Vice and Virtue Ministry Confirms Taliban Ban on Women’s Beauty Salons

The Taliban in Afghanistan have implemented a ban on women’s beauty salons, according to an announcement by the Vice and Virtue Ministry on July 4, 2023.

This ban adds to the growing restrictions imposed on the rights and freedoms of Afghan women and girls, including limitations on education, public access, and employment opportunities.

Mohammad Sidik Akif Mahajar, spokesperson for the Taliban-run ministry, confirmed the ban mentioned in a letter circulating on social media but did not provide specific details.

The letter, issued by the ministry on June 24, conveys a verbal order from the supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada. The ban applies to beauty salons in the capital city of Kabul and all provinces, granting them a one-month notice to wind down their operations and submit a closure report. However, the reasons for the ban were not disclosed in the letter.

This ban comes shortly after Akhundzada claimed that his government had taken steps to improve women’s lives in Afghanistan. Despite initial promises of a more moderate approach compared to their previous rule in the 1990s, the Taliban have enforced strict measures since seizing control of Afghanistan in August 2021 during the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces. Women have been prohibited from public spaces, such as parks and gyms, and there has been a crackdown on media freedoms. These measures have sparked significant international criticism, further isolating the country while it grapples with a collapsed economy and a worsening humanitarian crisis.