A number of women’s rights activists say that the removal of women from government institutions under the pretext of demotion is the Taliban’s latest step to reduce the presence of women in government institutions to zero. Meanwhile, some women who have recently been dismissed from government institutions say that they are struggling with severe economic problems. Shahla is the breadwinner of a family of five and worked as a teacher in a government school in Parwan.
She says that the Taliban expelled her and four other female colleagues from the school where she worked ten days ago, following a letter.
In an interview with Voice of Freedom, she said:
“I was a teacher for fourteen years. Teaching and mentoring are my passion. During this time, I went to school with great love and enthusiasm and taught students. Through this profession, I provided a living for my family and served the younger generation. I never imagined that I would be left without a destiny. But with the Taliban returning to power and the removal of women from working in government institutions, I was expecting such a day. Finally, our turn came and they sent us to our homes. Now my family are under severe economic pressure.”
The Taliban-run Ministry of Education has announced that it will eliminate 90,000 positions in the ministry. According to some sources, most of those whose positions will be eliminated are women. Nafisa, another woman who worked as a maid in the Ministry of Public Health for more than twenty years, is also feeling down and worried about her and her family’s financial situation.
She said:
“I used to provide for my family of eight through work. But the Taliban dismissed me a month ago, and now I don’t know how and where to meet my living expenses without any source of income.”
A number of women’s rights activists have condemned the systematic exclusion of women from government institutions and accused the Taliban of misogyny.
Women’s rights activist Tahera Naseri told Voice of Freedom:
“The Taliban want Afghan women to be confined to the four walls of their homes and not have access to anything. The Taliban also treat Afghan women as second-class sex. “All the Taliban’s steps to remove women from government structures and severe restrictions on women are dangerous and will have very bad consequences for the future of Afghanistan.”
After the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, women were banned from working in most government institutions. The Taliban also closed schools and universities to girls and banned women from going to parks. Although the Taliban’s restrictions on women in Afghanistan have been met with widespread condemnation from the international community and human rights organizations, the Taliban have not heeded these reactions until now, nearly four years after their rule.
reporter: Graneh Hasas
