24 December 2022: The Taliban Ministry of the Economy decreed that female employees are no longer legally allowed to work for national or international NGOs, claiming that some female staff had not followed the prescribed dress code for women appearing in public in accordance with the Taliban’s interpretation of Sharia Law. The Taliban further threatened to revoke the licence ofNGOs found not to be compliant with the order. In response, on 25 December, four INGOs (CARE, the International Rescue Committee – which employs more than 3,000 women in Afghanistan – the Norwegian Refugee Council, and Save the Children) providing health, education, child protection, and nutrition services, suspended their operations across the country, explaining that they cannot operate without their female staff. Source: NBC I and NBC II

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