We are bread earners, don’t stop us from work: Women

FAIZABAD (Pajhwok): Some women in northeastern Badakhshan province have asked the Taliban not to stop them from working because majority of women earn bread for their families.

Women were badly affected in the past 40 years of war in Afghanistan, most of families lost their husbands, sons and other male family members, thus women have to go out and support their families.

They said that they suffered many problems to live an honorable life, but after the fall of the Ghani government and the Taliban takeover, they were rendered unemployed and plunged into huge problems.

The Taliban last month captured Kabul and on September 7 they captured Panjshir province– the only remaining province under the National Resistance Front control.

The Taliban pledged to allow women to work, do job, business and all other rights under Islam and when the situation was appropriate.

But after the announcement of their acting cabinet, no woman was given any position in the set-up. The Taliban asked male employees to return to their jobs but they did not invite women to attend their offices.

Nazakat, 47, said for the past 10 years she worked as a cleaner in one of the Education Ministry offices. She said her husband was killed in fighting and she was the only bread earner of her six-member family.

“After the Taliban takeover I lost my job, because the Taliban ordered women to stay at homes and it is unclear that they will call us again or not.”

Nazakat said she did not get her two month salary and it was still unknown if the Taliban will allow women to work or not.

FerishtaNiazi, a resident of Eshkashim district, told Pajhwok Afghan News that two years back she got her master’s degree in public relations and worked in a key government post in Kabul.

Referring to the Taliban call that women employees should stay at their houses, Niazi said: “Allah in Quran says that men and women are entitled to education, we are ready to go to work with Islamic Hijab.”

She urged the Taliban: “Don’t stop us from work because we are the bread earner of our families.”

Nh/ma

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