On Sunday, the United Nations condemned new laws by the Afghan Ministry of Vice and Virtue that ban the public display of women’s faces and bodies, saying: “even the sound of a female voice“ outside the house constitutes a “moral offense” and could be grounds for arrest.
Since 2022, Afghan women have been barred from accessing education beyond the sixth grade and from working outside the home. They are now banned of singing, reciting and reading aloud in public. They are also not allowed to laugh very loudly, and their laughter should not be heard by men. Women must not look at men to whom they are not related by blood or marriage, and vice versa.
As for menThey must grow a beard, avoid western clothing and hairstyles, pray and observe religious fasts.
Violations of these rules can result in warnings, confiscation of property or detention for up to three days. The ministry has already arrested thousands for similar violations, but the new codification represents another crackdown that women say has made life in the country completely unbearable. Rosa Otunbayevathe UN envoy for Afghanistan, said it represented a “disturbing vision“ for the future of the country.
In response, Vice-Minister and Minister of Virtue Mohammed Khaled Hanafi claimed that the regulations protected women’s rights under Islamic law. We will monitor whether Otunbayeva’s report to the UN, scheduled for September 18makes a difference and whether the rest of the international community will join in condemnation – although serious action to support Afghan women and girls is unlikely.
