16 hours ago
Last Updated:August 30, 2025, 20:00 IST
The Taliban has instructed community leaders and elders throughout the country to identify secret beauty salons and report their operators.
Since 2021, Taliban have implemented various restrictions on women (AFP image used for representation)
The Taliban has initiated a crackdown on underground beauty salons across Afghanistan, warning female owners to shut down their businesses or face arrest, according to a report by The Guardian.
While the beauty parlours in Afghanistan were ordered to be closed in 2023, some salons continued to operate secretly underground. The closure of beauty parlours was part of a broader campaign to enforce their interpretation of Islamic law.
The Taliban, since regaining control of Afghanistan in 2021, has implemented various restrictions on women, including limiting their access to education, work, and public spaces. Beauty parlours, which were popular for offering services such as haircuts, make-up, and other grooming treatments, were seen by the Taliban as contrary to their vision of Islamic principles.
According to the report by The Guardian, the Taliban have once again decided to impose restrictions on the underground businesses.
The Taliban has instructed community leaders and elders throughout the country to identify secret beauty salons and report their operators to the “vice and virtue" police.
Speaking to The Guardian, 38-year-old Frestha said, “When the Taliban closed our salons, I was the only breadwinner in my family; my husband was sick, and I had three children whose expenses I had to cover."
“When the Taliban closed our salons, I was the only breadwinner in my family; my husband was sick, and I had three children whose expenses I had to cover," she was quoted as saying.
“But also, I kept working because I feel so good when I can bring beauty back to a woman. When a woman looked at herself in the mirror and smiled, her happiness became my happiness.
“Now, I don’t think I can keep going because the risk is too high [but I don’t know any other work. Our situation is very bad, but in this world there is no one to hear our voice or support us," she added.
Anushka Vats is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for storytelling and a curiosity that extends beyond the newsroom. She covers both national and international news. For more stories, you can follow her...Read More
Anushka Vats is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for storytelling and a curiosity that extends beyond the newsroom. She covers both national and international news. For more stories, you can follow her...
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Afghanistan
First Published:August 30, 2025, 20:00 IST
News world Afghan Beauty Parlours Face Closure As Taliban Extends Crackdown, Warns Arrests
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