The Taliban have ordered the closure of beauty salons and hairdressers in Afghanistan, the latest restriction on women.

The spokesman for the Ministry for the Prevention of Immorality and the Promotion of Virtue told the BBC that such companies had one month to July 2ndwhen they were notified of the decision.

Women’s freedoms have been drastically curtailed since the Taliban seized power in 2021.

The Taliban have banned girls and women from classes, gyms and parks, and more recently banned them from working for the United Nations.

The group has also stipulated that women should dress so that only their eyes are visible and be accompanied by a male relative if they are traveling more than 70 kilometers.

The restrictions have continued despite international condemnation and protests from both women and activists speaking on their behalf.

“Basic Human Rights”

More and more restrictions are being imposed on women in Afghanistan. AFP

The closure of the beauty salons was part of a series of measures imposed by the Taliban when they were in power between 1996 and 2001.

But reopened in the years following the invasion of Afghanistan led by the United States.

With the Taliban back in power, they remained open, but the windows were often covered and the images of the women outside the corridors were covered in paint to hide their faces.

“The Taliban are depriving Afghan women of the most basic human rights,” an Afghan woman, on condition of anonymity, told the BBC after learning of the move.

“They violate women’s rights. With this decision, they are now depriving women of serving other women. When I heard the news, I was completely shocked.”

“It seems that the Taliban have no political plan other than to focus on women’s bodies. They try to remove women from all walks of life.”

“shocking news”

The Taliban government has not explained what led it to impose this restriction, or what options – if any – women will have when the salons close.

Another Afghan woman, who declined to be named, said her friends confirmed the closure of hair salons in Kabul and elsewhere.

“This is more shocking news for Afghan women,” she told the BBC. “I went outside and saw that all the salons in my city were already closed.”