Afghanistan crisis: Taliban shun women again, ask female workers to stay at home

Ever since the Taliban has taken control of Afghanistan, it has been curtailing the freedom of women. In a new development, the female employees in the Kabul city government have been told to stay at home, according to Associated Press. Only those female workers have been allowed to work who cannot be replaced by men. 

Even though the Taliban had assured that they would be inclusive and tolerant to women, they are imposing rules that curb women's freedom. The interim mayor of Kabul announced the new restrictions for women laid down by the new Taliban rulers, according to AP. The decision has been taken by the government to stop most female city workers from returning to their jobs. In recent days, the new Taliban government issued several rules that restrict the rights of women.

Crack down on women's freedom 

Cracking down on women's freedom, the Taliban government on Friday, 17 September, closed the Ministry of Women Affairs in Afghanistan, replacing it with a ministry for the "propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice". The Taliban has announced that female middle and high school students, for the time being, should not return to school. However, boys in the same classes have started attending their classes this weekend. Female university students have been allowed to study but in a gender-segregated class. Moreover, the women attending classes at the university have to follow the Islamic dress code. 

Several women protested outside the former Ministry of Women Affairs, demanding the participation of women in public life. The women holding the signboard staged a protest for about 10 minutes after which they had a verbal confrontation with a man. "A society in which women are not active is a dead society," one sign read. After the Taliban re-conquered Afghanistan, women in large numbers protested across Afghanistan, seeking inclusion in the new administration and no curbs on women's freedoms.

During their previous regime from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban had imposed harsh restrictions for citizens, especially women. Back then, they were not allowed to step out without male relatives. The women had to cover their faces and they were not even allowed to study or to work. 

(Image: AP)

(Inputs from AP)