The Taliban have said that they plan to include women in the future Afghan government setup.
Talking to the France-based BFMTV broadcaster, the Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said, “This government is interim. We will have posts for women with the respect for the Sharia laws. This is a start, but we will find seats for women. They can be a part of the government. This will be the second stage.”
Following the announcement of the interim government residents of Kabul held a demonstration in the Dashte Barchi area to protest the exclusion of women from the government. Meanwhile, a separate women rally in Kunduz supported the interim Afghan government.
Elsewhere, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women – also known as UN Women – said that it was “deeply disappointed” at the composition of the new Afghan government. UN Women also highlighted several reports of women being prohibited from leaving their homes to go to work or to go about their daily tasks.
Earlier, Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada pledged that Afghanistan will be ruled by Sharia law and added that women and minorities’ rights will be protected “within the bounds of Islam.”
