[ad_1]
KABUL: Dozens of women gathered on the streets of Herat, a city in western Afghanistan, on Thursday, protesting against the Taliban and demanding more rights and inclusion in the future government which may be announced as soon as tomorrow. “Don’t be afraid,” they chanted as they marched toward the governor’s office, holding signs. “We are all together.”
The city of Herat is one of the country’s most liberal, and thousands of young women there attended universities and worked outside their homes before the Taliban takeover. While the group has maintained that it supports women’s rights, many remain sceptical as the last time the Taliban ran the country, women were banned from education, most work and nearly all aspects of public life. “We wanted to show our power to Taliban,” said Maryam, an organiser of the protest. “If we stay in our houses, we can’t show our power but the Taliban can impose more restrictions on us to remove us from society and politics slowly.”
The protest in Herat comes one day after Sher Mohammed Abas Stanekzai, a Taliban leader, told the BBC’s Persian service that women will have no ministerial position in the Taliban’s upcoming government. “The goal of the protest was to tell the Taliban to include women in the government and that no government can last without their presence,” said Basira, a human-rights activist and principal who helped organize the protest. “We won’t be silent anymore.” She said that the group of women would continue to fight and hoped the protests would force the Taliban to accept their demands. “We will stand for our rights to the death,” she said.
The protesters walked in the streets, chanting slogans and holding signs. “Education, work and security are our — inalienable rights,” a sign held by a protester read. They are planning to expand protests into all 34 provinces.
The city of Herat is one of the country’s most liberal, and thousands of young women there attended universities and worked outside their homes before the Taliban takeover. While the group has maintained that it supports women’s rights, many remain sceptical as the last time the Taliban ran the country, women were banned from education, most work and nearly all aspects of public life. “We wanted to show our power to Taliban,” said Maryam, an organiser of the protest. “If we stay in our houses, we can’t show our power but the Taliban can impose more restrictions on us to remove us from society and politics slowly.”
The protest in Herat comes one day after Sher Mohammed Abas Stanekzai, a Taliban leader, told the BBC’s Persian service that women will have no ministerial position in the Taliban’s upcoming government. “The goal of the protest was to tell the Taliban to include women in the government and that no government can last without their presence,” said Basira, a human-rights activist and principal who helped organize the protest. “We won’t be silent anymore.” She said that the group of women would continue to fight and hoped the protests would force the Taliban to accept their demands. “We will stand for our rights to the death,” she said.
The protesters walked in the streets, chanting slogans and holding signs. “Education, work and security are our — inalienable rights,” a sign held by a protester read. They are planning to expand protests into all 34 provinces.
[ad_2]
Source link
Comments are closed.