Taliban Law Stops Afghan Women Speaking or Singing in Public Since August 2021

Taliban laws now stop Afghan women from speaking or singing in public. This is a big change from before, making life harder for women.
By Newsroom | Human Rights, Afghanistan |

Recent decrees by the Taliban have escalated restrictions on women in Afghanistan, most notably by prohibiting them from speaking or singing in public. These measures, detailed in a recent 114-page document, expand upon earlier rules that mandated covering their faces and bodies. The ministry of vice and virtue is now empowered to enforce these new laws, which can result in warnings or arrests for alleged violations. The impact of these restrictions is described by observers and Afghan women as a systematic erasure from public life and a severe blow to their autonomy and humanity.

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The Taliban's return to power in August 2021 has been marked by a steady rollback of women's rights. The latest pronouncements build upon existing bans on girls' education beyond primary school, limitations on women's employment, and restrictions on travel without a male guardian. Reports indicate that these policies have had a profound effect, with a significant percentage of Afghan women losing access to education, employment, and training. The new laws specifically target the auditory presence of women, deeming their voices as potential instruments of vice and thereby unsuitable for public hearing, even within their homes.

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Expanding Restrictions on Women's Public Presence

The Taliban's latest legal codifications represent a marked intensification of controls over women's public lives. These laws extend beyond mandated dress codes, which require women to cover themselves from navel to knee and conceal their faces, to encompass their very voices.

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  • Vocal Restrictions: Women are forbidden from speaking aloud or singing in public. This ban even extends to their residences, meaning they should not be heard singing or reading aloud from inside their homes.

  • Enforcement Mechanism: The ministry of vice and virtue is now tasked with frontline regulation of personal conduct, with the authority to issue warnings or carry out arrests for perceived breaches of these new laws.

  • Broader Societal Mandates: The laws also include directives for male passengers and drivers to perform prayers at designated times and for drivers to refuse transport to women traveling without a male guardian.

Voices of Concern and Resistance

The implementation of these stringent laws has elicited strong reactions from human rights advocates and Afghan women themselves. Critics argue that the Taliban's actions contravene both domestic Afghan laws and international human rights standards, specifically the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

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"This document not only violates Afghanistan’s domestic laws but also broadly contravenes all 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” – Source Attribution Unknown (Article 1)

  • Human Rights Violations: Fawzia Koofi, an Afghan human rights activist and former vice-president of the Afghan parliament, stated that the Taliban government lacks legitimacy and that these edicts reflect "hatred towards women."

  • Psychological Impact: Reports detail a surge in distress among women, with some expressing thoughts of suicide, questioning the purpose of living when their voices are silenced. Shabana, an attendee of daily English lessons, recounted experiencing increased calls for help after the new law was announced.

  • Forms of Defiance: In response, some women have publicly protested by filming themselves singing, using hashtags such as #LetUsExist. Others have gathered outside Afghanistan to sing about freedom and resistance.

Systemic Erasure and International Observation

Human rights organizations and United Nations bodies have characterized the Taliban's policies as a systematic effort to erase women from public life. The cumulative effect of these decrees is seen as a severe erosion of women's rights, autonomy, and fundamental humanity.

  • Erosion of Rights: Over the past three years, Afghan women have witnessed a continuous decline in their remaining freedoms. This includes bans on secondary education, severe limitations on employment, and the requirement of male guardians for travel.

  • Social and Political Impact: A staggering 98 percent of women surveyed reported having limited or no influence over community decisions. While UN Women supports Afghan women entrepreneurs, the overall political and social space for women remains heavily constrained.

  • Call for International Action: There are calls for the United Nations to recognize these actions as gender apartheid and to refuse recognition of the Taliban regime. However, the extent to which the international community can effect change is acknowledged as limited.

Expert Analysis and Observations

The policies enacted by the Taliban are viewed by many as an extreme form of social control. Experts point to the broader context of the Taliban's ideological framework, which appears to interpret women's public presence and expression as a threat to their vision of an Islamic society.

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  • Objectification and Dehumanization: The reduction of women's voices and bodies to potential sources of sin is described as an act of sexualization and objectification, further stripping women of their personhood and autonomy.

  • Long-Term Consequences: Experts like Ms. Davidian of UN Women emphasize that these restrictions will have lasting intergenerational effects, fundamentally altering the social fabric and the future of women and girls in Afghanistan.

  • Role of Women within Structures: Where women are engaged within Taliban structures, their roles are often limited to monitoring other women's compliance with discriminatory decrees, a paradoxical position within the enforcement apparatus.

Conclusion and Unanswered Questions

The evidence indicates a deliberate and escalating campaign by the Taliban to silence and conceal Afghan women, effectively removing them from public life. The latest decrees prohibiting women from speaking or singing in public represent a significant tightening of controls, building upon previous restrictions. These actions have drawn condemnation from international bodies and sparked acts of defiance from within Afghanistan and among the diaspora.

The ramifications of these laws are far-reaching, impacting the mental health of women and girls, their ability to participate in society, and potentially affecting future generations. While there are calls for increased international pressure and recognition of these actions as gender apartheid, the efficacy of such measures remains a point of ongoing discussion.

Key questions persist regarding the long-term sustainability of these policies, the potential for internal dissent, and the extent of future international engagement. The current trajectory suggests a continued erosion of women's rights, unless significant external or internal pressures compel a change in the Taliban's governance approach.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What new laws have the Taliban made about women in Afghanistan?
The Taliban have made new laws that stop women from speaking or singing in public places. These laws are part of a larger set of rules that limit women's freedom.
Q: Who is enforcing these new laws and what happens if women break them?
The ministry of vice and virtue is in charge of enforcing these laws. Women can get warnings or be arrested if they are found to be breaking these rules.
Q: How do these new laws affect Afghan women?
These laws are seen as a way to erase women from public life. They take away women's autonomy and make it very hard for them to express themselves or be heard.
Q: What was the situation for women in Afghanistan before these new laws?
Since the Taliban returned in August 2021, women have faced many restrictions. These include not being allowed to go to school past primary level, limited job options, and needing a male guardian to travel.
Q: What are people saying about these new Taliban laws?
Human rights groups and Afghan women say these laws are a violation of human rights. Some women are protesting by singing online and using hashtags to show their defiance.
Q: What is the wider impact of these Taliban rules on women and girls?
Experts say these rules can have long-lasting effects on women and girls. They can cause mental health problems and change society for future generations.