The Purple Saturdays Movement has denounced the Taliban’s new law on women’s behavior and dress, calling it a “serious violation of basic human rights and privacy.”
In a statement, the movement said the Taliban’s edict compels Afghan women to fully cover their bodies, including wearing the burqa (veil).
“This new Taliban decree is a direct attack on the freedoms that Afghan women have fought for over the past two decades,” the statement read.
According to the movement, since the Taliban’s return to power on August 15, 2021, women’s rights have been systematically curtailed, including restrictions on education, employment, and freedom of movement.
The movement has urged the international community and the United Nations to take immediate and decisive action against the Taliban regime.
“Failure to act will only embolden the Taliban to continue their repressive policies, further endangering the lives and freedoms of Afghan women,” the statement warned.
According to findings by Amu, the Taliban’s new edict bears similarities to the laws enforced by ISIS in Syria.
The Taliban’s law mandates that women be fully covered, including their faces, and prohibits them from speaking with or being seen by men. The Taliban have also imposed bans on shaving beards, playing music, and other activities, echoing the restrictions once imposed by ISIS in Syria.
