“We are not afraid, we are united”: dozens of women demonstrate against the Taliban in Afghanistan – LCI

An act of courage. This Thursday morning, about fifty women, women’s rights activists, students and women working in government institutions gathered in the city of Herat (West) to protest against the absence of women in the future Afghan government.

“Talks are underway to form a government, but they do not talk about the participation of women”, regretted Basira Taheri, one of the organizers of the demonstration, questioned by AFP, while the Taliban must reveal their government on Thursday or Friday. But women should be excluded as confirmed to the BBC on Wednesday by Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the deputy head of their political office in Qatar. He hinted that he “might not be” women appointed ministers or to positions of responsibility, but only at lower levels.

An anomaly for the demonstrators who marched with this slogan: “no government can survive without the support of women”, before adding : “It is our right to have an education, work and safety. We are not afraid, we are united.”

The main fear of these women is that they will be forgotten by the Taliban regime and by the international community. “We want the Taliban to consult with us”, she asked before confirming that the mobilization could extend to the whole country.“We will continue our demonstrations, they started in Herat, they will soon extend to other provinces”.

The Taliban are expected to turn the corner on the issue of women’s rights. When they first came to power between 1996 and 2001, their strict application of Sharia, Islamic law, resulted in the gradual disappearance of women from public space and the persecution of opponents.

For several weeks, the Taliban have tried to present a more moderate and open face, ensuring that women’s rights would be respected. In particular, they announced that they could study at university, but in single-sex classes and recently called on women health workers to return to work. Statements, which for the time being, are struggling to convince.