Afghan women protest again against Taliban-imposed measures
The Taliban government in Afghanistan continues to impose new measures and laws that discriminate against women in the country. The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which has replaced the Ministry of Women's Affairs that existed before the Taliban came to power, has banned the playing of music in vehicles while they are on the road, in addition to new restrictions for the female gender in which women will now not be able to travel anywhere alone and will always have to be accompanied by a close relative, in addition to the fact that inside the cars they will have to wear the appropriate clothing, according to the government.
The new follows statements by Pakistan's Minister of Information, in which he denounced the situation of women in his neighbouring country after a statement on a Pakistani television channel. "Women are not allowed to travel alone in Afghanistan and they are not allowed to go to school," he said. He also pointed out that there are problems of extremism in Afghanistan that pose a threat to the nation's population.
For their part, Afghan women, fed up with the great discrimination they suffer, have not remained silent and have taken to the streets of the capital to demand their rights as individuals. Dozens of them have taken part in a peaceful march through the streets of Kabul against the measures approved by the Taliban, under the slogan and the shout of 'Freedom, work and food' according to several videos that have been circulating on social networks. According to the Russian news agency Sputnik, which has been in contact with some of the demonstrators, one of them claims that the Taliban had opened fire to break up the demonstration, but it is not yet known whether there are any victims or detainees.
The Taliban have continued to impose discriminatory laws against women in the country since coming to power. A week ago, a campaign was launched to remove images of women on posters and advertisements from the nation's cities, arguing that these photographs bring men into conflict with 'sharia' - a law and code of conduct expressed in the Koran. But the restrictions do not stop there, and defending themselves through the same arguments, a few months ago television content featuring women was banned from being broadcast, in addition to forcing the few remaining female journalists in the media to wear the burqa during news broadcasts. Foreign programmes were also banned from being broadcast because the women did not wear appropriate clothing and showed parts of their bodies.
The arrival of the Taliban in the country's government has been a serious problem for the country's women, who have once again lost the rights they slowly regained after the Taliban's first term in office in the late 1990s. Their future and integrity is still in doubt and laws against their freedom are on the rise. Since the end of August, women have been coerced into exercising their rights as individuals. They cannot buy, they cannot sell, they cannot work in some sectors, they cannot leave the house without a male family member, dress codes that will be severely punished with public punishment if broken, they cannot be treated by male doctors or nurses, and a long list of other restrictions. On top of that, the replacement of female ministers and senior government officials with men has been added to the list. They have also been banned from going to school or receiving education, something the Taliban say they will resume after the winter.
Despite them, Deputy Prime Minister Adulsalam Hanafi has repeatedly stressed that the new government is inclusive and tries to include all groups in all decisions, but the escape of thousands of civilians and the news that is coming out during these first months in office indicates otherwise. Women are once again living in a precarious situation since the last military mandate and are once again finding themselves in situations that were experienced in the 1990s, in which human rights were not respected.
