Women Protest in Kabul Against Taliban’s Burqa Decree

Sent to Zan TV

In response to the Taliban’s new order making the wearing of the burqa mandatory for women, the Afghanistan Women’s History Transformation Movement held a protest in Kabul, during which participants set burqas on fire.

In a statement, the movement described the Taliban’s decision as “an inhumane decree and a tool of domination aimed at erasing women from society,” adding:

“No religious or moral authority can justify coercion, repression, and violence against women. The Taliban are using religion as a means to impose control and eliminate half of society.”

The statement further said that forcing women to wear the burqa constitutes a blatant violation of fundamental human rights and a clear example of “systematic misogyny.”

The movement called on the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, and governments supporting gender equality to formally condemn the Taliban’s decree, apply political and legal pressure on the group, and take practical steps to support Afghan women.

This protest followed the Taliban’s recent move in Herat province, where the group has made wearing the burqa compulsory for women. According to the new order, taxi drivers are prohibited from picking up women not wearing a burqa, and women without a burqa are banned from entering hospitals and health centres.

Local sources in Herat say female teachers have also been forced to wear the burqa. The decree, which came into effect on Wednesday, has severely disrupted women’s daily lives.

According to reports, access to healthcare for women has decreased, and some have been denied treatment for not wearing the burqa.