Afghan broadcaster lets rare women’s panel speak on International Women’s Day | Abroad

A poll by international NGO Reporters Without Borders last year found that more than 75 percent of female journalists have lost their jobs since the Taliban took power after the departure of foreign troops in August 2021.

The panel, consisting of three women, all wearing surgical masks, and a female moderator discussed the position of women in Islam on Wednesday evening.

“A woman has rights from an Islamic point of view. It is her right to work, to be educated,” said journalist and panelist Asma Khogyani.

Former university professor Zakira Nabil, also a member of the panel, said women would continue to find ways to study and work. “Whether you like it or not, women exist in this society. If it is not possible to get education at school, she will gain knowledge at home,” she said.

Last year, the Taliban banned most girls from attending secondary school or university. Moreover, the majority of female NGO employees also had to give up their jobs.

Due to increasing restrictions and the country’s severe economic crisis, employment for women in Afghanistan has fallen by 25 percent since mid-2021, according to the International Labor Organization. More and more women are becoming self-employed, for example as a tailor at home.

The United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) called on the Taliban on Wednesday to reverse “distressing” restrictions on the rights of girls and women. However, the Taliban claims they respect women’s rights according to their interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan culture and that authorities have set up a committee to investigate perceived problems and work to reopen girls’ schools.