Reuters exclusively reports a senior Taliban figure says Afghan women should not work alongside men

Reuters exclusively reported that a senior figure in the ruling Taliban said Afghan women should not be allowed to work alongside men, 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. Since the movement swept to power last month, Taliban officials have said women would be able to work and study within the limits laid down by sharia.