The leadership of the Taliban movement, which remains banned in Russia, has not moved to shut beauty salons for women across Afghanistan. Mohammad Sohail Shaheen, who oversees the Taliban political office in Doha, told reporters on Tuesday that recent press reports alleging such closures are false. He stated clearly that the relevant authorities reject the claims. (attribution: Reuters)
According to Al-Arabiya TV and its cited sources, the Taliban leadership issued a demand to close women’s beauty salons within ten days, a directive reportedly communicated on Tuesday, January 10. The same reports claimed that women would also be barred from working in shopping malls from that point forward. (attribution: Al-Arabiya, via Reuters reporting)
Afghanistan has seen a tightening of gender-based restrictions since the Taliban took control in 2021. Public life for women has been altered in multiple ways, including dress codes for presenters and the prohibition on broadcasting films and programs featuring female actors. These measures have had wide-reaching consequences for media, culture, and everyday life. (attribution: United Nations and media monitoring sources)
In December 2022, the government halted university classes for girls and restricted access to higher education for women. Many women, including educators, were unable to continue teaching or pursuing studies, and some were compelled to leave national and international non-governmental organizations. The impact of these policies has been felt across education, employment, and civil society. (attribution: UN agencies and NGO observers)
There has been insistence from some international bodies that the Taliban should permit women to work in NGOs and participate in social development work, but progress on this front has remained contested and inconsistent, with frequent disputes over what constitutes permissible employment for women. (attribution: statements from UN agencies and international observers)