Afghanistan's Taliban rulers, in their latest trampling of women's rights, have ordered the closure of beauty salons across the nation, eliminating one of the last means Afghan women had of earning income and finding social engagement,
CBS News reports.
Under guidance issued by the de facto Taliban government's supreme leader, "women's beauty salons in Kabul and provinces should be given a month to shut their business activities, and their licenses and contracts will be invalid at the end of the specified period," according to a statement from the Taliban's Ministry of Vice and Virtue, which is responsible for enforcing the group's strict draconian interpretation of Islamic law.
Akif Muhajir, a spokesman for the ministry, sent CBS News a copy of the decree but did not provide any information on why the ban was issued, explaining simply that the "verbal decree has come from the supreme leader."
Beauty salons were one of the few remaining sources of income for Afghan women supporting themselves and their families. The Taliban has issued a series of formal decrees since it retook power over the country in August 2021 severely restricting women's rights to work, go to school and even leave their homes unaccompanied by men.
Already barred and ousted from virtually all other professions over the last 22 months, women will now lose salons as a bastion of employment.
Mena, who owns three beauty salons and employees almost 50 women at them, told CBS News she was bewildered, saddened and left deeply uncertain about the future by the Taliban's announcement.
She said she had dedicated her entire life to building and nurturing her business.
"Work at beauty salons remained the sole choice for Afghan women and their only glimmer of hope for a livelihood within this country," said Mena. "Every single one of my employees serves as the primary provider for their families, and since the announcement was made, I see them finding a corner and shedding tears of distress."
CBS News is using pseudonyms at the request of Mena and other interviewees to protect their identities and avoid possible retribution by the Taliban.
