international criticism, the Taliban continues to enforce policies that exclude women from public life and impose further restrictions on their participation in Afghan society.