Afghanistan women have taken to the street in Kabul Wednesday to protest against an order by Taliban authorities to shut down beauty parlours.
Since assuming control in August 2021, the Taliban regime has implemented restrictions on girls and women, including the denial of access to high schools and universities, prohibition from engaging in recreational activities in parks, funfairs, and gyms, and enforcement of public dress codes.
The recent order mandates the closure of numerous beauty parlours across the country, which are primarily operated by women. These establishments often serve as the sole means of income for households and also provide a rare opportunity for women to socialise outside their homes.
“Don’t take my bread and water,” read a sign carried by one of the protesters on Butcher Street, which boasts a concentration of the capital’s salons.
Public demonstrations are uncommon in Afghanistan and are frequently put down by force, but AFP reported that about 50 women participated in the demonstration on Wednesday, drawing the attention of security officers.
Later, while shots could be heard in the background, protesters exchanged footage and pictures with media that showed police using a firehose to scatter them.
“Today we arranged this protest to talk and negotiate,” said a salon worker, whose name has not been published by AFP for security reasons.
“But today, no one came to talk to us, to listen to us. They didn’t pay any attention to us and after a while they dispersed us by aerial firing and water cannon.”
The protest breakdown was criticised by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.
“Reports of the forceful suppression of a peaceful protest by women against the ban on beauty salons – the latest denial of women’s rights in #Afghanistan – are deeply concerning,” it said in a tweet.
“Afghans have the right to express views free from violence. De facto authorities must uphold this.”
