“The Islamic Emirate doesn’t want women to be victims” Samangani said, using the militants’ term for Afghanistan. “They should be in government structure according to Shariah law.”
He added: “The structure of government is not fully clear, but based on experience, there should be a fully Islamic leadership and all sides should join.”
Pretty sure they also did not expect to win so quickly
The consolidation of power is the relevant part now. The Taliban are as homogeneous as Trotskists (well maybe a bit more homogenous, but you know), the point is they have factions and after occupation the power balance, the material and social relations are quite different than during it.
Now we will see which structures remain, which will be built and which will create contradictions and dynamics. If there is a wing that wants 1990s Taliban and they get to create the structures which support their thinking over time we will see some splits. If there is a more materialist faction and the people dominating they will act different of course.
International power plays a role, but also the mindset of the population and the consciousness and power of women. However political power (in civil war) stems partially from the barrel of the gun and that are not women right now.
With other words: I got no clue what might happen, but am aware that now things will unfold fast and with a bit of chance according to the current realities at work.
I think the Taliban today is a broader movement than in the 1990’s. While the old beheading-afficionados are still there, other groupings might see that a less bloody approach could help them start in power by building popular support. Also Russia and China maintaining diplomatic relations with them might also give them a reason to be more moderate.
It is still very unclear how the new Afghanistan will be.
It’s also a lot easier to ban women from having jobs when they already generally don’t have jobs. Those skills are slightly wider spread now than they were at the end of the Soviet era, and can contribute to the stability of the new government.
There was also two decades of men in their 20s and 30s dying in war. They might just need women for many industries because there aren’t enough men with technical skills.
