The Taliban government in Afghanistan has recently implemented new laws aimed at promoting ‘virtue’ by banning women’s voices and faces in public.
Following the establishment of a ministry for the ‘prevention of vice’ after the group seized power in 2021, the government has introduced strict rules governing various aspects of daily life, including public transport, music, shaving, and celebrations.
According to the 114-page vice and virtue rulebook published by officials, women are required to cover their bodies in public, with face coverings mandated to ‘avoid temptation and tempting others’.
The laws, approved by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, stipulate that women must avoid wearing clothing that is thin, tight, or short, failure to comply with which could lead to arrest.
Additionally, the legislation prohibits women from singing, reciting poetry, or reading aloud in public, as a woman’s voice is considered intimate and should not be heard.
The law also dictates that women should not look at men who are not related to them by blood or marriage, and vice versa.
Furthermore, restrictions are placed on music, with women prohibited from traveling alone and men and women forbidden from socializing together unless they are related.These new regulations have raised concerns internationally, with a recent report by the United Nations highlighting the climate of fear instilled among Afghans due to the ministry’s activities.
Fiona Frazer, head of the human rights service at the UN mission in Afghanistan, expressed significant concern over the expanding oversight by the de facto authorities, particularly emphasizing the implications for the rights and freedoms of Afghan women and girls.
