The supreme leader of the Taliban banned construction windows in residential places from where women can be seen, and recommends blocking those that already exist, to prevent “obscenity”. According to a statement published Saturday night by Zabihullah Mujahidthe spokesman for the Taliban government, new buildings built from that day on will not be able to have windows through which one can see “the courtyard, the kitchen, the common wells and other places that women usually use“.
“Seeing women working in kitchens, patios or drawing water from a well can generate obscene acts“continues the document distributed by Mujahid on the social network statement. In the event that windows already exist, the Taliban invites the owners to build a wall or obstruct viewsto “avoid causing inconvenience to neighbors” as indicated in the decree.
No parks or gyms
Since the return of the Taliban to control of the country in 2021, women have been progressively expelled from public spaces, something the United Nations described as “a gender apartheid”. Currently, Afghan women cannot go to parks, gyms, beauty centers, or leave their homes without a companion.
They are also not allowed to take secondary or higher educationand are forced to abandon their education after finishing primary school. A recent law prohibited women from singing or reciting poetry, in the interest of an ultra-conservative application of Islamic law, like many other Taliban directives.
This law encourages women to hide their voices and bodies outside their homes under a veil. Several radio and television stations stopped broadcasting female voices. The Taliban government assures that Islamic law “guarantees” the rights of Afghans.
