According to an Afghan activist, the Taliban have no option but to listen to women.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AFP) – According to a senior rights campaigner, the Taliban will have no option but to give in to the demands of Afghan women if they want to avoid economic collapse and diplomatic isolation.

Mahbouba Seraj, 73, opted not to escape Kabul when the Taliban reclaimed control last month, two decades after they were deposed.

Instead, she has followed the Taliban’s conflicting signals from her home in Kabul, attempting to discern what lies next for the women of her nation to whom she has committed her life.

“It’s turning into a nightmare for everyone,” she adds.

The Taliban have gradually eroded women’s rights, barring girls from secondary school, ordering working women to stay at home, and establishing an all-male administration.

They insist it is just transitory, but many people are sceptical and see a repetition of history happening.

“The Taliban had the same reason the previous time, they said ‘wait, we’ll fix it for you,'” she said from her house in Kabul.

“We waited for it for six years, but it never came. The ladies of Afghanistan have lost faith in the Taliban.”

Many women, she claims, are befuddled and under intense pressure, afraid to leave their homes for fear of Taliban persecution.

Nonetheless, she admits to being hopeful, believing that the Taliban would be forced to adapt if they want to continue in power.

There are hints of progress: women may still be seen on the streets, many women continue to wear headscarves instead of the all-encompassing burqa, and some types of university education can continue, albeit under segregation.

“This Afghanistan is not the Afghanistan of the 1990s,” she explained.

“I am certain that changes will occur. There is no other option, and the Taliban should recognise this.”