Beauty salons in Afghanistan have one month to shut shop (Photo: Getty Image)
Metropolis Desk-
In the most recent limitation imposed on women, the Taliban ordered the closure of hair and beauty facilities in Afghanistan.
Businesses were given one month to comply with the directive, beginning on July 2, when they were initially informed of it, a Vice and Virtue Ministry official told.
Since the Taliban assumed power in 2021, women’s freedoms have gradually decreased.
Teenage girls and women have been prohibited from using public spaces including gyms, parks, and classrooms; most recently, they have even been prohibited from working for the UN.
In addition, according to the Taliban, women must travel with a male relative if the distance is greater than 72 kilometers (48 miles) and must wear clothing that only exposes their eyes.
International outrage, demonstrations by women, and advocacy on their behalf by campaigners have not stopped the limitations.
The Taliban, who were last in power from 1996 to 2001, implemented a wide range of measures, including closing beauty salons. But in the years following the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, they reopened.
An anonymous Afghan woman responded to the latest shutdown by telling the BBC that the Taliban were robbing Afghan women of their most fundamental human rights.
Women’s rights are being violated by them. They are currently preventing women from serving other women as a result of their decision. I was stunned beyond belief when I learned the news.
“It appears that the Taliban’s only political strategy is to concentrate on the physical attributes of women. At every level of public life, they’re attempting to eradicate women.
Even when the Taliban retook power two years ago as a result of the withdrawal of US soldiers, beauty parlors continued to operate. However, shop windows were frequently covered, and pictures of women outside of salons were spray painted with faces obscured.
The Taliban leadership has not stated why the ban was implemented or what, if any, alternatives women would have once the salons closed.
Another Afghan woman, who wished to remain unnamed, reported that hair salons in Kabul and other cities had indeed closed, according to her friends. She told the BBC, “It’s more shocking news for Afghan women.” The salons in my neighborhood were all closed when I walked outside.
Source- BBC News
