[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jaehee] The Islamic militant group Taliban, on the verge of taking control of the entire territory of Afghanistan, has stated that it will respect women's rights even if it seizes power in the future.
According to major foreign media on the 15th (local time), a Taliban spokesperson said in a media interview that "if women wear the hijab, they will be able to access education and jobs."
They also explained that women will be allowed to go outside alone.
This stance appears to be in response to concerns inside and outside Afghanistan that women's rights will be restricted and they will face inhumane treatment if the Taliban regime takes power.
Local Afghan women fear that if the Taliban regain control, the "dark era of human rights" during the previous Taliban rule (1996?2001) could be repeated.
During their rule, the Taliban strictly controlled society under Islamic Sharia law (religious law), especially imposing restrictions on women’s social activities, going out, and education.
In this regard, Nancy Pelosi (Democrat), Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, urged the international community in a statement yesterday to protect Afghan women and girls from the Taliban’s inhumane treatment.
She emphasized, "Any political agreement in Afghanistan to avoid bloodshed must include discussions about women," adding, "The fate of Afghan women and girls is critically important to Afghanistan’s future."
On the same day, a photo showing a woman in Kabul being covered with paint surfaced online, raising concerns.
The photo posted on Twitter by Lotfullah Najafizada, head of Afghanistan’s TOLOnews, shows a female model advertisement on the exterior wall of a beauty salon being painted over with white paint.
Najafizada only captioned the photo with "Kabul," leaving it unclear whether he took the photo himself or when it was taken.
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