Taliban shows its true colours, argues ‘no need to induct women in Cabinet’ amid uproar

Dropping the pretense of being a mature outfit, the Taliban asserted that there is no necessity to induct women ministers in the Afghanistan government. Speaking exclusively to TOLOnews, Taliban spokesperson Sayed Zekrullah Hashimi contested the interviewer’s argument that women deserve a place in the Cabinet just because they comprise 50% of the population. When the host pressed him further, Hashimi said, “What do you mean by half of the society? This definition of women is wrong. This does not mean we have to include women in the Cabinet”.

When the interviewer asked him what was the fault of women which prevented them from becoming Ministers, the Taliban leader responded, “You tell me what is the benefit of having a woman minister? Why select women when men can do the job?” In the same programme, Hashimi made it clear that women protesters don’t represent all women of the war-torn country. Moreover, he reportedly opined that women should be restricted to giving birth and educating children on Islamic ethics. 

Taliban’s policy towards women

On August 31, the Taliban gained control of the Kabul airport after the last batch of US troops left Afghanistan. The terrorist group’s takeover of Afghanistan has raised fears that it will reinforce the laws which prevailed during its erstwhile regime from 1996 to 2001 that include barring women from attending school and working outside the home. Though the Taliban promised to form an “inclusive” government to run Afghanistan, it announced a 33-member caretaker Cabinet on Tuesday which comprises multiple sanctioned terrorists. No woman has been included in the set-up whereas the Ministry of Women’s Affairs has been abolished. 

This has led to widespread protests in different parts of the war-torn country with women demanding their rightful representation in all walks of life. However, the terrorist group brutally cracked down on Afghan women protesters by using whips and sticks against them. Meanwhile, it has passed an order mandating that classes in private universities must be segregated by gender and women must wear an abaya robe and niqab. Moreover, the Taliban ordered that only women or old men of “good character” can teach female students. So far, the new regime is yet to explicitly state its policy on the sectors in which women will be allowed to work.