Taliban imposes new restrictions on women, bans them from speaking in public

With the enactment of new laws on “vices and virtues” by a government ministry that restrict women’s voices and open faces in public life, women’s lives in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan may become even more limited, Global News reports. Has gone.

The Ministry of “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Evil”, which was established after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021, issued the law on Wednesday.

That was the year troops from the United States and other Western countries, including Canada, left the country, leaving a power vacuum that was quickly filled by the militant group.

According to The Associated Press, which reviewed the 114-page document, the new rules cover many aspects of daily public life. This is the first official statement of “decent law” in Afghanistan since the takeover.

“Inshallah, we assure you that this Islamic law will greatly help in promoting virtues and eliminating vices,” said ministry spokesman Maulvi Abdul Ghafar Farooq on Thursday. The previous day, supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada had supported the laws.

Article 13 of the document addresses women, detailing how they should dress and behave in public.

Women are now required to cover their entire body, including their face, in public places to avoid temptation and to avoid tempting others. As a result, the commonly worn hijab, which covers only the hair and neck without covering the face, is no longer considered acceptable, Global News reports.

Women are now banned from singing, reciting, or reading aloud in public, as a woman’s voice is considered “intimate” and should not be heard. It is not clear whether speaking is also prohibited or not.

Additionally, the law states that women are not allowed to look at men who are not related to them by blood or marriage, and vice versa.

Violation of these rules may result in warning, confiscation of property or detention for up to three days. The ministry already enforces similar ethics standards and has detained thousands of people for reported violations.

Heather Barr, associate director of the women’s rights division at Human Rights Watch, commented, “Many of these rules already existed but were less formalized and are now being formalized. I think it’s indicative of what we’ve been seeing over the last three years, which is a steady and gradual increase in action.

These new laws follow the Taliban imposing severe restrictions on women’s freedom since their takeover. In 2022, the group banned women from attending school after the sixth grade, whereas previously, women were allowed to attend high schools and universities.

An Afghan woman who was just a year away from completing her law degree told Global News last year that she “couldn’t speak for a few minutes” when she learned she would have to abandon her education.

he/she said, “Home is like a prison for us and we will fight until we legitimize our basic human rights without any discrimination.”

In 2022, the Taliban also banned women from working in non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Another woman who spoke to Global News said her family was plunged into poverty after she lost her job at an NGO.

“I am the breadwinner of my family. There are only four people in my family: me, my sister and my parents. My father is ill now. There is nothing in our kitchen for dinner or night preparation,” she said. “It is very difficult for me. I don’t know how I can continue my life.”

In addition to the new restrictions on women, the laws passed on Wednesday also ban playing music, bar men from shaving their beards and require prayers and religious fasting.

The law states that drivers must not transport women without a male guardian, and both passengers and drivers are required to pray at specified times.

Media in Afghanistan are now required to follow Sharia law, which bans the publication of images of living beings in accordance with the Islamic prohibition against idolatry.

A UN report last month indicated that the ministry was creating a climate of fear and intimidation among Afghans through its orders and enforcement methods.

Fiona Fraser, head of the human rights service at the UN Mission in Afghanistan, said, “Given the many issues outlined in the report, the position expressed by de facto officials that these inspections will increase and expand causes significant concern for all Afghans, particularly Women and girls.”

The Taliban rejected the UN report.