Taliban Enforces New Laws Banning Women’s Voices and Faces in Public

The Taliban government in Afghanistan has introduced new laws that ban women’s voices and faces in public as part of an effort to promote ‘virtue’ in the country, according to the Associated Press.

Since taking control of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces in 2021, the Taliban established a Ministry for the Prevention of Vice. On Wednesday, officials released a 114-page rulebook detailing these new regulations, which cover various aspects of daily life, including public transport, music, grooming, and celebrations.

Approved by the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, the new laws mandate that women must cover their bodies fully in public, with face coverings being compulsory to ‘avoid temptation and tempting others.’ The rules stipulate that clothing should not be thin, tight, or short, and violations could lead to arrest.

In addition, the regulations prohibit women from singing, reciting poetry, or reading aloud in public, as their voices are considered too intimate to be heard by others. The laws also restrict women from making eye contact with men who are not their relatives, and vice versa.

Other prohibitions include a ban on music, women traveling alone, and men and women socializing together unless they are closely related by blood or marriage.

A recent report from the United Nations highlighted the impact of these laws, stating that the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice is contributing to a climate of fear among Afghans. Fiona Frazer, head of the human rights service at the UN mission in Afghanistan, expressed deep concern, noting, “The position expressed by the de facto authorities that this oversight will be increasing and expanding gives cause for significant concern for all Afghans, especially women and girls.”