Afghanistan women stage demonstrations against ban on beauty parlours

The security officials in Afghanistan on Wednesday shot in the air and used firehoses to disperse dozens of women who were demonstrating in Kabul against an order by Taliban authorities to shut down beauty parlours.

After coming to power in August 2021, the Taliban government has banned girls and women from high schools and universities, parks, funfairs and gyms and has also ordered them to cover up in public areas.

The order, which was issued last month, has forced the closure of thousands of beauty parlours nationwide run by women and outlaws one of the few remaining opportunities for them to socialise away from home.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

"Don't take my bread and water," read a sign carried by one of the protesters on Butcher Street, which boasts a concentration of the capital's salons.

As per news agency AFP reports, around 50 women took part in Wednesday's gathering.

Later, videos and images were shared with journalists that showed authorities using a firehose to disperse them as shots could be heard in the background.

"Today we arranged this protest to talk and negotiate," said a salon worker, whose name has not been published by AFP for security reasons.

"But today, no one came to talk to us, to listen to us. They didn't pay any attention to us and after a while, they dispersed us by aerial firing and water cannon."

In late June, the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice gave salons a month to close down, saying the grace period would allow them to use up stock.

It said that it made the ban because a huge amount of money was being paid for salon services which caused hardships for poor families, further adding that some treatments were un-Islamic.

The ministry further added that too-much makeup prevented women from proper ablutions for prayer and that eyelash extensions and hair weaving were also forbidden.

As per AFP reports, a copy of the order said it was "based on verbal instruction from the supreme leader" Hibatullah Akhundzada.

Plight of women in Afghanistan 'worst in the world'

A report to the United Nation's Human Rights Council by Richard Bennett, the special rapporteur for Afghanistan, last month, said the plight of women and girls in the country "was among the worst in the world".

"Grave, systematic and institutionalized discrimination against women and girls is at the heart of Taliban ideology and rule, which also gives rise to concerns that they may be responsible for gender apartheid," Bennett said.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.