Several female presenters for Afghan state television have said this week that Taliban fighters barred them from working, ordering them out of the office in an ominous sign of the group’s views on the role of women in public life.

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       Shabnam Dawran, a news presenter for Radio Television Afghanistan, said in a video message Wednesday that she was threatened by Taliban militants when she showed up for work.

       Taliban says it will be more tolerant toward women. Some fear otherwise.

       The group had seized the RTA building in Kabul on Sunday after sweeping to power in a rapid offensive.

       “I was not allowed in, even though I was carrying my ID badge,” Dawran said of her attempt to go to work this week. “Male workers were allowed, but I was threatened. They told me that the regime has changed … our lives are under serious threat.”

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       Dawran’s colleague, Khadija Amin, a prominent anchorwoman, also said she was prevented from entering the RTA office this week.

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       “I went to the office but I was not allowed in. Later other colleagues were banned, too,” Amin said, according to Afghanistan’s independent ToloNews agency.

       Amin said she and other colleagues spoke with the new RTA director appointed by the Taliban.

       The Taliban insists it has changed. Afghanistan’s future hinges on whether that’s true.

       “There has been a change in the programs … [and] there are no female presenters or female journalists,” she said.

       The incidents contrast sharply with remarks made by senior Taliban officials, who have said they will allow women to participate in government and public life.

       For private channels such as Tolo and the Ariana Television Network, the situation remains unclear. Tolo is still broadcasting news programs and reports featuring female reporters and presenters, including Beheshta Arghand, who interviewed a Taliban official live on air earlier this week.

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       The Taliban “assured us that we are safe,” said Khushal Asefi, executive vice president of Afghan private broadcaster Ariana Radio & Television Network, Reuters reported Friday.

       Afghanistan’s crisis underscores the U.S.’s shifting place in the world

       “For the time being, they are telling we do not have any problem, even female journalists can go to TV, they can do shows,” he said.

       The head of UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural agency, urged the Taliban on Friday to protect journalists and allow the media to operate freely.

       “Access to reliable information and open public debate through free and independent media is essential for Afghans to live in the peaceful society they deserve,” Director General Audrey Azoulay said.

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