Some female beauticians in Kabul say the Taliban have appointed “women spies” to monitor their work and gather information on their income, operations, and professional relationships.
The women, speaking anonymously to Amu TV, said individuals posing as clients visit salons under various pretexts to collect details and report them to Taliban authorities.
“This new tactic by the Taliban truly worries us,” said one beautician, whose voice was altered for safety reasons. “They come into salons disguised as women and ask questions about how we work, how much we earn, and what kind of services we offer.”
Several beauticians said that in addition to surveillance, the Taliban have demanded bribes in some cases, threatening to shut down their operations if they do not comply.
“In addition to arrests, restrictions, and imprisoning female beauticians, they also ask us for money to continue our work,” one woman said.
The Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, and the police in Kabul, did not respond to requests for comment.
Some citizens have also expressed growing alarm over the Taliban’s ongoing restrictions on women’s employment, education, and mobility.
“The Taliban have made life unbearable for us,” a Kabul resident said. “We’re afraid to go to the market or even to the hospital without a male escort.”
In recent months, the Taliban have shut down dozens of home-based beauty salons in Kabul. Beauticians say authorities confiscated their tools and required their families to sign written pledges preventing further work.
