Afghan women should not work alongside men, says senior Taliban figure

Waheedullah Hashimi, a senior figure in the Taliban, said Afghan women should not be allowed to work alongside men, belying the top leadership's assurances that women would be able to work and study.

Afghan women should not be allowed to work alongside men, a senior figure in the ruling Taliban said, a position which, if formally implemented, would effectively bar them from employment in government offices, banks, media companies and beyond. Waheedullah Hashimi, a senior figure in the Taliban who is close to the leadership, told Reuters the group would fully implement its version of sharia, or Islamic law, despite pressure from the international community to allow women the right to work where they want.