Taliban imposes ban on hair and beauty salons in Afghanistan

Taliban has ordered to shut the hair and beauty salons in Afghanistan as one of the many atrocities against women. A Vice and Virtue Ministry representative has told BBC that the shop owners and respective businesses have one month to obey the orders starting from the 2^nd of July when they were informed about this imposition.

Women’s rights drastically degraded since 2021, when the Taliban come into power. They are barred from the basic right to education, while teenage girls cannot even pursue primary education. Taliban has even restricted Afghan women from going to gyms and parks and has even ordered a ban on working with the United Nations.

The Taliban government has even pronounced a law, that women should be fully dressed and only their eyes should be visible. And while going out, they must be accompanied by a male relative, if they traveling for more than 72km.

The discrimination has been going on brutally as women are helpless in this situation. Despite the commendation by the international officials and committee, the restrictions haven’t been withdrawn. Activists keep protesting for the rights of women and advocating their opinions but the atrocities haven’t come down as women are still buried alive at times due to minor misconceptions.

Shutting down salons is a part of the measure that they were trying to achieve back in 1996-2001 and after almost two decades they invaded Afghanistan again in 2021. Still, the US troops were there, even after the Taliban took over but shop windows used to be covered and women’s faces outside of salons were tainted black to hide their faces.

The Taliban government hasn’t made any announcement as to why they have introduced this order or what has prompted them to make this decision and also what alternatives will be made available to women if the salons are closed.