Women in Afghanistan will have ‘rights within Islamic law’, say Taliban

Afghan women will have rights “within the framework of Islamic law” under Taliban rule, the extremist group has said.

Speaking in the Taliban’s first news conference since taking control of Kabul on Sunday, a spokesperson said that women would be able to continue working, but gave little detail of other rules and restrictions.

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At a glance: 5 key points

• In a news briefing held on Tuesday, August 17, spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that the Taliban will allow women to retain freedoms under their rule.

• When the Taliban were last in power, women had extremely limited freedoms, being banned from education and unable to leave the house without a man.

• Human rights campaigners are extremely concerned that the rights of women could be eroded once again under Taliban rule.

• Mujahid did not expand when asked for details on what dress code the Taliban would be implementing for women, nor what role they might have in the workplace.

• In the news conference, he also explained that the Taliban were working to form a government which would be announced in the coming days. 

What’s been said

"We are going to allow women to work and study within our frameworks," said Mujahid.

"Women are going to be very active within our society."

When asked whether the country would now house extremists, he said:

"Afghanistan’s soil is not going to be used against anybody”.

Background

The Taliban laid claim to Afghanistan on Sunday after taking its capital, Kabul, for the first time in almost 20 years.

The extremist group has since initiated what analysts are calling a “PR campaign” in an attempt to win over citizens and the international community, declaring a general amnesty across Afghanistan and saying it wanted women to join its government.

Promises have been met by some scepticism from both those inside and outside of Afghanistan.