In present-day Afghanistan, beauty salons for women no longer have a place. The decision was announced by the new Taliban vice ministry on Tuesday international news agencies Tuesday. Since the Taliban seized power in the country about two years ago, women and girls have been increasingly restricted in their freedom. Beauty salons were one of the few places where women were still allowed to work.
The beauty salons must close their doors within a month. That means thousands of Afghan women will lose their jobs as beauticians or make-up artists. Beauty salons opened after the Taliban were ousted in late 2001. When the Taliban seized power again, the signs and windows of the saloons were covered so that women could continue to work.
Although the Taliban pledged to respect women’s rights when they took power in 2021, women’s and girls’ access to public life is increasingly restricted. In December last year, women and girls were no longer allowed to work for NGOs. This led to acute problems, especially when those women were the breadwinners in the family. Last year, the Taliban also closed the doors of high schools and universities to girls and women. They were also no longer allowed to go to gyms and public parks.
After seizing power, the Taliban also abolished the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, which was set up to support women’s rights. The vice ministry, which enforces extreme Taliban regulations for women, took its place.