Protestors in Herat call for women’s inclusion in future govt

KABUL (Tolo News): Dozens of Afghan women and girls protested in the western city of Herat on Thursday, calling for women’s representation in the next government. The protesters included women’s rights defenders, university students and government employees.
The protesters held banners with slogans calling to preserve the achievements of the past two decades and for the participation of women in the next government. They also advocated women’s right to work and to receive an education. “No government is sustainable without women’s support. Our demand: the right to education and the right to work in every aspect,” a banner read.
“Violation of women’s rights is equal to the violation of human rights,” the slogan reads. The women and girls in the demonstration called on the international community to not forget Afghan women. The protests come amid the public’s anxiety about the power vacuum in Kabul.
Last week the Taliban announced that going forward males and boys would study in separate classes. “Don’t be afraid, we are together,” said a slogan on a demonstrator’s sign. Following the collapse of the former government, the Taliban turned away several female presenters working at RTA (the national radio and television facilitates in Afghanistan) and did not let them continue working at the station.