Windows are banned in new construction in Afghanistan to block women from being seen inside homes.
The Taliban is taking new steps to reverse women’s rights since taking over the country after the U.S. military departed in 2020.
In addition to mandating burkas, banning education for girls beyond grade six, and banning women from attending universities, women can not be seen inside their homes.
A decree by the Taliban’s supreme leader states that new buildings can not have windows installed that might show “the courtyard, kitchen, neighbor’s well and other places usually used by women,” according to a translation by France24.
The decree referred to the sight of women as “nuisances caused to their neighbors.”
Existing windows in old houses should be blocked with a wall or obstructed in some way “to avoid nuisances caused to neighbors.”
Earlier this month, the United Nations urged the Taliban to respect the rights of women in Afghanistan, warning that the future of the nation depends on safeguarding the rights of all its citizens.
