Women will be represented by men at national unity gathering, says Taliban leader

According to the acting deputy prime minister, a huge conference of Afghanistan’s religious experts and tribal elders organised by the Taliban would address themes of national unity and will be devoid of female participants.

 

According to Abdul Salam Hanafi, the gathering, the first of its type since the Taliban seized over in August, will begin on Thursday.

 

‘Diverse people with different viewpoints will gather…. this will be a positive step for stability in Afghanistan and establishing national unity,’ he said, adding that religious leaders have requested that the assembly address an Islamic form of administration, economic, and social issues.

 

Afghanistan is in a profound economic crisis, with billions of dollars in central bank reserves frozen and international sanctions imposed on the banking industry when the Taliban gained power.

 

When asked if women would attend, Hanafi answered male delegates would.

 

‘The women are our mothers, sisters, we respect them a lot, and when their sons are in the gathering, it signifies they are also involved, in some ways,’ he explained.

 

 

Women will be excluded from the gathering, according to civil society organisations.

 

The assembly seemed to be a ‘loya jirga,’ a traditional mode of decision making in Afghanistan favoured by several officials, including previous republic President Ashraf Ghani. Ghani convened a loya jirga in 2020 before choosing to free hundreds of Taliban captives in order to promote peace talks.

 

It was unclear what would be discussed during the 3,000-man event, or whether the topic of girls’ secondary education would be addressed.

 

International governments, particularly Washington, have said the Taliban needs to change its course on women’s rights after reversing its decision to open girls’ highschools in March and requiring women to cover their faces and have a male chaperone while travelling.

 

Foreign states have also called for an inclusive Afghan government. Key ministerial roles are held by Taliban members in an acting basis and the group has ruled out elections.

 

The White House has stated that it is working to establish banking solutions that help the Afghan people rather than the Taliban.

 

The Taliban’s acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, arrived in Doha on Wednesday for discussions with US financial officials, the administration said in a statement.