KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Taliban authorities in western Herat province have ordered taxi drivers not to pick up women who are not wearing burqas, a full-body covering with a face veil, according to a voice message obtained by KabulNow.
In the recording, Mawlawi Khalid, the Taliban district governor of Farsi in Herat, instructs local police to stop taxis carrying women without burqas, even if they are accompanied by a male guardian. He also directs local officials to enforce the order across the province and urges religious scholars to promote it during Friday sermons.
Local sources say Taliban forces have established multiple checkpoints across Herat city to monitor taxis and penalize drivers who transport women not wearing burqas.
The new order follows a recent tightening of restrictions on women’s dress in Herat. Last week, the Taliban barred women without burqas from entering shopping malls, government offices, and hospitals, with some women saying they were denied entry despite wearing headscarves and long coats.
Similar dress code measures have been implemented in many other provinces, including Kandahar and parts of Kabul.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women’s rights, banning most girls and women from secondary and higher education, limiting employment opportunities, restricting travel without a male guardian, and enforcing strict dress codes.
The policies have drawn criticism from human rights organizations, the United Nations, and foreign governments, but the Taliban have shown no indication of reversing them.
