Why Taliban Banned Open Windows “Usually Used By Women” In Afghanistan

Afghanistan Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, has issued a new decree requiring that residential buildings be built without windows that overlook areas typically used by women.

For existing buildings with such windows, owners are instructed to block them to prevent what the Taliban calls “obscene acts.”

A statement from Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid explains that new construction must avoid windows that provide views of courtyards, kitchens, wells, or any spaces commonly used by women.

The decree claims that seeing women in these areas could lead to immoral behavior.

“Seeing women working in kitchens, in courtyards or collecting water from wells can lead to obscene acts,”  Mujahid said on social media platform X.

Authorities are tasked with ensuring construction complies with these rules, and if such windows are found in existing buildings, owners are encouraged to block the view by building a wall or taking other measures to prevent disturbances to neighbors.

Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, women have increasingly been restricted from public life.

The government has banned girls from post-primary education, limited their ability to work, and restricted access to parks and public spaces.

A recent law also bans women from singing or reciting poetry in public, enforcing strict Islamic law, which includes requiring women to cover both their voices and bodies outside the home.

Some media outlets have even stopped broadcasting female voices.

Human rights groups like Human Rights Watch have raised concerns over the Taliban’s actions, with Heather Barr, the interim deputy director for women’s rights, noting that the situation represents a systematic effort to erase women from public life.

Barr said the restrictions, including stopping women from looking out of windows, mark a “total annihilation” of women’s personhood.

“People have talked about the Taliban metaphorically erasing women, but increasingly, it is not metaphorical at all,” Heather Barr said.

“They have already ordered that women’s voices shouldn’t be heard in public, and now they are essentially stopping women from even looking out of the window. 

“They are stopping women from being seen. They are stopping women from seeing the world. It’s a total annihilation of women’s personhood and it is clearly ongoing. We don’t have any idea where this will end.”

KanyiDaily recalls that the Taliban government previously suspended university education for all female students in Afghanistan until further notice.