Women workers must cover up ‘even with a blanket’:Taliban

KABUL AFP Feb22, 2022   - Women working in Afghan government departments must cover up -even with a blanket if necessary - or they may lose their jobs, the Taliban’s religious police said Tuesday.   

The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice issued a statement saying women should not go to work unless they were properly covered, and they could be fired if they did not follow guidelines.   

Most women have been barred from their government jobs, since the Taliban retook power in August, though Afghanistan’s new rulers claim they will be allowed to return once some conditions are in place -- such as segregated offices.   

The ministry earned notoriety during the Taliban’s first stint in power from 1996 to 2001 for policing the leadership’s strict interpretation of Islam.   

Regulations appear to have been introduced around the country based largely on the whim of local officials, or according to traditional customs in conservative areas.