WelCom February 2023
Four international aid groups have halted their operations in Afghanistan following the governing Taliban’s December decree to ban women from working in national and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The United Nations said the move violated fundamental rights and is negotiating to reverse the decree. After the ban, the International Rescue Committee, Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and CARE said they could no longer effectively reach people in need without the women amongst their ranks. The NGO ban was introduced because women were allegedly not wearing the Islamic headscarf correctly.