Thousands of beauty salons in Afghanistan were forced to close permanently on Tuesday after Taliban officials issued an order that cut off one of the few economic streams available to women and a much-loved social area.
Since assuming power in August 2021, the Taliban administration has outlawed girls and women from attending high schools, universities, parks, funfairs, and gyms. It has required them to cover up in public.
However, an order issued last month requires the closure of thousands of salons managed by women around the country, which are frequently the only source of income for homes and one of the few remaining venues for them to assemble away from home.
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A salon customer identified as Bahara lamented that they used to go to the salon to discuss our future together.
"Women are not permitted to enter entertainment establishments, so what can we do?" Where can we go to have a good time? "Where can we get together to meet?"
Last week, security officers in the city fired into the air and used fire hoses to disperse hundreds of women protesting the order.
On Tuesday, several Kabul salons had already closed, while others remained open until the last moment.
One salon owner stated that she was compelled to sign a letter stating that she was freely closing her business and would hand over the keys.
The forced closures were announced in June by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, with a grace period to allow the stock to be used up.
The ministry said excessive makeover costs harmed poor families, and some salon treatments were un-Islamic.
Too much make-up hindered women from performing adequate ablutions for prayer, and eyelash extensions and hair weaving were also prohibited, according to the statement.
According to the Afghanistan Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the ban on beauty parlours will cause another 60,000 women to lose their income from working at one of the country's 12,000 salons.
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