In a worsening human rights situation in Afghanistan, the Taliban rulers have enacted new laws prohibiting women from showing their faces or speaking publicly.

The laws were announced on Wednesday following approval by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. According to ministry spokesman Maulvi Abdul Ghafar Farooq, the new laws have been initiated to combat vice and promote virtue.

Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban had established a ministry for the “propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice.”

Earlier this week, the ministry released its vice and virtue laws, which address various aspects of daily life such as public transportation, music, shaving, and celebrations.These laws are outlined in a 114-page, 35-article document and represent the first formal declaration of vice and virtue regulations in Afghanistan since the takeover.

What do the new laws suggest

Furthermore, the new laws grant the ministry the authority to oversee personal conduct, with the power to issue warnings or make arrests if violations are reported. Article 13 specifically addresses women, mandating that they must cover their bodies fully in public and wear face coverings to prevent temptation. Additionally, clothing must not be thin, tight, or short.

Women are required to cover themselves around non-Muslim men and women to prevent corruption. Their voices are considered private, so they should not sing, recite, or read aloud in public. Additionally, women are prohibited from making eye contact with men who are not relatives, and the same restriction applies to men.

Article 17 prohibits the publication of images of living beings, further straining Afghanistan’s already fragile media environment.

Article 19 prohibits playing music, transporting solo female travelers, and allowing interactions between unrelated men and women. It also requires both passengers and drivers to pray at specified times.

The ministry’s website states that promoting virtue involves prayer, ensuring that Muslims’ actions and character align with Islamic law, encouraging women to wear the hijab, and urging adherence to the five pillars of Islam. It also outlines that eliminating vice means banning activities that are forbidden by Islamic law.

U.N. objection to Taliban governance

A U.N. report released last month highlighted that the ministry’s decrees and enforcement methods were creating a pervasive atmosphere of fear and intimidation in Afghanistan. The report noted that the ministry’s influence was extending into various aspects of public life, including media oversight and efforts to combat drug addiction.

Fiona Frazer, head of the human rights service at the U.N. mission in Afghanistan, expressed concern over the expanding scope of the ministry’s authority, particularly regarding its impact on women and girls.

However, he Taliban dismissed the findings of the U.N. report.