Afghan women are increasingly being excluded from public life under the Taliban’s rule. The latest decree from the regime’s supreme leader mandates that windows overlooking spaces traditionally occupied by women in their homes must be obscured, further restricting their visibility.
The measure was justified in a statement issued by the Taliban government on Saturday. It claims that observing women in areas such as kitchens, courtyards, or at water wells could lead to what it described as “obscene actions.” Consequently, new buildings are now prohibited from having windows that offer views of these spaces. Local authorities are instructed to inspect construction sites to ensure compliance, and property owners are required to block or obscure existing windows that offer such views.
Systematic Restrictions on Afghan Women
The Taliban’s ban on windows overlooking women’s living spaces is just one example of a broader effort to erase women from public and private life in Afghanistan. Since regaining power in August 2021, the regime has introduced an extensive array of prohibitions targeting women’s education, employment, mobility, and personal freedoms. These measures reflect the Taliban’s goal of confining women entirely to the domestic sphere, with strict behavioural codes enforced under their interpretation of Islamic law.
Under Taliban decrees, Afghan women are forbidden to:
- Attend high school or university, effectively cutting off access to higher education.
- Work in the civil service, excluding them from contributing to governance or public administration.
- Participate in protests, silencing their voices in any form of civil dissent.
- Travel abroad, restricting opportunities for personal or professional growth outside the country.
- Drive a car or travel alone, eliminating their independence in mobility.
- Ride in a taxi without a male companion, further limiting their ability to move freely.
- Speak in public or even loudly within their homes, stifling self-expression.
- Sing, recite poetry, or read the Quran aloud in public, restricting cultural and religious participation.
- Speak to male doctors, complicating access to healthcare.
- Play sports, visit gyms, or enter parks, excluding them from physical activities and recreation.
- Wear bright clothing or high heels, forcing them to adopt drab and muted attire.
- Look at men they do not know or show their faces in public, erasing their visibility entirely.
- Own a smartphone, cutting off access to communication and information.
These restrictions are far-reaching, impacting nearly every aspect of a woman’s life. By denying access to education and employment, the Taliban have removed opportunities for women to contribute to Afghan society and achieve economic independence. Limitations on mobility, speech, and appearance reinforce their isolation, creating a system that marginalises women not only in public life but also within their own communities.
The prohibition on engaging with male doctors has particularly severe consequences, as it limits women’s access to healthcare in a system already struggling with shortages of female medical professionals. Similarly, bans on activities like visiting parks or gyms deprive women of spaces for social interaction and personal well-being.
This systematic erosion of freedoms is aimed at enforcing total control over women, with the Taliban using religious and cultural justifications to normalise these practices. Critics argue that these measures not only violate fundamental human rights but also dismantle the social and economic fabric of Afghanistan by sidelining half the population. The Taliban’s approach has drawn widespread condemnation from the international community, but so far, calls for change have yielded little progress.
For Afghan women, these prohibitions represent a stark reality where daily life is dominated by restrictions, isolation, and fear of punishment for even minor infractions. This comprehensive campaign of exclusion continues to deepen the divide between Afghanistan and the global community, further isolating the nation as it sinks further into systemic subjugation of women.
A Form of Gender Apartheid
The United Nations and human rights organisations have characterised the Taliban’s policies as a form of “gender apartheid.” These measures isolate women, rendering them invisible and powerless within Afghan society. By banning women from public spaces and activities, the regime severely limits their ability to contribute to the country’s social and economic development.
The Taliban’s actions have also sparked international condemnation. Advocacy groups argue that such extreme restrictions violate universal human rights standards, while the international community continues to call for the restoration of women’s rights in Afghanistan.
Impacts on Afghan Society
The Taliban’s policies not only violate women’s rights but also harm Afghan society as a whole. Preventing women from accessing education, jobs, and public spaces weakens the country’s workforce, slows development, and worsens existing economic and social problems. Practical measures like the window ban also create extra costs for homeowners, who are forced to modify their properties to comply with the new rules.
For Afghan women, these restrictions are even more damaging. They are effectively cut off from the outside world, unable to express themselves or pursue opportunities for personal growth. This enforced isolation further limits their role in society.
Reversing Two Decades of Progress
Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban have reversed much of the progress Afghan women achieved in the previous two decades. Women had made strides in education, employment, and public life, but those advances have been erased. Today, Afghan women have fewer rights than almost anywhere else in the world.
The new decree, which targets women’s visibility even within their homes, highlights the Taliban’s determination to enforce its strict ideology. With each new restriction, the country moves further from gender equality and inclusivity.
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