KABUL
\nTaliban fighters beat women protesters and fired into the air on Saturday as they violently dispersed a rare rally in the Afghan capital, days ahead of the first anniversary of their return to power.
\nSince seizing control on Aug 15 last year, the Taliban have rolled back the marginal gains made by women during two decades of US intervention in Afghanistan.
\nAbout 40 women, chanting \u201cbread, work and freedom\u201d marched in front of the education ministry building, before the fighters dispersed them by firing their guns into the air, a correspondent reported.
\nSome women protesters who took refuge in nearby shops were chased and beaten by Taliban fighters with their rifle butts.
\nThe demonstrators carried a banner which read \u201cAugust 15 is a black day\u201d as they demanded rights to work and political participation. \u201cJustice, justice. We\u2019re fed up with ignorance,\u201d they chanted, many not wearing face veils.
\n\u201cUnfortunately, the Taliban from the intelligence service came and fired in the air,\u201d said Zholia Parsi, one of the organisers of the march.
\n\u201cThey dispersed the girls, tore our banners and confiscated the mobile phones of many girls.\u201d But protester Munisa Mubariz vowed to continue fighting for women\u2019s rights.
\n\u201cIf the Taliban want to silence this voice, it\u2019s not possible. We will protest from our homes,\u201d she said.
\nSome journalists covering the demonstration, the first women\u2019s rally in months, were also beaten by the Taliban fighters, a correspondent saw.
\nWhile the Taliban authorities have allowed and even promoted some rallies against the United States, they have declined permission for any women\u2019s rally since they returned to power.
\nAfter seizing control last year, the Taliban promised a softer version of the harsh Islamist rule that characterised their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001.
\nBut many restrictions have already been imposed, especially on women.
\nTens of thousands of girls have been shut out of secondary schools, while women have been barred from returning to many government jobs.
\nWomen have also been banned from travelling alone on long trips and can only visit public gardens and parks in the capital on days separate from men.
\nIn May, the country\u2019s supreme leader and chief of the Taliban, Hibatullah Akhundzada, ordered women to fully cover themselves in public, including their faces, ideally with an all-encompassing burqa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KABUL Taliban fighters beat women protesters and fired into the air on Saturday as they violently dispersed a rare rally in the Afghan capital, days ahead of the first anniversary of their return to power. Since seizing control on Aug 15 last year, the Taliban have rolled back the marginal gains made by women during […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":277267,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-277249","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n