The Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Afghanistan announced that the Taliban administration has ordered the closure of beauty salons within a month, marking the latest restrictions on Afghan women's access to public spaces.
Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Sadiq Akef stated today, Tuesday, that "the deadline for closing women's beauty salons is one month."
Foreign governments and United Nations officials have condemned the increasing constraints on women since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, following the defeat of the U.S.-backed government and the withdrawal of foreign troops.
Last year, authorities closed most higher education schools for girls, prohibited women from attending university, and barred many Afghan female aid workers from working. Many public places, including bathrooms, gyms, and parks, also closed their doors to women.
Beauty salons emerged in Kabul and other Afghan cities in the months following the Taliban's ousting in late 2001, just weeks after the September 11 attacks on the United States.
Many of these establishments continued to operate after the Islamists regained power two years ago, although their signs and windows were covered, providing some women with access to beauty services and jobs within those salons.
Western governments and international organizations have noted that the restrictions on women hinder any potential progress toward international recognition of the Taliban administration.
The administration claims to respect women's rights according to its interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan customs.
