An Afghan broadcaster allows a rare female team to speak on International Women’s Day | outside

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

The session of three women wearing surgical masks and a moderator discussed the status of women in Islam on Wednesday night.

“Women have rights from an Islamic point of view. It is their right to work and to be educated,” said journalist and spokesperson Asma Khogyani.

Former university professor Zakaria Nabil, who is also on the committee, said women will continue to look for ways to study and work. “Whether you like it or not, women exist in this society. If it is not possible to get an education at school, you will gain knowledge at home,” she said.

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

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

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