The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Twitter that the restrictions on women’s participation in life and society slows down development and curtails humanitarians’ ability to reach 50% of the population.

The UN’s OCHA agency expressed concerns as many women have been sent at home following a decree of the Ministry of Economy banning female workers at NGOs.

“Female-headed families experience more economic shocks and lower levels of income than male-headed households,” OCHA Afghanistan said.

TOLOnews reporter reached to out a former NGO employee, Yalda.

Yalda, 27, said that she was the only breadwinner of her family of five members. Yalda said that she become jobless after the Islamic Emirate banned females from going to work.

“I am educated. I know English. But I am an illiterate woman and believe me I cannot find a job and I do laundry at houses,” she said.

Economist Abdul Naseer Rishtia said in this regard:

“Without the presence of women, a country cannot stand on its feet and cannot reach economic and social development.”

This comes as the Ministry of Economy said that more than 260 foreign organizations are active in Afghanistan, in which women are also employed.

“Currently, 269 foreign organizations are present in the country. 18 of them have received license after the (Islamic Emirate came to power),” said Abdul Latif Nazari, deputy Minister of Economy.

Meanwhile, the residents of Kabul called on the Islamic Emirate to lift restrictions on women’s access to work.

“Those who don’t have a caretaker, they should be allowed to work to find food for their families,” said Samiullah, a resident of Kabul.

“The women who are jobless and don’t have men, they should have access to work,” said Naqibullah, a resident of Kabul.

The Islamic Emirate’s decision to ban women from working at NGOs faced strong reactions at the national and international levels.