The Taliban say they will close all NGOs employing Afghan women

The Taliban say they will close all national and foreign nongovernmental groups employing Afghan women, the latest crackdown on women’s rights since they took power in August 2021. It comes two years after they told NGOs to suspend the employment of Afghan women, allegedly because they didn’t wear the Islamic headscarf correctly. In a letter published on X Sunday night, the Economy Ministry said failure to comply with the latest order will mean NGOs losing their license to operate in Afghanistan. If NGOs do not cooperate, their activities will also be canceled. The order applies to all institutions not controlled by the Taliban government.