Taliban order closure of hair and beauty salons in Afghanistan, further restricting women's rights

Taliban havegiven Afghan women one month to shut down beauty and hair salons. In its latest crackdown on women's access to public places, the Taliban administration's morality ministry has ordered that these women-run establishments must be shut.

The diktat

As per Bloomberg, in a text message on Tuesday, the Tabilan's Ministry of Vice and Virtue said that "all beauty salons operated by women in Kabul and other provinces should be banned immediately and follow our order."

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The message also warned that those found violating the order would "face legal action".

Speaking to BBC, a spokesman from the Vice and Virtue Ministrysaid thatstartingJuly 2— when they were initially informed about the decision — businesses have been given a one-month deadline to comply.

The Taliban government has not provided an explanation for the ban on beauty salons or offered any alternatives for women once they are closed. This latest move further curtails women's rights and reflects the ongoing challenges faced by women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

Talking to Bloomberg, Jamila Afghan, an Afghan women’s rights activist who fled Afghanistan and now lives in Turkey, said that the latest ban "will affect thousands of makeup artists and close hundreds of beauty shops nationwide."

"The Taliban don’t consider women as human beings but as a commodity to own and oppress," she remarked.

Beauty parlours and the Taliban rulers

The closure of beauty salons is part of a broader 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, the salons reopened and operated until the Taliban regained power two years ago.

Since the Afghan rulers took over the nation, shop windows were often covered, and images of women outside salons were spray-painted to conceal their faces.

Other bans or restrictions on women

BBC reportedthat since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, women's freedomhasprogressively diminished. They have been barred from attending schools, gyms, and parks, and were recently banned from working for the United Nations.

The Taliban has also enforced strict dress codes, mandating that women only expose their eyes and requiring them to be accompanied by a male relative when travelling more than 72 kilometres (48 miles).

According to Bloomberg, currently working in hospitals as nurses and doctors is the only jobwomen are allowed to perform in the nation. The ever-increasing restrictions have reportedly forced women to secretly work from home as teachers and makeup artists.

International condemnation

The international community, including foreign governments and the United Nations, has repeatedly condemned the Taliban's restrictions on women. However, despite the widespread international condemnation and protests by women and activists advocating for their rights, the group has continued to impose these restrictions.

(With inputs from agencies)

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