'Not trained' to respect them: Taliban tell Afghan women to work from home

The direction from the Taliban came after the World Bank halted funding in Afghanistan, citing concerns about the safety of women, and within hours of the UN calling for a "transparent and prompt investigation" into reports of human rights abuses since the Taliban takeover, dealing another blow to an economy that relies heavily on foreign aid.

Kabul: Nearly two weeks after they took over Afghanistan, the Taliban have admitted that the Afghan women are not safe under its current regime and have directed them to work from home. Addressing a news conference, Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid has said that women should not go to work for their own safety, undermining the group`s efforts to convince international observers that the group would be more tolerant towards women than when they were last in power. As per a CNN report, Mujahid said that the measure was necessary because the Taliban "keep changing and are not properly trained." When last in power between 1996 and 2001 the militant group banned Afghan women from the workplace, stopped them from leaving the home unaccompanied and forced them to cover their entire bodies.