Taliban ban beauty salons for women in Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan – The Taliban-led Afghan interim government has banned beauty salons for women in Afghanistan.
The move is the latest in a series of restrictions on women’s rights and freedoms since the group took power in August 2021.
A June 24 letter from the Taliban-led Ministry of Virtue and Morality said the ban was issued on verbal orders from the Taliban’s supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhunzada.
It gives beauty salons across the country one month to close their stores and submit a report on their closure.
The letter does not give a reason for the ban.
However, it comes days after Akhunzada said his government had taken the necessary steps to improve the lives of women in Afghanistan.
In recent months, the Taliban has banned women from attending school, working in most government jobs, and traveling without a male escort.
These restrictions have sparked an international outcry and increased the country’s isolation.
Beauty salons in the country used to provide important services to prospective brides and other women.
The ban makes it even more difficult for women in Afghanistan to maintain their appearance.
Human rights activists are demanding that the international community continue to pressure the Taliban to lift these restrictions.