![Afghanistan marks muted women's day under Taliban eyes](https://www.portugalcolonial.pt/media/shared/articles/df/d0/eb/Afghanistan-marks-muted-women-s-day-832813.jpg)
-
Coughlin clings to lead at LPGA Canadian Women's Open
-
Trump offers tech sector policy flips ahead of election
-
Spacecraft to swing by Earth, Moon on path to Jupiter
-
What's the fallout of Mexican drug lords' capture?
-
Video game makers see actors as AI 'data,' says union on strike
-
Chinese qualifier Shang to face Thompson in ATP Atlanta semis
-
'Massive attack' on French rail threatens more chaos
-
'We did it!': France breathes sigh of relief after Olympics ceremony
-
Regional concern grows as Venezuela blocks vote observers
-
Historic river parade, Dion show-stopper ignite Paris Olympics
-
Rainy Paris Olympic parade dampens many spectators' spirits
-
The one of a kind Paris opening ceremony: five memorable moments
-
Justin Timberlake seeks to dismiss DUI case
-
Warner Brothers Discovery sues NBA over Amazon rights deal
-
Kobe Bryant locker, Maradona jersey up for auction in New York
-
Historic river parade launches Paris Olympics
-
New York family of Holocaust victim reclaims Nazi-looted art
-
NASA Mars rover captures rock that could hold fossilized microbes
-
Thousands evacuate season's biggest wildfire in northern California
-
Ethiopia mourns victims of landslide tragedy
-
Lady Gaga adds sparkle to star-studded Olympic show
-
Airbus and Boeing supremacy secure despite turbulence
-
Teams sail down Seine in rain-soaked Olympics opening ceremony
-
West Indies' treble strike rocks England in third Test
-
Olympic opening ceremony under way on River Seine
-
Mott's England future uncertain as ECB chief fails to offer support
-
Trump meets Israeli PM Netanyahu in Florida
-
S.African police say 95 Libyans detained at suspected military camp
-
Blinken set for talks with Chinese counterpart in Laos
-
Norris heads Piastri in McLaren one-two at Belgian GP practice
-
G20 seeks common ground on taxing super-rich
-
European medicines watchdog rejects new Alzheimer's drug
-
Habib, Ebden eye Alcaraz and Djokovic shocks at Olympics tennis
-
Long queues, ticketing problems ahead of Paris opening ceremony
-
Two Sinaloa Cartel leaders face US charges after stunning capture
-
Spain train driver jailed for 2.5 years over deadly 2013 crash
-
Paris poised for Olympic opening ceremony spectacular
-
Judoka fails doping test in first case at Paris Olympics
-
Holder and Da Silva keep England at bay after West Indies collapse
-
Alpine F1 boss Bruno Famin to leave in August
-
Ethiopia declares three days of mourning after landslide tragedy
-
Brazilian dunes dotted with dazzling pools make UNESCO heritage list
-
Rain, cooling slow huge blaze in Canada's Jasper park
-
French Rugby's Jaminet suspended 34 weeks after racist video: Federation
-
Osaka looking to turbo-charge comeback at Paris Olympics
-
Russian central bank hikes key rate to fight inflation
-
Verstappen tops times in opening practice, faces grid penalty
-
UK to reveal £20 bn hole in public finances: reports
-
Gaming sector recovery on flamboyant display at ChinaJoy expo
-
Biles ready to unveil unique uneven bars skill at Paris Olympics
![Afghanistan marks muted women's day under Taliban eyes](https://www.portugalcolonial.pt/media/shared/articles/df/d0/eb/Afghanistan-marks-muted-women-s-day-832813.jpg)
Afghanistan marks muted women's day under Taliban eyes
Afghanistan marked International Women's Day in muted fashion Tuesday, with activists cowed by the threat of arrest or detention at the hands of the country's new Taliban rulers.
Since returning to power on August 15 the Taliban have rolled back two decades of gains made by the country's women, who have been squeezed out of government employment, barred from travelling alone, and ordered to dress according to a strict interpretation of the Koran.
"The Taliban have taken away the sky as well as the ground from us," said an activist from the Woman's Unity and Solidarity Group, asking not to be named.
While the Taliban have promised a softer version of the harsh Islamist rule that characterised their first stint in power from 1996-2001, restrictions have been creeping in -- if not at the national level, then implemented locally at the whim of regional officials.
"If you care about women’s rights -- anywhere in the world -- you should be watching Afghanistan with deep alarm," said Heather Barr, of Human Rights Watch.
"It's been shocking to see how fast the progress of the last 20 years has been yanked back and how little the international community has done to stand up for Afghan women," she told AFP Tuesday.
Some Afghan women initially pushed back strongly against Taliban restrictions, holding small demonstrations and protests where they demanded the right to education and work.
But the Taliban soon wearied of the spectacle and rounded-up several of the ringleaders, holding them incommunicado even while denying they had been detained.
Since their release, most have gone silent, although the Taliban distributed videos of some purporting to confess they had been encouraged to protest by activists abroad, who said it would help them gain asylum.
Several rights groups said the alleged confessions were forced, calling them "hostage videos".
The Taliban at least acknowledged International Women's Day, with the foreign ministry calling it "auspicious", adding they would be provided with "an honourable and beneficial life in light of the noble religion of Islam and our accepted traditions".
- Protests banned -
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban's chief spokesman, tweeted the day was "a great opportunity for our Afghan women to demand their legitimate rights" -- even though protests are banned unless permission is given.
Soon after taking power, the new government abolished the Ministry of Women's Affairs, replacing it with its dreaded religious police -- the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
Behind the walls of the sprawling United Nations compound on the outskirts of Kabul, an exhibition jointly organised by the UN and the Afghan Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry showcased goods made by local female-owned businesses.
"It's a hope and a positive thing," said Tayeba Mashal, 47, owner of a firm that bears her name.
"We are hopeful that the women who are hiding in their homes because of the fear of insecurity will rise again in the society, resume their work, and resume their activities."
No other major public events were planned on Tuesday by women's groups, although one said members would mark the occasion by releasing balloons.
"Because of the restrictions imposed on us, we could not do it (collectively)," a Woman's Unity and Solidarity Group member told AFP.
"Now, everyone will do it individually at their homes."
A handful of members from another group, the Afghanistan Powerful Women Movement, planned to donate blood at a local hospital, but the Taliban denied them permission.
"The director of Jamhuriat Hospital said donating blood by women is not allowed as per Sharia law," said member Zakia Zahadat.
J.Oliveira--PC