Afghans speak out for their basic rights 6:02
(CNN) --
Afghanistan's Taliban regime has ordered all local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to prevent their female employees from coming to work, according to a letter from the Ministry of Finance sent to all licensed NGOs.
Failure to comply will result in the revocation of the licenses of these NGOs, according to the Ministry.
In the letter - the validity of which was confirmed to CNN by its spokesman, Abdul Rahman Habib -, the Ministry mentions as reasons for the decision the non-observance of Islamic dress codes and other laws and regulations of the Islamic Emirate.
"Recently there have been serious complaints about the non-observance of the Islamic hijab and other laws and regulations of the Islamic Emirate," the letter says, adding that, as a consequence, "guidelines are given to suspend the work of all employees of non-governmental organizations National and international".
Earlier this week, the Taliban regime suspended university education for all female students in Afghanistan.
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Taliban suspend university education for women in Afghanistan
A spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Higher Education confirmed the university's suspension to CNN on Tuesday.
A letter released by the Education Ministry said the decision had been made at a cabinet meeting and the order would take effect immediately.
In a televised press conference on Thursday, the Taliban's higher education minister said they had banned women from universities for failing to respect Islamic dress codes and other "Islamic values," citing female students traveling without a tutor. male.
The move sparked outrage from Afghan women.
Afghan women walk along a road in Kandahar on July 29, 2022. (Photo: Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images)
This is yet another step in the Taliban's brutal crackdown on Afghan women's freedoms, following the radical Islamist group's seizure of power in August 2021.
The UN condemned the Taliban's announcement on Saturday.
"Women must be able to play a fundamental role in all aspects of life, including humanitarian response. Banning women from working would violate the most fundamental rights of women, as well as being a clear violation of humanitarian principles," the statement said. UN statement.
"This latest decision will only further harm the most vulnerable, especially women and girls."
He also added that he would try to get a meeting with the Taliban leadership to ask for clarification.
Afghanistan: Banning women from universities generates reactions 0:49
UNICEF said the order was an "egregious setback of the rights of girls and women (that) will have sweeping consequences for the provision of health, nutrition and education services for children."
"UNICEF stands with all the girls and women of Afghanistan and demands that the Taliban immediately allow all female humanitarians to resume their life-saving work for vulnerable families and communities," George Laryea-Adjei, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia, tweeted. .
Amnesty International called for the ban "to be reversed immediately" and for the Taliban to "stop abusing their power."
"Women and girls must not be punished for demanding and defending their fundamental rights," she said in a statement.
"The right to work for everyone, especially the women of Afghanistan, must be fully realized in accordance with international human rights law."
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, also spoke this Saturday.
"Deeply concerned that the Taliban's ban on women delivering humanitarian aid in Afghanistan will disrupt vital and life-saving assistance to millions of people," he wrote on Twitter.
"Women are critical to humanitarian operations around the world. This decision could be devastating for the Afghan people."
The US special representative in Afghanistan, Thomas West, tweeted on Saturday that the latest order from the Taliban is "deeply irresponsible."
"Poses deadly risks to millions of people who depend on life support. The Taliban ignore their most basic responsibilities to their people," West tweeted.
Although the Taliban have repeatedly claimed that they would protect the rights of girls and women, in reality they have done just the opposite, stripping them of the freedoms they have fought so hard for over the past two decades.
Some of the most striking restrictions have been in the area of education, with girls banned from returning to secondary schools in March.
The move devastated many students and their families, who described to CNN their dashed dreams of becoming doctors, teachers or engineers.
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