By The Taliban has introduced new regulations severely restricting women’s public activities in Afghanistan. Approved by Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, these laws impose strict controls on various aspects of daily life, including public transportation, music, and personal conduct.
Under the new rules, detailed in Article 13, women must fully veil themselves in public. This includes covering their faces to avoid temptation and wearing non-revealing clothing. Women are also prohibited from singing, reciting, or reading aloud in public, as their voices are considered intimate and should not be heard by non-related men or women. Additionally, women are forbidden from making eye contact with men outside their immediate family.
Ministry spokesman Maulvi Abdul Ghafar Farooq stated that these measures aim to promote virtue and eliminate vice. The new laws represent the first formal implementation of vice and virtue regulations since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, which established a ministry dedicated to these principles.
The laws also ban the publication of images of living beings, restrict the playing of music, and regulate the transportation of solo female travelers. They require public prayers at designated times and prohibit the mixing of unrelated men and women. The ministry will enforce these regulations with warnings and potential arrests for violations.
The Taliban’s vice and virtue ministry has been criticized by the U.N. for contributing to a climate of fear and intimidation. A recent U.N. report expressed concerns about the ministry’s expanding role in monitoring media and enforcing public conduct, which could further affect Afghan women and girls.
This development underscores ongoing international concerns about the impact of Taliban policies on personal freedoms and human rights in Afghanistan.
