A small group of Afghan women activists protested near the presidential palace in Afghan-controlled Kabul on Friday. The protestors were demoing the equal women rights from the insurgents as the Taliban are seeking international recognition and working on forming a government. Last month, just in a matter of days, the group captured the whole country when the United States forces started evacuation after twenty years of prolonged war.
Despite the life threat, the protestors called the Political Participation Network of Women marched in Kabul in front of the Finance Ministry of the country. Moreover, the group was chanting slogans for their rights, holding signboards demanding the involvement of women in the upcoming Afghan government, and requesting constitutional law. On the other hand, the Taliban is facing an urgent challenge of governing Afghanistan after twenty years of war that is majorly dependent on international aid.
All over the world women are protesting fascist Taliban authoritarian rule.
“Women stage protest in Taliban-controlled Kabul”
“Texans protest as state’s 6-week abortion ban goes into effect” pic.twitter.com/tYJy6DeVqk— Ben Gazeer (@BGazeer) September 3, 2021
Moreover, the insurgent group vowed to develop an inclusive government and a more moderate form of Islamic rule than their previous rule in the country from 1996 to 2001. However, several Afghans, especially women and journalists, are extremely skeptical and fear a rollback of fundamental rights gained over the last two decades.
Will the Taliban allow women to work outside and continue education?
During the last some days, it was the second protest of women in Kabul, while others were held in the western city of Herat. About twenty women gathered under the vigilant eyes of Taliban shooters who allowed them to proceed with the protest. Whereas the protestors were holding the microphones for raising slogans and their demands. Their demands include education access for women, their role in governing the country, and their right to resume work.
At one point, a Taliban gunman ventured into the crowd, but according to a witness, he was angry at the passersby who stopped to watch the protest and not the protestors themselves. According to CNN, Stephen Dujarric, the United Nations spokesperson, said on Friday that they have concerns regarding the human rights issues in Afghanistan, specifically, women’s rights. Further, he adds that it is authoritative that women have the right to work in a safe environment.
Source: Web
According to a Taliban source, they will allow women to work outside the home and continue their education. However, the group denied giving these rights to women during their previous rule in the country. Additionally, the Taliban pledged to impose Islamic law, or Sharia in Afghanistan, without providing details. Understandings of Islamic law differ extensively all over the world, with more moderate concerns predominating.
Concerns for Taliban during the Formation of Government
The unique tribal customs of Afghanistan were behind the earlier rule of the Taliban, under which women were not allowed to go publicly. Those traditions still endure, especially in the countryside, even during the twenty years of Western-backed governments. Moreover, the major concern for the Taliban is to support the country’s economy, which is facing a crisis.
Civil servants have not received their salaries for months, banks shut down ATM machines, and limiting per account withdrawals to $200 per week, resulting in large crowds outside the banks. On the other hand, aid groups warned of widespread hunger in Afghanistan amid a severe lack. Whereas the Taliban said that Western Union would resume transfers soon, which will help the locals to receive cash from their belongings living abroad. But Western Union still did not release any immediate comment on the resumption of service.
However, international authorities held and frozen most of the foreign reserves of Afghanistan while Western countries consider how to engage with the Taliban group and put pressure on the Afghan local currency. Taliban is also facing brutal fighting in Panjshir Valley, the only holdout against their sweep in the north of Kabul. According to Taliban, a senior group official based in Qatar, Sher Mohammad Stanikzai, recently met with German and British delegations.
Tens of thousands of Afghan nationals left the country after the insurgents captured Kabul on 15th August. Unfortunately, one hundred and sixty-nine Afghans and thirteen United States service members were killed in a suicide attack, and it marked a bitter end to the longest war of America. Instead, the Taliban assumed control of Kabul airport after the last U.S. forces flew out. Now they are trying to restore operations with the technical support of Turkey and Qatar.
