The Taliban’s Department of Vice and Virtue has prohibited female journalists in Daikundi province from working in local media outlets, sources told Amu TV.
On Tuesday, Taliban officials visited media organizations in the area and informed female reporters that, under new regulations issued by the department, women are no longer allowed to participate in media activities.
Media managers were also warned that hiring female employees would result in the closure of their outlets, sources said. In addition to restrictions on female journalists, the Taliban reportedly instructed male journalists to grow beards and avoid trimming them.
The new directive follows a broader set of oppressive restrictions targeting women in Afghanistan. Around two weeks ago, the Taliban introduced a law that bans women from raising their voices in public, with Article 13 of the law stating that women’s voices, whether through singing, poetry, or public speaking, are considered “awrah” (prohibited). This law also forbids the broadcast of images depicting living beings on media platforms.
The new regulations have sparked widespread international condemnation, with critics likening them to laws imposed by ISIS in Syria, where women were similarly forced to adhere to a strict dress code and forbidden from interacting with men outside their immediate families. Women in Afghanistan are now required to cover their entire bodies, including their faces, under these stringent rules.
The Taliban’s continued crackdown on women’s rights has drawn intense scrutiny from the international community, as it further erodes the presence of women in Afghan society.
