In December of 2022, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Economy released a decree prohibiting women from working in local or international humanitarian organizations. This decree was issued not long after the government barred women from attending both public and private universities. The humanitarian organizations working in Afghanistan supply the country with billions of dollars in aid to manage the millions experiencing starvation and malnutrition. The government is willing to risk a “humanitarian catastrophe” in order to keep women hidden from public life; an obvious show of power by the relentless regime. To make matters more serious, the Taliban threatened to “revoke the operating licenses of any organizations that defied the decree.” The United Nations put out a statement condemning the Taliban’s actions: “Any such order would violate the most fundamental rights of women, as well as be a clear breach of humanitarian principles.”
Already, malnutrition and unemployment have been on the rise, along with food prices. Food security has become one of the top problems facing the country as more than 50% of the population, or ~20 million people are experiencing it at “life-threatening levels.” Afghanistan needs more aid not less, and with these stricter laws, billions of dollars will be lost that could have provided citizens with food and medical care. Additionally, the loss of female workers in these organizations directly impacts their outreach and the delivery of supplies to women in need. A select number of international aid groups have considered closing and boycotting the law until the Taliban changes it. This, however, is unlikely. The Taliban has always been focused on hindering women’s roles in public, specifically regarding education or the workforce. Despite the many in need that will be affected by the law, the women who have lost their jobs are equally as afraid. In some instances, like with Maghfira Ahmadi, she was the breadwinner in her family. Without her paycheck, she is worried about being able to provide for her family. The Taliban’s overwhelmingly negative decree will cause chaos and frustration throughout the country as citizens learn to live with a government uninterested in them or their struggles.
Information from The New York Times Article: Taliban Bar Women From NGOs, Threatening to Worsen Crisis