Afghan women harvest purple saffron crocuses and pluck the red stigmas of the precious spice for the Red Gold Saffron Company in western Herat province. Taliban government restrictions on women have slashed their participation in the Afghan workforce and education, but saffron companies still rely on women to harvest and process the delicate flowers, providing work in one of the poorest countries in the world, harvesters told AFP. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES