After making it clear that ‘women can’t be ministers,’ the Taliban has now banned the entry of female employees in the Ministry of Women Affairs in Kabul. Reportedly, ‘only men’ would be allowed to enter the building of the ministry.
Quoting an employee of the ministry, ANI reported that four women were stopped from entering the building. The women employees now plan to protest near the ministry against the decision of the caretaker Taliban government.
Ministry of Women omitted
The move is unsurprising, as the Jihadi organization last week had announced to replace the Ministry of Women Affairs with the “Ministry of Amr bil Ma’ruf wa Nahy aan al Munkar” (Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice).
https://twitter.com/MalaliBashir/status/1435303129029906433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw“Women can’t be ministers”
While speaking to TOLO News recently, a Taliban spokesman Sayed Zekrullah Hashimi had made it clear that women cannot be ministers. “It is not necessary for a woman to be in the Cabinet,” he made it clear to the presenter.
https://twitter.com/natiqmalikzada/status/1435928332718067718?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw“We do not consider them half of the society. What kind of half? The half in itself is misdefined here. Women cannot do the work of Afghan Ministry. It is like you put something on her neck that she can’t carry,” Hashimi asserted.
‘Taliban had assured an inclusive government’
The Taliban had earlier said that they will give rights to women, but only what is permitted under Sharia law. They promised to form an “inclusive” government in several media statements but quickly backtracked and announced an ‘all-male’ care-taker cabinet including designated global terrorists as ministers on September 07.
‘Women protest to seek inclusion’
Resisting the Taliban’s attempt to oppress women, a large number of women had taken to the streets to protest against the Jihadi organization. However, mocking their attempt to find a place in the government as well as the society, Hashimi had said, “The female protesters do not represent all women of Afghanistan, (they) give birth to children and (should) educate them on Islamic ethics.”
https://twitter.com/myredline_afg/status/1434800718528004098?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwWith the Taliban taking over Afghanistan, women have been mandated to wear hijabs, students have been asked to wear only Islamic dresses, classrooms have been gender-segregated and women have been barred from moving out of the house without a male companion.