The seizure of power by Taliban power in Afghanistan as they overran the country has set off fears that women’s rights could be curtailed in the country.
Taliban’s takeover has caused fears that it would mean the rollback of rights of the women of Afghanistan who have made major gains since the Taliban was overthrown.
Women fear that they could be confined to their homes and barred from attending work or education.
Ghanem Nuseibeh, Chair of Muslims Against Anti Semitism, anticipate that the Taliban will soon enforce stricter laws against women in Afghanistan.
“In a few weeks, every woman in Afghanistan will be forced to wear this. They will not be allowed to go to school. That’s what Taliban taking over means for women. That’s what the US withdrawal will do to women,” said Nuseibeh.
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These fears stem from the imposition of Islamic law that they relied on when they ran Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. During the time, women were barred from attending school or working outside their homes.
Women were also required to wear a full veil and were accompanied by a male guardian as they went outside. In line with Islamic laws, the Taliban banned music, cut off the hands of thieves, and stoned adulterers.
However, this time Taliban have said they are no longer opposed to women attending school but have not set out a clear policy on women’s rights.
The streets of Kabul were emptied of women after the first full day of Taliban rule across Afghanistan while Taliban gunmen patrolled in cars seized by police, confiscated guns from security guards, and urged shopkeepers and government employees back to work.
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Women rights activists are worried that the country could descend into chaos, but the Taliban have sought to present themselves as a more moderate force though many are skeptical of those promises.
There are reports in some areas of women being prevented from attending schools and universities and banned from leaving the house without a male member.
Earlier, a number of satellite images from Maxar Technologies showed the chaotic scene that erupted at the Kabul International Airport on Monday as thousands of desperate people try to escape Afghanistan.
Crowds of people can be seen on the tarmac chasing a C-17 airlifter.
The incident made headlines as videos showing some people clinging to the fuselage of a C-17 airlifter fell off mid-flight, in a last-ditch effort to flee the country.
Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said US forces had been shot and they returned fire in two separate incidents.
The incident killed two people, he said, but no further details were given.
The US military forces have halted all flights from Kabul after the incident. (AW)
