Security officials in Kabul resorted to shooting into the air and using fire hoses on Wednesday July 19, to disperse a group of Afghan women who were protesting against a Taliban directive to close down beauty parlors. This move by the authorities is the latest in a series of measures aimed at restricting women’s presence in public life.
Security officials shot into the air and used fire hoses to disperse dozens of Afghan women protesting in Kabul Wednesday against an order by Taliban authorities to shut down beauty parlors, the latest curb to squeeze them out of public life.
Since seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban government has barred girls and women from high schools and universities, banned them from parks, funfairs and gyms, and ordered them to cover up in public.
The order issued last month forces the closure of thousands of beauty parlors nationwide run by women, often the only source of income for households, and outlaws one of the few remaining opportunities for them to socialize away from home.
Public protests are rare in Afghanistan, and frequently dispersed by force, but AFP saw around 50 women taking part in Wednesday’s gathering, quickly attracting the attention of security personnel.
Protesters later shared videos and photos with journalists that showed authorities using a fire hose to disperse them, as shots could be heard in the background.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemned the protest breakup.
A copy of the order seen by AFP said it was “based on verbal instruction from the supreme leader” Hibatullah Akhundzada.
Beauty parlors mushroomed across Kabul and other Afghan cities in the 20 years that United States-led forces occupied the country.
They were seen as a safe place to gather and socialize away from men and provided vital business opportunities for women.
Khalil Wakim, with AFP