All We Are Asking For Is Rights: Afghan Women Protest Against Taliban At Herat

Herat Women's protest: More than 70 women took to the streets to protest on September 2 against the Taliban takeover demanding answers to their long-ago asked questions over women's right to work and education. Soon after forming a de facto government, the Taliban spokesperson assured that women's right to education and work will be reserved but adhering to the Islamic state law Sharia.

However, contradictory to the assurances made by the Taliban, incidents of women not being allowed to work, banning co-education and erasing women's faces from public posters have surfaced as well. Demanding clarifications regarding the same, Afghan women sought to protests. The demonstration was held in the western city of Herat.

The Taliban took over the Ashraf Ghani led government on August 15.

One of the protesting women, Mariam Ebram told Al Jazeera that arranged the protest out of frustration with the lack of answers from the Taliban government on women’s right to work.

24-year-old Ebram said that for weeks she, and other women, were told to not come to work. They were turned away from office. Reportedly, a group of other Herati women met top Taliban officials to ask for a clear explanation of their policies on the rights of women. They allegedly never received a suitable answer.

Taking about Taliban’s previous rule between 1996-2001, when there was ban on women education and employment, Ebram added that there was no change in the current rule.

During the Herat Women's Protest, many also raised the question, “You got rid of the occupier (Ashraf Ghani), you snuffed out democracy, but what will you bring in place of it, and what will our (women's) role be?”

Stating that "a government without women will never last," Abram added that the protestors were only demanding their rights and explanation of what the new Taliban-led system would offer to women.

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