Last month, the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul sparked global outrage, and citizens hastened to flee Afghanistan. Some of the main reservations that Afghans had were whether the rights of women and children would be upheld, because the Taliban was known for its oppressive regime decades ago.
Thousands gathered at Kabul’s airport in an attempt to leave the country, after Afghanistan’s president left Sunday as Taliban forces entered the capital.
Many Afghans are trying to leave through land borders:
“I’m lost and I don’t know what to do. I left everything behind.” pic.twitter.com/XQRvQb4bn8
— AJ+ (@ajplus) August 16, 2021
Now, in a recent interview, a Taliban spokesperson reinforced the group’s negative perception when Sayed Zekrullah Hashimi, said, ‘Women can’t be ministers, they should give birth’.
“A woman can’t be a minister, it is like you put something on her neck that she can’t carry. It is not necessary for women to be in the cabinet – they should give birth. Women protesters can’t represent all women in Afghanistan,” Hashimi reportedly said.
A Taliban spokesman on @TOLOnews: "A woman can't be a minister, it is like you put something on her neck that she can't carry. It is not necessary for a woman to be in the cabinet, they should give birth & women protesters can't represent all women in AFG."
Video with subtitles👇 pic.twitter.com/CFe4MokOk0— Natiq Malikzada (@natiqmalikzada) September 9, 2021
When the interviewer mentioned that “Women are half of the society,” Hashimi responded,
“But we do not consider them half. What kind of half? The half itself is misdefined here. The half means here that you keep them in the cabinet and nothing more. And if you violate her rights, not an issue. Over the last 20 years, whatever was said by this media, the US, and its puppet government in Afghanistan, was it anything but prostitution in offices?”
The interviewer countered that he can’t accuse all women of prostitution. However, pat came the response-
“I do not mean all Afghan women. The four women protesting in the streets, they do not represent the women of Afghanistan. The women of Afghanistan are those who give birth to the people of Afghanistan, educates them on Islamic ethics,” said the spokesperson.
Earlier this week, the Taliban declared an all-male cabinet for its interim government. NDTV reports that it included wanted terrorists from around the world in its key ministries. Soon after the new all-male interim cabinet was announced, Afghan women took to the streets in protest.
Another epic #KabulProtest with #Afghanwomen refusing to stop marching when facing off with #Talibs. Full video of the protest which ended with extreme gunfire here – https://t.co/9s6ksw6AUL pic.twitter.com/njoyi20UND
— Jordan Bryon (@jordan_bryon) September 8, 2021
India Today reports that they held placards saying, “I will sing freedom over and over” and “No government can deny the presence of women.” However, protesters chanting “long live the women of Afghanistan” were whipped by the Taliban.
Hence whether or not the group intends to honor their word to ensure women’s rights are preserved is uncertain.