Tipsheet

New Taliban Law Bans Women From Speaking in Public

Madeline Leesman
Madeline Leesman  |  August 28, 2024 12:30 PM

New laws put into place by the Taliban bans women from showing their faces and speaking in public in Afghanistan. 

According to the Associated Press, the laws were issued Wednesday after they were approved by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. These laws are meant to “combat vice and promote virtue.”

These laws came into effect due to a ministry set up by the Taliban after taking over in 2021. 

Roza Otunbayeva, who heads the U.N. mission in the country, UNAMA, said Sunday that the laws provided a “distressing vision” for Afghanistan’s future.

“After decades of war and in the midst of a terrible humanitarian crisis, the Afghan people deserve much better than being threatened or jailed if they happen to be late for prayers, glance at a member of the opposite sex who is not a family member, or possess a photo of a loved one,” Otunbayeva reportedly said.

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Predictably, the Taliban brushed this off (via AP):

Zabihullah Mujahid, the main spokesman for the Taliban’s government, issued a statement warning against “arrogance” from those who he said may not be familiar with Islamic law, particularly non-Muslims who might express reservations or objections.

“We urge a thorough understanding of these laws and a respectful acknowledgment of Islamic values. To reject these laws without such understanding is, in our view, an expression of arrogance,” he said.

[...]

In response to the UNAMA statement, Mujahid added, “We must stress that the concerns raised by various parties will not sway the Islamic Emirate from its commitment to upholding and enforcing Islamic law.”

On X, the Embassy of Japanese in Afghanistan said, “We once again express our deep concern about the continuing restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan as announced in the PVPV law.”

“We will continue to urge the DFA, in coordination with the international community, to listen to the voice of Afghan women and girls for education, employment, and freedom of movement for the future of Afghanistan,” it added.