The Akbar Institute, or the “Coordination of Humanitarian and Development Assistance for Afghans,” has recently stated that the new warning from the Ministry of Economy regarding the ban on women’s work in domestic and international NGOs does not apply to the health and education sectors.
In a published statement, the institute noted that this directive also does not include women who work online.
Furthermore, it stated that female employees who travel from home to the field and back are not affected by this directive, as they usually travel with a “mahram” (male guardian).
The Akbar Institute emphasized that this directive is a continuation of the ban on women’s work in domestic and international NGOs, which has never been revoked and primarily affects organizations that require female staff to be present in the office daily.
Additionally, in part of its statement, the Akbar Institute recommended that female employees of NGOs maintain “full hijab” while at the office and be accompanied by a mahram.
The statement specified that female employees must wear hijab not only on their way to work but also inside the office.
It further stated that offices should have separate entrances, rest areas, and prayer rooms for female employees, and the presence of female staff in offices should be justified, especially in the health and education sectors, with clear objectives for their presence.
According to the statement, these justifications are essential in case of surprise visits by the caretaker government’s forces to the offices.
The “Coordination of Humanitarian and Development Assistance for Afghans” clarified: “All staff must be appropriately informed to provide suitable responses in case of visits, inquiries, or related situations.”
This comes as the Ministry of Economy of the current government recently warned institutions about violations of the ban on women’s work, stating that the activities of non-compliant institutions will be suspended and their licenses revoked.
In a letter, a copy of which was also received by the media outlet Goharshad, the ministry stated: “Once again, all respected non-Emirati (government) institutions are directed to take into account written document number (4293) from this ministry regarding the suspension of female employment in separate institutions and to take necessary actions accordingly.”
The ministry has warned that if institutions do not cooperate regarding the ban on women’s work, all activities of non-compliant institutions will be suspended, and their licenses will be revoked.
The Ministry of Economy of the caretaker government banned women’s work in domestic and international NGOs on December 24, 2022.
The ministry stated that it imposed this ban due to complaints about non-compliance with “hijab” and regulations.
It is worth noting that following this directive, the current government also banned women’s work in United Nations offices. Over the past two years, the people of Afghanistan and countries around the world have repeatedly called for the lifting of the ban on women’s work, but officials of the current government have not yet responded to these requests.
