The Netherlands condemns the Taliban's ban on women working at NGOs

The Dutch government has condemned the decision by the Taliban in Afghanistan to no longer allow women to be employed by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs published its response in English on Twitter on Monday.

“The Netherlands firmly condemns the decision by the Taliban in Afghanistan to ban female aid workers from doing their jobs,” the ministry wrote. “Women are a crucial part of humanitarian work. This decision may have terrible consequences for millions of Afghan people already facing a difficult winter.”

The Taliban’s Ministry of Economy announced that the female employees of local and foreign non-governmental organizations operating in Afghanistan would not be allowed to go to work “until further notice.” The ministry claimed the ban was necessary because it claimed some women working for NGOs do not follow the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islamic dress code.

The ministry’s letter making its decision known said there were complaints about the lack of adherence to the dress code. Organizations that do not comply with the rule will lose their permit to operate in the country. It concerns more than 180 domestic and international NGOs.

The fundamentalist government also decided last week to bar women from universities and other higher education because they were not following the dress code, and they had contact with male students. The ban was condemned in many parts of the world and led to criticism and protests in Afghanistan itself.