Afghanistan: Taliban's Curbs On Women Continues, New Diktat Orders Closure Of Hair And Beauty Salons

Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, women's freedom has steadily diminished. They have been barred from attending schools, colleges, Universities, gyms, and parks.

A burqa-clad Afghan woman in Kabul. Last year the Taliban ordered that women can wear clothes in which only their eyes are visible.

Source : AP/PTI

The Taliban have issued an order for hair and beauty salons in Afghanistan to shut down, adding to the mounting restrictions faced by women in the country. According to a spokesman for the Vice and Virtue Ministry of Afghanistan, such businesses were given a one-month deadline, starting July 2 when they were initially informed of the decision, reported British media website BBC.

Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, women's freedom has steadily diminished. They have been barred from attending schools, colleges, Universities, gyms, and parks. More recently, they have even been banned from working for the United Nations. The Taliban have also mandated that women should dress in a manner that reveals only their eyes and must be accompanied by a male relative if travelling more than 72km.

These restrictive measures persist despite international condemnation and protests by women and activists advocating for their rights. The closure of beauty salons is reminiscent of the broad range of measures imposed by the Taliban during their previous rule from 1996 to 2001. However, after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, these establishments gradually reopened.

In response to the recent closure, an anonymous Afghan woman expressed her dismay, stating that the Taliban are depriving Afghan women of their most basic human rights. "They are violating women's rights by this decision and preventing women from serving each other. When I heard the news, I was completely shocked. It appears that the Taliban's political agenda is solely focused on women's bodies. They are systematically erasing women from public life," the woman was quoted as saying by BBC.

Despite the Taliban's return to power two years ago following the withdrawal of US forces, beauty salons had remained operational. However, their windows were often covered, and images of women outside the salons were spray-painted to conceal their faces. The Taliban government has not provided an explanation for the ban or presented any alternative options available to women once the salons are closed. Another Afghan woman, who requested anonymity, confirmed reports of hair salon closures in Kabul and other areas.