Taliban ban women's voices

The Taliban has enacted a stringent set of vice and virtue laws in Afghanistan, formally approved by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, targeting women's public conduct as part of their broader agenda to enforce Islamic law. The new regulations, outlined in a 114-page document, require women to cover their bodies and faces in public at all times and prohibit them from speaking loudly or engaging with unrelated men. Specifically, Article 13 states that women's voices are considered intimate and should not be heard in public, including activities like singing or reciting. Furthermore, the laws ban the publication of images of living beings and restrict the transportation of solo female travelers, further curtailing freedoms and threatening the already fragile media landscape. The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice has been empowered to enforce these laws, administering punishments for violations, which could include warnings or arrests. Critics have voiced concerns that these measures reflect an intensifying crackdown on women's rights and public freedoms in Afghanistan since the Taliban's return to power in 2021.