The Taliban says it will shut down all domestic and foreign non-governmental groups in Afghanistan that employ women. The ruling came two years after non-governmental organizations were ordered to suspend the employment of Afghan women, allegedly because they were not wearing the Islamic headscarf properly.
In a letter published on Sunday evening, the Ministry of Economy warned that failure to comply with the latest order would result in non-governmental organizations losing their licenses to operate in Afghanistan.
The ministry said it is responsible for the registration, coordination, direction and supervision of all activities carried out by domestic and foreign organizations.
The letter shows that the government has once again ordered the suspension of all women's work in institutions not controlled by the Taliban.
“In the absence of cooperation, all activities of this institution will be suspended, as will the operating license of this institution issued by the ministry.”
This is the Taliban's latest attempt to control or intervene in the activities of non-governmental organizations.
Earlier this month, the UN Security Council heard that an increasing number of Afghan women aid workers are being prevented from carrying out their work, even though humanitarian aid remains essential.
The Taliban denies interfering with aid agencies
There has also been an increase in the rate of humanitarian organizations reporting that their female or male staff have been detained by the Taliban morality police, according to Tom Fletcher, a senior UN official.
The Taliban denies stopping aid agencies from doing their work or disrupting their activities.
They have already banned women from many professions and most public spaces, and excluded them from education after sixth grade.
CBC's Susan Ormiston talks to three Afghan refugees living in Canada about the changes they're seeing in Afghanistan and the impact it's had on women and girls in the country, three years after the United States left the country.
In another solution, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada ordered that buildings should not have windows overlooking places where a woman could sit or stand.
According to a four-clause decree published late Saturday, the order applies to both new and existing buildings.
Windows should not face or overlook areas such as yards or kitchens. If a window overlooks such a space, the person responsible for the property must find a way to block the view and “remove the damage” by installing a wall, fence or screen.
Under the decree, municipalities and other authorities must supervise the construction of new buildings to avoid installing windows overlooking or over residential properties.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing was not immediately available to comment on Akhundzada's instructions.