Afghanistan: Working women to stay at home “temporarily”

Working women in Afghanistan are to stay at home until a proper system of procedures is established, the Taliban spokesperson told reporters.

“It is a very temporary procedure,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman.

This comes in after all government employees were urged to get back to work after the announcement of a nationwide pardon by the Taliban. UN and G7 leaders also pushed the Taliban to enforce upon the promises they had made related to young girls and women’s rights.

Taliban who were known for their draconian laws in the 90s vowed to have changed and instead of going after the hundreds of thousands of Afghans who worked with foreign forces, they promised to leave persecution and unite all of Afghanistan. They also announced the implementation of Sharia law, which enforces strict measures on women who now are facing more roadblocks towards their freedom.

Although, they have promised to let women work and study, showing they had truly changed but they also put in a post script saying in accordance to ‘Islamic Law.’

The current policy seems to be a mishmash and if they had promised to let women be free to the World leaders then are showing the first signs of abandoning those promises.

UN human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, had claimed to have received credible reports regarding “summary executions” of civilians and former security forces, along with child soldier recruitment and restrictions on women’s rights.

“There are grave fears for women, for journalists and for the new generation of civil society leaders who have emerged in the past years,” Bachelet addressed in her statement. She also called the Taliban treatment of women a fundamental “red line.”

Despite taking control of Afghanistan within 10 days, the Taliban are taking their time to establish a functioning government. They have already announced the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and this time seem to be relatively clever, modern and more diplomatic than they were in the past.

Conquering Kabul without any bloodshed, heralding forgiveness for all, allowing media to function, at least partially and letting the women continue with their work and education, holding press conferences and briefings, availing social media: One must have to admit that they are political this time than the barbarians of the 90s.

With all those progressive promises one must also keep in mind that this may be their propaganda, and things might change swiftly once US and other forces are completely out of the country and a few other countries recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. They have already backtracked or have shown signs of backtracking from their various promises related to women and territorial gains, and it may be hard even for them to convince all of their fighters to see women outside on the streets and in offices.