The top leader of the Afghan Taliban issued a decree banning the construction of windows in residential buildings overlooking areas frequented by Afghan women and ordered that existing windows with such views be blocked.
According to a statement released Saturday by Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, the decree mandates that new buildings must avoid windows that overlook areas such as “the courtyard, the kitchen, the neighbor’s well and other places usually used by women.”
The decree, shared on social media platform X, warns: “Seeing women working in kitchens, yards or collecting water from wells can lead to obscene acts.”
Municipal authorities and other relevant departments have been directed to ensure compliance at construction sites.
For existing structures, homeowners are encouraged to build walls or otherwise block views to “prevent disturbance to neighbors,” according to the ordinance.
Since regaining power in August 2021, the Taliban have systematically removed women from public life, a situation the UN has described as “gender apartheid”. Women are barred from post-primary education, most employment opportunities, and access to parks and other public spaces.
Recent restrictions include banning women from singing or reciting poetry in public, with recommendations to “veil” their voices and bodies outside their homes. In addition, some local radio and television stations stopped broadcasting female voices.
The Taliban administration insists that its policies are in line with Islamic law, saying it “guarantees” the rights of both men and women. However, these measures have drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations around the world.
