Women’s rights in Afghanistan continue to be restricted

This applies to all domestic and foreign non-governmental organizations, the ministry explained. Just a few days ago, the Taliban excluded female students from private and public universities.

The women NGO employees are not allowed to work until further notice because some of them have not followed the interpretation of the Islamic dress code for women, a spokesman said. Whether the order also applies to organizations of the United Nations, which are strongly represented in Afghanistan, initially remained open.

Meanwhile, in the western Afghan city of Herat, dozens of women demonstrated against their ban from the country’s universities. One demonstrator said they took to the streets in small groups with slogans like “Education is our right.” The women gathered in front of the provincial governor’s office. The Taliban then broke up the protests with water cannons and batons, it said.

Videos on social networks showed a fire engine spraying the demonstrators with a liquid. The Taliban showed an increased military presence in the capital Kabul on Saturday. There, too, dozens of women demonstrated against the recently imposed university ban on Thursday. At least one of the women has reportedly been missing since then.

On Tuesday, the Taliban banned women from all universities in Afghanistan with immediate effect. Since taking power in August 2021, the Islamists have massively restricted women’s rights. Girls and women are largely excluded from public life. In the past, women who protested for their rights were repeatedly detained, sometimes for several weeks.