The Afghan Taliban have introduced new rules to prevent women from being seen through building windows. New homes are not allowed to have windows if outsiders can see a woman inside, while old buildings must cover those windows.

The Taliban hope to limit “nuisance to local residents” in this way.
 
 “The sight of a place for women, such as kitchens, wells and courtyards, is considered a serious offence,” the Taliban’s new decree reads, as the radical Afghan group says it can cause a nuisance to residents. 

Therefore, the Taliban have introduced new rules that should prevent women from being seen in homes and buildings. New homes cannot have windows on the street or neighbours’ houses. Old buildings with windows that look out onto the street must have wooden panels or a new wall built to block the view of the women.

The Taliban also immediately announced that they would monitor the implementation of the new legislation. “Municipalities and other relevant authorities are required to monitor the construction of buildings to prevent such windows from being installed.”

Fewer and fewer women’s rights
The new rules are part of a series of measures that the Taliban have introduced in recent years. Afghan girls and women have already lost the right to go to school or university, are required to wear a full veil when they go outside and are no longer allowed to speak or sing in public. Many women have also lost their jobs because they are no longer allowed to work under the Taliban.

There has already been much international criticism of the restrictions imposed by the Taliban on women in Afghanistan. Earlier this month, the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) condemned a ban on women and girls going to private medical facilities. “It is deeply discriminatory, short-sighted and endangers the lives of women and girls in multiple ways,” OHCHR responded at the time. 

However, there is also criticism that the world is doing too little. Former British government advisor Shabnam Nasimi is particularly critical of the social media platform X. “More than 3 years ago, Kabul fell, and the world watches silently,” he says. “Shameful.”