Afghan women bankers forced from roles as Taliban takes control

FILE PHOTO: Afghan women wait to receive free wheat donated by the Afghan government during a quarantine, amid concerns about the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Kabul, Afghanistan April 21, 2020. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani/File Photo

(Reuters) - As the Taliban sweeps across Afghanistan, there are signs the militant group is going back on a promise allowing women to work, according to interviews with female bank employees forced out of their jobs.

The Taliban, which imposed strict Islamic law and barred women from work when it ruled Afghanistan between 1996-2001, has repeatedly said the rights of women will be protected should it return to power in Kabul.