The new regulations say women must cover their faces, ideally wearing the traditional burqa, according to a statement from the General Administration of Public Administration.
If a woman doesn’t follow the rules, her “male guardian” is visited and counseled, and ultimately jailed and convicted. Women who work in government offices and do not comply with the new decree will be fired.
The Taliban have been criticized for restricting women’s rights and freedoms in various areas of public life.
“The Taliban can’t wipe us out, they can’t. This isn’t like the 1990s and earlier – they have to accept [women]. They have no choice,” said former Afghan politician and women’s rights activist Zarifa Ghafari told CNN last month.
In December, the Taliban banned women from marrying long road trips in Afghanistan on their own, require a male relative to accompany them for any distance in excess of 45 miles. The new regulations also urge drivers not to allow women without a veil to sit in their vehicles.
According to Mohammad Sadiq Hakif Mahajer, a spokesman for the Ministry of Ethics and Crime Prevention, these are meant to prevent women from coming in for any harm or “disruption”.
In November, the Taliban released guide for broadcasters banned all dramas, TV plays and entertainment shows featuring women. Female news presenters must now also wear headscarves on screen. These are the first restrictions of their kind for the country’s communications network.
And despite initial promises from the Taliban that women would uphold their right to education, All-girls high schools are closed on the morning of March they will open.
In January, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appeal to lead the Taliban to recognize and protect the basic human rights of women and girls. “No country can develop while denying the rights of half the population,” he said.
