Reuters and other foreign media reported that the interim government of the Taliban in Afghanistan closed the Ministry of Gender Equality and revitalized the 'moral police' instead.



According to foreign media, the Taliban transitional government put up a signboard reading 'Prayer, Hundo, and Sorrowful Band' on the signboard of the former government's Women's Ministry building in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.



During the Taliban's past rule before 2001, the Kwon Seon-Jung-Kwan acted as a moral police officer and strictly controlled society through Islamic law, Sharia.



At that time, entertainment such as music and TV was banned, public executions were allowed, such as cutting off thieves or stoned to death, and restrictions were placed on going out, employment, and education.



As the Ministry of Gender Equality was closed, female employees who worked in the department were also banned from entering.



Women employees told Reuters that they had been trying to return to work in the past few weeks, but were only told to go home.



The Taliban has not yet made an official statement on this.



Wahidullah Hashimi, a high-ranking Taliban official, previously said that "according to Sharia, men and women cannot be together under the same roof" and that women are not allowed to work in government departments.



He also said that women's bans would apply to areas such as the press and banking, and that male-female contact outside the home would only be permitted under certain circumstances, such as hospital care.



The Taliban have already announced a policy of segregation of men and women in university education, etc.



In particular, the transitional government made no mention of female students attending school while announcing the policy to resume secondary education.



Although the Taliban has announced that it will respect women's rights after re-establishing power, it has been criticized by human rights groups and others as policies to return to the past have emerged.



(Photo = Yonhap News)