Afghanistan's Taliban ordered all local and foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to stop female employees from coming to work, according to an economy ministry letter, Reuters reported. The latest crackdown on women's rights in the country comes as the letter said the female employees were not allowed to work until further notice because some had not adhered to the administration's interpretation of Islamic dress code for women.
It comes days after the Taliban ordered universities to close to women, prompting strong global condemnation and sparking some protests and heavy criticism inside Afghanistan.
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Earlier, Associated Press reported that Taliban security forces used a water cannon to disperse women protesting the ban on university education. Afghan women have been demonstrating in major cities against the ban, a rare sign of protest since the Taliban seized power last year.
There has been widespread international condemnation of the university ban as well, including from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, as well as warnings from the United States and the G-7 that the policy will have consequences for the Taliban.