RASC News Agency: Several Afghanistani women entrepreneurs participating in the “Afghanistan’s Victory and Economic Progress” exhibition have expressed that the Taliban’s restrictions are severely undermining their businesses. The third day of the exhibition, held on Saturday, August 24, in Kabul, featured 310 entrepreneurs and industrialists from various provinces.
These businesswomen have criticized the Taliban’s imposition of restrictions on women, particularly the requirement for female entrepreneurs to be accompanied by a male guardian (Mahram) even for short-distance travel. They argue that this mandate has not only adversely impacted their trade but also significantly increased their operational costs. According to them, the Taliban’s refusal to permit women to travel unaccompanied by a Mahram has escalated travel expenses and complicated their participation in exhibitions and other business activities.
Ruqia, an entrepreneur, remarked: “When they insist that we must not attend without a Mahram and refuse to allow us to travel alone, we want them to change this mindset. This exhibition is predominantly attended by women. We want women to have the freedom to participate without needing a Mahram.” The United Nations has also raised concerns regarding the Taliban’s new regulations and restrictions on women and other citizens, stating that these limitations have created substantial challenges for female entrepreneurs.
It is important to note that the Taliban’s new law essentially bars women from engaging in any form of work or activity. This law is being enforced in a country ravaged by four decades of devastating conflict, much of it driven by the Taliban, resulting in the disappearance of thousands of citizens. The responsibility of caring for the children of countless martyrs and orphans now falls on the shoulders of their mothers, who have been working alongside men to prevent their children from starving. Despite this, the Taliban’s objective is to confine these women to their homes.
