Taliban orders NGOs ban on female employees coming to work

KABUL, (Reuters) – The Taliban-run Afghan administration ordered all non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Afghanistan to prevent female employees (local and foreign) from coming to work on Saturday, according to an economic ministry letter. This is the latest crackdown on women’s freedoms.

Abdulrahman Habib, spokesperson for the economy ministry, confirmed that the letter stated that female employees would not be allowed to work until further notice as they had not followed the administration’s Islamic dress code for women.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the order was for United Nations agencies that have a significant presence in Afghanistan.

This comes just days after the Taliban-run administration made universities close to women. It prompted strong international condemnation and sparked some protests inside Afghanistan.

(Reporting by Kabul Newsroom, Editing by Mark Potter).