Afghan Women Should Not Work Alongside Men, Says Senior Taliban Figure: Report

Since the movement swept to power last month, Taliban officials have said women would be able to work and study within the limits laid down by sharia.

Afghan women should not be allowed to work alongside men, a senior figure in the ruling Taliban said, a position which, if formally implemented, would effectively bar them from employment in government offices, banks, media companies and beyond. Waheedullah Hashimi, a senior figure in the Taliban who is close to the leadership, told Reuters the group would fully implement its version of sharia, or Islamic law, despite pressure from the international community to allow women the right to work where they want. Since the movement swept to power last month, Taliban officials have said women would be able to work and study within the limits laid down by sharia. But there has been widespread uncertainty about what practical effect that will have on their ability to keep their jobs. When the Taliban last ruled Afghanistan from 1996-2001, women were barred from employment and education.