Ms. Global: Taliban’s Leader Says Women Prosper Under His Rule

On June 25, the Taliban issued a statement declaring Afghan women are given a “comfortable and prosperous life” under their regime, despite the government’s ban against women’s education after sixth grade and involvement in public life and work. Most recently, the Taliban banned beauty salons, which allowed women to join the workforce and form social communities.

The statement was released before one of the biggest Muslim holidays, Eid al-Adha, and was given by the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, who is rarely seen outside of Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province. According to the Associated Press, he “surrounds himself with other religious scholars and allies who oppose education and work for women.”