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The measure, issued by the de facto<\/em> Ministry of Economy on 26 December, enforces a two-year-old decree prohibiting women from working with both national and international NGOs.\u00a0<\/p>\n In his statement, Mr. T\u00fcrk emphasised the devastating impact on the delivery of critical humanitarian aid in Afghanistan the decree will have, where more than half the population lives in poverty.<\/strong><\/p>\n NGOs, he noted, are essential to the survival of millions of Afghans, offering life-saving support to women, men and children alike.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is absolutely the wrong path,\u201d Mr. T\u00fcrk said, urging the de facto<\/em> authorities to reconsider what he described as a \u201cdeeply discriminatory decree.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n Women\u2019s rights under siege<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n Since coming to power, Afghanistan\u2019s de facto<\/em> authorities have restricted the rights of women and girls, barring them from education, work, healthcare, and movement.<\/p>\n These measures, including the latest crackdown on NGO employment, effectively erase women from public life, undermining Afghanistan\u2019s prospects for progress.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mr. T\u00fcrk emphasised that \u201cno country can progress – politically, economically or socially – while excluding half of its population from public life.\u201d<\/p>\n The High Commissioner called on Afghanistan\u2019s leaders to rethink their course, not just for the sake of women and girls but for the future of the nation as a whole.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n He also highlighted the broader implications of these policies for the global community, noting that restricting women\u2019s participation in public life exacerbates poverty and hampers efforts to build a stable and resilient society.\u00a0<\/p>\nA plea to rethink the path forward\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n