Women’s rights to be rolled back if Taliban return: US

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Taliban, if they gain power, will roll back much of the progress made on Afghan women’s rights, warn US intelligence analysts.

In a report released on Tuesday, the US National Intelligence Council (NIC) said the insurgents might resume the harsh treatment that women suffered under their rule from 1996 to 2001.

According to Sputnik, the intelligence report suggested the gains were achieved because of foreign pressure on the Afghan government rather than being the result of support for such changes in Afghanistan.

Before the ouster of the Taliban regime, the report said, the insurgent movement had imposed rules that curtailed the rights of Afghan women.

Under Taliban’s oppressive government, girls were barred from attending schools and women prohibited from working anywhere outside their home.

Progress in the introduction of women’s rights in Afghanistan, especially in rural areas, was slow despite global pressure, said the NIC assessment.

However, the council did not expect a complete rollback on women’s rights even if the insurgents seized power in Kabul.

The NIC assessment noted the number of Afghans with cell phone accounts had reached 27 million in recent years, enabling many to develop a view of the broader world.

The report’s authors hoped that over time, pressure from the global fraternity would compel the rebel group to moderate its position on the issue of women’s rights.

PAN Monitor/mud

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