A new ministry sign was displayed in a defunct building in Kabul today, AFP reported, and several posts appeared on social media in which officials from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs claimed they had been fired.
Taliban officials did not respond to AFP requests for comment today.
Although they guaranteed they would manage more frugally than between 1996 and 2001, the Taliban prevented most women from returning to work.
No women were announced in the new Afghan government two weeks ago.
The Ministry of Education today announced the reopening of primary and secondary schools for boys and the subsequent return to work of male teachers.
Under the old regime, boys and girls had the same secretaries in some elementary schools and universities.
In higher education, gender segregation will be the norm, as already indicated by the Taliban, who have introduced rules on women’s clothing.
Despite being marginalized, Afghan women have acquired basic rights over the past 20 years, especially in cities, where they have become MPs, judges, pilots and police.
Hundreds of thousands of women have entered the labor market out of necessity, as many are widows or support husbands with disabilities due to decades of conflict.
Since returning to power on 15 August, the Taliban have shown little willingness to guarantee women’s rights.
The Islamists say the women have been ordered to stay at home for safety reasons, but they will be able to work as soon as isolation occurs.
During the first Taliban reign, women were largely excluded from public life and could only leave their homes when accompanied by a man.
Those in charge of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice have been known to whip women who walked alone and impose several other strict interpretations of Islam, such as the obligation to participate in prayers and the prohibition of men to shave.
