KABUL, (TDI): The Taliban’s supreme leader has issued a decree banning the construction of windows in residential buildings that overlook areas commonly used by Afghan women.
The order also mandates that existing windows with such views be blocked.
The statement, released late Saturday by Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid on social media platform X, specifies that new buildings must avoid windows that provide views into spaces like courtyards, kitchens, or wells—areas where women often work or gather.
“Seeing women in kitchens, courtyards, or collecting water from wells can lead to obscene acts,” the decree stated. Municipal authorities and other relevant departments are tasked with monitoring construction sites to ensure compliance.
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Homeowners with such windows are encouraged to obstruct views by building walls or other barriers “to avoid nuisances caused to neighbors,” the decree added.
Since the Taliban regained power in August 2021, women’s presence in public life has been severely curtailed. The United Nations has criticized the administration for creating a system of “gender apartheid.”
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Taliban authorities have banned education for girls beyond primary school, restricted women’s employment, and barred access to public spaces like parks.
A recent law also prohibits women from singing or reciting poetry in public, urging them to “veil” their voices and bodies outside the home.
Additionally, some local radio and television stations have stopped broadcasting female voices altogether.
