DIKSIA.COM - The Taliban have ordered hair and beauty salons in Afghanistan to close.

A spokesman for the local ministry said the Taliban had given beauty salon companies a month to close their shops.

That's since July 2, 2023, when the Taliban first announced the move.

The proportion of women in the Taliban has reportedly declined since the Taliban took power in 2021.

In addition to salons, the Taliban have previously banned girls and women from actively attending educational institutions, gyms and parks, and recently even banned them from working for the United Nations.

The Taliban have also decreed that women wear a veil, show only their eyes and be accompanied by a male relative when traveling more than 72 km (48 miles).

According to the BBC, the ban continued despite international condemnation and protests from women activists.

Responding to the order to close the salon, one Afghan woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said:

“The Taliban have deprived Afghan women of their most basic human rights.”

“They violate women's rights. When I heard the news of this decision, I was really surprised.”

“It seems that the Taliban have no other political plan than to focus on women's bodies. They are trying to eliminate women from all levels of public life.”

As already known, beauty salons remain open even after the Taliban took power two years ago after the withdrawal of the US military.

But salon windows are often covered and pictures of women outside are sprayed on to hide the women's faces.

And so far, the Taliban government has not explained the reason for the ban, nor what alternatives, if any, are available to women when the salons are closed.

Citing Sky News, the Taliban ordered gender segregation of classrooms at universities in August 2021.

Unlike girls, boys are allowed to go back to school a few months later in September.

And in May last year, Afghan women were also ordered to wear full body coverings in public.

On the other hand, the Taliban previously said they had promised to respect women's rights in Islamic law and Afghan customs.