KABUL, Afghanistan — Many female beauticians in Afghanistan, driven underground by Taliban restrictions, say their lives have become a form of imprisonment, with no escape.
These women, who continue their work in secret, say they do so out of sheer necessity to provide for their families. They are now calling on the international community not to stand by and watch as the Taliban enforce discriminatory policies against Afghan women and girls.
One such beautician, who defied the Taliban’s edicts, invested more than 300,000 afghanis in her salon, only to have it shut down by the authorities.
Yalda, another beautician, works in hiding, risking her life to support her family of eight. “Some women, like myself, are still working secretly, but we live in constant fear that the Taliban will discover us, arrest us, and throw us in prison,” she said. “The threats are real, and the government rules by force and intimidation. We urge the international community not to recognize the Taliban.”
The stories of these women are filled with fear and anxiety.
Raha, another beautician, added, “The Taliban’s focus is solely on restricting women, particularly those who work outside the home. They have imposed severe limitations on women who are just trying to earn an honest living.”
Maryam, a resident of Kabul, criticized the Taliban’s decree, calling it unjust. “The order to close salons is unfair. Men don’t enter these places, so there is no reason to shut them down. We struggled to find a place to work, and now they’ve taken that away from us.”
According to the National Union of Beauticians, 12,000 salons have been closed since the Taliban’s ban on women’s beauty parlors took effect, leaving thousands of female beauticians unemployed.
The Taliban banned the operation of women’s salons on July 25, 2023, by decree from their leader.
The latest enforcement of Taliban policies, including the closure of beauty salons, has sparked widespread backlash.
