Kabul: Dozens of Afghan women activists on Sunday held protests in Afghanistan demanding political and social inclusion. These women sought female representation in the caretaker government of the Taliban and said that they will not stop resisting until their role in the new government is clarified, Tolo News reported.
"Today, October 10, is World Women Solidarity Day with Afghan Women. And women from over 100 countries are due to protest in support of Afghan women," a protester said. Another protester added, the Taliban repeatedly say that women have the right to education, work and political inclusion in the government, and they should show it in practice.
The Taliban have been continuously trying to portray a good image in front of the world while promising rights to women and minorities but the on-ground situation in Afghanistan shows that all these are mere words by the Taliban.
During the protest, a former government employee also expressed frustration with the Taliban and said that the government formed by the group will collapse if women are not included in decision making.
As the Taliban took control of Afghanistan once again after 20 years, experts believe that Afghan women are most likely to face an uncertain future under the group's regime. Days ago, veteran women's rights activist Mehbouba Siraj had also urged the international community to fully support Afghan women amid the deteriorating situation in the war-torn nation, reported Pajhwok Afghan News.
The interim mayor of Afghanistan's capital Kabul in many female city employees have been ordered to stay home by the country's new Taliban regime. Hamdullah Namony told reporters in September that only women who could not be replaced by men have been permitted to report to work. He says this includes skilled workers in the design and engineering departments as well as female attendants of public toilets for women.
Namony's comments were another sign that the Taliban are enforcing their harsh interpretation of Islam, including restrictions on women in public life, despite their initial promises of tolerance and inclusion. In their previous rule in the 1990s, the Taliban had barred girls and women from schools and jobs. But women in Afghanistan have demanded the right to return to government jobs, reported TOLOnews.
According to data by the Reform and Civil Service Commission (RCSC), around1,20,000 women were working in civil organizations in the previous government. It is still unclear how the new government will decide on women working in the government.
