The Taliban government in Afghanistan have issued a statement on International Women’s Day, claiming they are committed to addressing the plight of Afghan women. In the statement that is being widely shared on Twitter, the Taliban in Afghanistan, who are known for institutionalising large-scale gender-based discrimination and violence against women, wished all the Afghan women on International women’s day.

Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Tweeted on International Women’s Day (IWD), which is celebrated globally on March 8 every year. “May the #8thMarch #InternationalWomensDay be auspicious for all women,” Tweeted MoFA spokesperson, IEA.

Wishing that this day “be auspicious for all women”, the statement read, “Protracted war in Afghanistan has been extremely detrimental for women. IEA (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) is committed to addressing the plight of Afghan women and providing facilities for an honourable and beneficial life in the light of the noble religion of Islam and our accepted traditions”.

Given the Taliban’s long history of gynophobic misogyny, the statement is quite ironic. When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, they were infamous for violating women’s rights. As a result, when the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan on August 15 of last year, Afghan women’s rights activists were suspicious that the new rulers would be any different than the Taliban who had previously ruled the country, despite their promises to uphold women’s rights.

Since the hardline Islamist group took over the country on August 15, the Taliban had been under pressure from the international community, which has generally halted assistance for Afghanistan, to commit to safeguarding women’s rights.

As a part of its broader campaign to provide a more moderate face and seek global legitimacy, the Taliban had also announced that they have relaxed their stance on women and would respect their rights in accordance with the Islamic Sharia.

However, seven months after the Taliban took control, Afghan women’s long-held worries have become a terrible daily reality.