The resumption of duties by some brave women at Kabul airport is a positive development amidst all doom and gloom that country is going through since it fell to the Taliban.
In less than a period of one month since the Taliban established control over Afghanistan, some brave women have decided to come back to work and resuming their duties at the Kabul Airport. One of them is Rabia Jamal who has decided to brave all oddities and returned to her work at the city’s airport. The mother of three said that she was afraid to make this decision; however, she had no other choice owing to the economic hardships her family was going through. She said that she felt anxiety sitting back at the home but now she is happy reporting back to her job in her official navy-blue suit.
Before the Taliban took control of the city, more than 80 women were working at the airport although only 12 have reported back to their jobs now. Taliban had asked most women not to come back while allowing only a handful of them to resume their work. The sister of Rabia, Qudsiya Jamal, 49, had also returned to work divulging that her family was afraid but she is happy on her return and there is no issue and everything is normal here.
During the previous rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, the outfit took a hardline approach and curtailed the rights of women quite severely. However, this time it had promised to take a moderate and inclusive approach as it announced an interim government in the country. Taliban said that women can attend Universities where classes are segregated on the basis of gender or at least have a curtain to divide the males from females. In addition, according to the education authority, females must wear face coverings and robes to attend universities.
It is important to note that Alison Davidian, a UN women representative in Afghanistan, on Wednesday warned that the Taliban is not honoring its commitments to provide fair treatment and respect to women’s rights in Afghanistan.
