Taliban Restricts Afghan Women's Public Presence

The Taliban have introduced a new decree further restricting Afghan women's freedoms by prohibiting them from allowing their voices to be heard by other women, particularly during prayers. This measure, announced by Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban minister for virtue, is part of a series of oppressive laws aimed at minimizing women's public presence and social interactions. The new ruling considers a woman's voice as 'awrah,' or intimate, thus reinforcing the ban on women speaking or singing aloud in public. Afghan women, including healthcare workers, face severe limitations, as they are also forbidden from discussing medical matters with male relatives and speaking at checkpoints. Activists and experts express concern over these misogynistic policies, which hinder women’s ability to work, seek healthcare, and provide for their families. Since the Taliban regained control in 2021, they have consistently imposed extreme restrictions on women under the guise of Islamic law, prompting fears of increased gender-based repression.