The Taliban have enforced a ban on windows in residential buildings to prevent women from being seen while at home in Afghanistan.
Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s leader, has instructed that buildings must not have windows facing areas where women might be sitting or standing.
The decree, posted by government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, mandates that new buildings should not have windows overlooking areas such as “the courtyard, kitchen, neighbor’s well, and other places commonly used by women,” according to AFP.
“Seeing women working in kitchens, courtyards, or collecting water from wells could lead to inappropriate behavior,” the decree claims.
Human Rights Watch’s Heather Barr commented, “They are not only stopping women from being seen; they are stopping women from seeing the world.”
The decree further states that owners of properties with windows not adhering to the new regulations will be encouraged to either build a wall or block the view “to prevent disturbances to neighbors.”
Barr added, “While people have often spoken about the Taliban metaphorically erasing women, this is becoming increasingly literal.”
“They have already banned women’s voices from being heard in public, and now they are essentially preventing women from even looking out of a window,” said Heather Barr of Human Rights Watch.
“They are stopping women from being seen. They are stopping women from seeing the world. It’s a complete erasure of women’s personhood, and it’s clear this is still ongoing. We have no way of knowing where this will end.”
Since taking control of Afghanistan following the 2021 withdrawal of US and British forces, the Taliban, a hardline Islamist group, has prohibited women from working, receiving an education, participating in public life, and engaging in any sports.
Under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, women are currently banned from visiting salons, working out at gyms, and even speaking or praying in public.
Within a month of taking control of Kabul, the Taliban’s Ministry of Education imposed a ban on girls and women attending schools. The restrictions were later extended, preventing girls from studying beyond the sixth grade, and in December 2022, the ban was expanded to include colleges and universities.
The window ban coincides with the Taliban’s announcement that all national and foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Afghanistan employing women will be shut down.
This move comes two years after the Taliban ordered NGOs to suspend the employment of Afghan women, claiming it was due to women not wearing the Islamic headscarf properly.
In a letter posted on X on Sunday night, the Ministry of Economy warned that NGOs failing to comply with the latest directive would face the revocation of their licenses to operate in Afghanistan.
The United Nations stated that the status of women in Afghan society has significantly diminished over the past two years and reiterated its call for the Taliban to reverse these restrictions.
UN associate spokesperson Florencia Soto Nino-Martinez emphasized, “This has a profound impact on our ability to deliver lifesaving humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan.”
“We are deeply concerned that we are talking about a country where half of the population’s rights are being denied, and many are living in poverty. Not only women, but countless others are facing a humanitarian crisis,” said the UN.
The Ministry of Economy stated that it is responsible for registering, coordinating, overseeing, and supervising the activities of both national and foreign organizations.
This marks the Taliban’s latest effort to control or interfere with NGO operations.
Earlier this month, the UN Security Council reported that an increasing number of female Afghan humanitarian workers are being prevented from performing their duties, even as humanitarian aid remains critical.
Tom Fletcher, a senior UN official, noted that the number of humanitarian organizations reporting that their staff—both male and female—were stopped by the Taliban’s morality police has also risen.
The Taliban have denied allegations that they are hindering aid organizations or interfering with their work.
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