Women’s beauty salons in Afghanistan have been given one month’s notice to close shop amid the ban on salons announced by the Taliban. They said that services provided by the salons are against Islam and cause economic hardships for grooms’ families during wedding festivities. This is the latest curb on the rights of Afghan women and girls following the ban on the right to girls’ education and barring them from public space and most employment options. Human rights groups have expressed concerns regarding the impact of this ruling on female entrepreneurs.
On Thursday, Sadiq Akif Mahjer, the spokesman for the Taliban-run Virtue and Vice Ministry, listed salon services which went against Islam. This includes, eyebrow shaping, using other people’s hair for hair extensions, and the application of makeup, which would interfere with the ablutions required before offering prayers. He added that these services also add to the economic stress on grooms’ families, who according to custom pay for the pre-wedding salon visit of the bride and her close family relatives.
Amena Sharifi, is the owner of a Kabul salon and the sole breadwinner of the family. Her husband is unemployed, he used to be a policeman before the Taliban took over power in 2021. They have four children together.
“The beauty salon was our only income, and now I don’t know what to do? How we should pay for our expenses?” she told AP.
After she shuts down her salon, the three women who worked for her will also lose their incomes.
The new ban has drawn concern from international officials worried about the impact on female entrepreneurs. It drew criticism from human and women’s rights defenders on social media.
On Tuesday, the United Nations said that it was working with authorities in Afghanistan to reverse this ban. The UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in a tweet urged the Taliban to halt the edict.
“This new restriction on women’s rights will impact negatively on the economy & contradicts stated support for women entrepreneurship,” it said.