Taliban spokesman says women incapable
of performing government jobs

Virginia Aabram

Fri, September 10, 2021

A Taliban spokesman made clear what kind of role women would play under the new regime, and it doesn’t bode well for those hoping for an inclusive government.

In an interview on Afghanistan’s Tolo News on Thursday, Sayed Zekrullah Hashimi said women are incapable of performing government duties.

“A woman cannot do the work of the ministry — you put something on her neck that she cannot carry,” Hashimi said, according to a translation.

He dismissed the women who took to the streets to protest against the new government, arguing it does not indicate how most women in the country feel.

“The four women protesting in the streets do not represent the women of Afghanistan,” he said. "The women of Afghanistan are those who give birth to the people of Afghanistan and educate them on Islamic ethics.”

The Taliban retook control of Afghanistan last month as U.S. forces departed. There were multiple women in political positions when the U.S.-backed government fell.