The Taliban’s ban on Afghan women working at NGOs will plunge many more families into poverty, aid agencies say

Author Shannon VanRaes
Amid a deepening humanitarian crisis, aid organizations struggle to find a path forward in Afghanistan

Why It Matters

Afghanistan’s return to Taliban rule was followed by economic upheaval and repressive policies, many of which targeted women, but without female staff, NGOs can’t reach those in need of assistance. Canadian aid organizations need clarity on what the ban means to move forward.

var TRINITY_TTS_WP_CONFIG = {"cleanText":"The Taliban\u2019s ban on Afghan women working at NGOs will plunge many more families into poverty, aid agencies say. A woman walks past a house in Badakhshan, Afghanistan. (Photo: Joel Heard) Canadian aid organizations continue to seek clarity following an announcement by Afghanistan\u2019s Taliban administration, which bars Afghan women from working at NGOs in that country. \u201cThere's a lot of confusion around the ban,\u201d said Reyhana Patel, director of communications and government relations at Islamic Relief Canada. \u201cI\u2019ve just been hearing that the ban doesn't apply to (United Nations) staff, but I don't know if that's true or not. We just don\u2019t have a lot of clarity.\u201d Taliban officials announced the ban on December 24, 202

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