Taliban imposes ban on women speaking publicly

Kabul, Aug 29:  In a disturbing escalation of its oppressive policies, the Taliban has enacted a series of new laws that severely restrict the rights of women in Afghanistan. The new regulations, which were recently approved by Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, impose strict measures requiring women to completely veil their bodies, including their faces, when in public. Furthermore, these laws forbid women from speaking or being heard outside their homes, a move that has been widely condemned by the United Nations and human rights organizations.

Under the newly introduced “vice and virtue” laws, women are mandated to conceal their entire bodies and faces with thick clothing to avoid “leading men into temptation.” Additionally, women’s voices are deemed potential instruments of vice and are thus prohibited from being heard in public spaces. Women are also barred from singing or reading aloud, even within the confines of their own homes. The laws stipulate, “Whenever an adult woman leaves her home out of necessity, she is obliged to conceal her voice, face, and body.”

The new restrictions also impose dress codes on men, who must cover their bodies from the navel to the knees while outside. Women are forbidden from making eye contact with men who are not related to them, and taxi drivers face penalties for transporting unaccompanied women.

Violations of these laws could lead to detention and punishment by Taliban officials. The international community has reacted with horror, with Roza Otunbayeva, the UN’s special representative for Afghanistan, condemning the measures as an extension of the already severe restrictions imposed on Afghan women and girls. Otunbayeva described the laws as a “distressing vision” of Afghanistan’s future, highlighting the arbitrary nature of the new rules and the broad, often vague, criteria for enforcement.

Mir Abdul Wahid Sadat, president of the Afghan Lawyers Association, criticized the laws for their legal inconsistencies. “This document faces serious legal issues,” Sadat stated. “It contradicts the fundamental principles of Islam, which do not promote virtue through force or tyranny, and it breaches Afghanistan’s domestic laws and international human rights obligations.”

Fawzia Koofi, a prominent Afghan human rights activist and former vice-president of the Afghan parliament, decried the global response to the Taliban’s actions. “The international community’s minimal reaction to these oppressive laws emboldens the Taliban,” Koofi said. “This is not just an attack on women but on all humanity. The world must hold the Taliban accountable for these human rights violations.”

Shukria Barakzai, a former Afghan parliamentarian and ex-ambassador to Norway, echoed concerns about the international community’s stance. She criticized international organizations, including the United Nations and the European Union, for their perceived normalization of relations with the Taliban, which she believes contributes to the perpetuation of these inhumane practices.

Since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, Afghanistan has seen an erosion of women’s rights and freedoms. Women and girls have been barred from secondary education, excluded from nearly all forms of paid employment, and restricted from accessing public spaces such as parks and gyms. Earlier this year, the Taliban reintroduced public flogging and stoning for women accused of adultery.