Women and the Taliban

[Bloomberg]( Follow Us [Get the newsletter]( What will happen to women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule? The Taliban are [seeking]( to offer assurance that women’s rights will be respected “within the bounds of Sharia law.” But critics say it’s a message that leaves plenty of room to return to past practices. When they were in power from 1996 until the U.S.-led invasion in 2001, the Taliban’s highly conservative [interpretation]( of Sharia resulted in horrifying repression of women. Then, girls were banned from going to school, while women were forced from the workplace and allowed to leave home only under male escort and dressed in the burqa that covers their full face and body. Those who failed to comply were stoned or executed. Now, the Taliban are trying to [convince]( Afghans their view of women’s place in the world has changed. A spokesman was interviewed by a female anchor on Afghanistan’s TOLO news channel, while another official said women could work “where they so choose” in government, the private sector and elsewhere as long as they abide by Islamic regulations. Yet a generation of women who’ve grown up on greater freedoms now faces the threat of violence and tyranny if they attempt to defend their rights. In provincial areas far from the capital, the burqa is returning and women in some regions have been told they can’t attend university. As [Eltaf Najafizada]( reports, the Taliban’s sudden professions of pragmatism likely reflect a realization they need to present a more moderate image if they hope to win international recognition. That places responsibility on the U.S. and its allies to make the new Afghan regime’s protection of women’s rights central to any engagement — with measurable punishments for failure. Amid the chaos and [recriminations]( over their [withdrawal](, however, the risk is the U.S. and Europe will lack the will for the fight. — [Anthony Halpin]( A woman holds the photo of her daughter whom she said was killed by the Taliban a month ago at a camp for displaced people in Kabul. Photographer: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images You can follow our latest coverage on Afghanistan [here](. Tell us how we’re doing or what we’re missing at balancepower@bloomberg.net. Global Headlines Desperate race | Thousands of Afghans who worked as translators and guides for the U.S. military are in a [desperate]( race to escape the country to avoid being targeted. They must navigate complicated logistics and bureaucracy to get visa paperwork in front of U.S. officials that are both a ticket out of their war-torn homeland and potentially incriminating if the Taliban discovers them. - More than 40 House lawmakers across the political spectrum are imploring President Joe Biden to keep U.S. forces in Afghanistan until they finish [evacuating]( American citizens and Afghan allies. - Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, now hiding in exile, once [taught]( at some of America’s elite academic institutions before stints at the World Bank and the United Nations. He co-wrote “Fixing Failed States: A Framework for Rebuilding a Fractured World.” Ally support | The Biden administration is trying to [reassure]( allies such as Taiwan and Israel that it remains committed to their defense in a bid to assuage concerns about its resolve after the departure from Afghanistan. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan yesterday said U.S. commitments to its partners are “sacrosanct and always have been.” Regulate the rich | President Xi Jinping put China’s wealthy elite on notice, outlining a “common prosperity” plan that includes regulating and [redistributing]( income. After massive efforts to reduce poverty and a recent crackdown on the technology industry and criticism against the excesses of celebrity culture, Communist Party officials vowed to “reasonably adjust excessive income” and encourage high earners to “give back to society more.” - China could be making inroads in its [battle]( to deal with local governments’ so-called hidden debt as the economy’s rebound gives officials room to focus on tackling financial risks. Whether at supermarkets, corner stores, or open-air markets, the cost of food has [surged]( in much of the world, forcing families to make tough decisions about their diets. Food prices in July were up 31% on a year ago, according to an index compiled by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. On the slide | Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is [tumbling]( in the polls amid a slew of criminal investigations and a Senate inquiry into his handling of the pandemic. A year from presidential elections, Bolsonaro’s disapproval rating rose to the highest of his term, with 54% of Brazilians rating him as “bad or terrible” in an XP/Ipespe poll yesterday. Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva now has 40% support compared to 24% for Bolsonaro. Best of Bloomberg Opinion - [China Isn’t About to Sweep into Afghanistan: Ruth Pollard]( - [The Taliban Are Only Pretending They Aren’t Barbaric: Eli Lake]( - [To Save the Earth’s Climate, Map the Oceans: Dawn Wright]( One down | Peru’s embattled president, Pedro Castillo, [lost]( a minister from his cabinet yesterday just three weeks after he was sworn in. Castillo accepted the resignation of Hector Bejar, a controversial pick as foreign affairs minister, after local media published a video of him spreading wild conspiracy theories about terrorist atrocities committed in Peru in past decades. What to Watch - Biden is due to speak today about plans to give more Americans coronavirus vaccine booster shots to [head]( off the delta variant, amid criticism the U.S. is hoarding doses while poorer nations continue to languish under the pandemic. - A month after social media helped drive historic protests in Cuba, the Communist-ruled island is [tightening]( the screws on Internet speech, making it an offense to spread false news or make comments that damage “the prestige of the country.” - ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing lawmaker questions today in parliament on the government’s decision to join the U.S. in pulling troops from Afghanistan. Countries must accept the reality of change in Kabul, he said. And finally ... Myanmar’s runaway virus and soaring deaths are presenting wealthy nations donating Covid-19 vaccines with a tough [choice](: work with the generals who overthrew a civilian government or let the situation spiral further out of control and spread across its borders. Even as health experts warn about the consequences, donors remain hesitant to take action that could be seen as lending legitimacy to a regime that has killed nearly 1,000 protesters. Volunteers load an empty coffin before picking up the body of a suspected Covid-19 victim in Myanmar’s Bago region on Aug. 6. Photographer: Ye Aung Thu/AFP/Getty Images  Like Balance of Power? [Get unlimited access to Bloomberg.com](, where you'll find trusted, data-based journalism in 120 countries around the world and expert analysis from exclusive daily newsletters. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Balance of Power newsletter. 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