KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — The Taliban Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has dismissed dozens of female teachers and staff from workplace kindergartens in Kabul, according to local sources.
A list obtained by KabulNow shows the Directorate of Kindergartens under the ministry dismissed 92 women. However, sources say the total number of dismissed female staff, including teachers, is about 117.
Most of those dismissed worked in kindergartens located inside public schools and hospitals in Kabul. Sources also said these workers had not received their salaries for the past three months.
These kindergartens were set up by the previous government to offer childcare services for the children of female employees working in government institutions.
Since their return to power, the Taliban have barred women and girls from working in most public sector jobs, and many workplace kindergartens have been closed.
The recent dismissals are also part of the Taliban’s ongoing efforts to downsize government institutions. Hundreds of civil servants, including university and school teachers, have lost their jobs in recent months. A leaked plan from the Taliban’s Ministry of Education indicates that around 90,000 positions could be slashed from that ministry alone.
Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has also ordered significant cuts to government salaries and benefits for the current fiscal year.
The sweeping cuts are taking place amid a deepening financial crisis, worsened by the recent suspension of U.S. funding and a sharp fall in international aid since 2021.
