The Taliban have banned women’s beauty shops in Afghanistan, according to a government official on Tuesday. It is the latest restriction on Afghan women and girls’ rights and freedoms, following edicts restricting females from education, public venues, and most forms of employment.
Mohammad Sidik Akif Mahajar, a spokesman for the Taliban-run Virtue and Vice Ministry, declined to comment on the prohibition. He just validated the contents of a letter that was widely circulated on social media. The letter, dated June 24, claims to be a spoken directive from the supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada. The prohibition affects the capital, Kabul, as well as all provinces, and provides salons around the country a month’s notice to close their doors.
They must close after that period and give a report on their closure. The letter does not state why the ban was imposed. Its publication comes only days after Akhundzada stated that his government had made the necessary steps to improve the lives of Afghan women. Despite initial promises of a more moderate reign than during their previous tenure in power in the 1990s, the Taliban have imposed harsh restrictions on Afghanistan since capturing control in August 2021, as US and NATO soldiers were withdrawing.
They have excluded women from public venues such as parks and gyms, and have restricted media freedoms. The actions have sparked a harsh international backlash, further isolating the country at a time when its economy is collapsing — and have exacerbated a humanitarian crisis.
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