‘Can Lead to Obscene Acts’: Taliban Leader Restricts Windows Over Women’s Areas

Taliban (The Uttam Hindu): The Taliban’s supreme leader has issued a directive prohibiting the construction of windows in residential buildings that overlook areas used by Afghan women such as courtyards, kitchens or wells. The decree announced by government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on social media platform X also mandates that existing windows with such views be blocked. The order claims that seeing women engaged in household activities could lead to “obscene acts,” urging homeowners to take measures like building walls or obstructing views to preserve privacy.

Municipal authorities and related departments have been tasked with monitoring construction sites to ensure compliance with the ban. The directive is part of the Taliban’s broader efforts to impose strict regulations on women’s visibility and presence. It reflects a continuing push to enforce rigid gender norms under the guise of protecting privacy and modesty within Afghan communities.

Since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021 women have faced escalating restrictions, being progressively removed from public spaces and access to education and employment. This latest decree has intensified concerns over the systemic erasure of women which the United Nations has described as “gender apartheid.”