In Afghanistan, the Taliban have banned beauty salons, the Ministry of Morality reported, in the latest reduction in Afghan women’s access to public places.
The deadline for the closure of salons Beauty for Afghans is one month, according to Mohammad Sadiq Akif, spokesman for the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Propagation of Virtue.
Foreign governments and UN officials have condemned increasing restrictions on women since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 after defeating a US-backed government as foreign forces withdrew.
Last year, authorities closed most women’s schools and barred Afghan women from the university.
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Bathrooms, gyms, parks… closed to Afghans
Many public places, such as bathrooms , gyms and parks, have been closed to women.
Beauty salons sprang up in Kabul and other Afghan cities in the months after the Taliban were ousted from power in late 2001, weeks after the 9/11 attacks in the US years, giving work to some women and services to their clients.
The salons are usually for women only and have the windows covered so that the clients cannot be seen from outside.*100024 *
Western governments and international organizations have pointed out that the restrictions placed on women hinder any possible progress towards international recognition of the Taliban administration.
The Taliban say they respect women’s rights accordance with their interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan customs. (Reuters)
