RASC News Agency: The Taliban announced the organization of a business conference in Kabul, attended by senior officials of the group and representatives from several regional countries. Remarkably, only one woman, Humaira Rigi, the head of Iran’s Chabahar Free Zone Authority, was granted permission to participate in the event. According to the Taliban’s official statement, numerous guests, including leaders from the chambers of commerce of Iran, Pakistan, Japan, Turkey, and China, were present. In an image released by the Taliban, amidst the predominantly male attendees, Humaira Rigi is the sole woman visible, seated among men and notably positioned close to Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, and the group’s Minister of Commerce.
Rigi, representing the Chabahar Port delegation, also took part in the opening of the Abu Hanifa Trade Exhibition in Kabul. During her address, as quoted in the Taliban’s statement, she assured that the Islamic Republic of Iran has provided the necessary facilities to fully operationalize the Chabahar Port and emphasized strengthening trade relations between Afghanistan and Iran. This stands in stark contrast to the Taliban’s broader policy of excluding Afghanistani women from public life and gatherings, where even their voices are deemed “Awrah” inappropriate and forbidden to be heard by unrelated men. Under the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islamic law, both a woman’s appearance and voice are considered private, leading to a prohibition on public interaction with men outside their families.
Since their return to power, the Taliban have enforced a ban on girls’ education beyond the sixth grade, barred women from attending universities, and removed women from official institutions, including restricting them from working with non-governmental organizations. These escalating restrictions have led human rights advocates to accuse the Taliban of enforcing gender apartheid in Afghanistan. Numerous international bodies and nations have condemned the group’s actions, and recently, the European Union declared Afghanistani women eligible for asylum due to the severe discrimination they endure.
