Recent reports indicate that the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has introduced new laws further restricting women’s presence in public life. Based on a 2022 decree from the country’s spiritual leader, these regulations reportedly ban women from speaking and singing publicly, require them to cover their faces in public spaces, prohibit music in public areas, and forbid men from shaving their beards.

The Taliban regained control of Kabul in August 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S. forces, marking the end of America’s longest war. Since their return to power, the group has systematically imposed numerous restrictions on women and girls, including prohibiting female passengers from boarding flights without a male guardian. These latest measures represent a significant rollback of the increased freedoms and rights that Afghan women had gained over the past two decades, contradicting the Taliban’s earlier promises to uphold these advancements.