KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Taliban authorities in Afghanistan’s central Daykundi province have mandated that women and girls wear Arabic-style hijabs outside their homes, warning of punishment and detention for non-compliance.
Local sources told KabulNow that the Taliban’s Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Daykundi announced the new restriction through notices distributed in the provincial capital, Nili.
“Women are prohibited from leaving home without wearing an Arabic and Islamic hijab. They must keep their hijab on in markets, educational centers, and other public places,” reads part of the Taliban announcement obtained by KabulNow.
“Starting Friday, July 5, any woman seen outside her home without the mandated dress code will face punishment and imprisonment,” the announcement adds.
Similar reports have previously emerged from the province, detailing instances where Taliban authorities insulted, humiliated, and in some cases detained women and girls for not covering their faces.
In May 2022, the Taliban announced that women and girls should remain indoors, and if they choose to go out, they must wear loose clothing covering their entire bodies, revealing only their eyes, and be chaperoned by a male guardian.
Since then, the regime has detained dozens of women and girls in Kabul and many other major cities for violating the mandated dress code. The Taliban reportedly releases the women after speaking with their families and securing a guarantee that they will adhere to the dress code.
Following the detention of women in Kabul for violating the dress code, Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, expressed his concern about the situation.
He emphasized that these actions signify further restrictions on women’s freedom of expression and undermine their rights. Bennett called on the Taliban to stop the crackdown and release the detained women immediately and unconditionally.
The Taliban, however, has been relentless in their expansion of restrictions against women and girls. They claim that their actions align with Islamic laws and Afghan customs, arguing that human rights and freedom of choice are Western concepts that conflict with Islamic principles.
