The Taliban’s supreme leader has issued an order banning the construction of windows in residential buildings that overlook areas used by Afghan women, and that existing windows should be blocked.
Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said new buildings should not have windows that could overlook “the yard, kitchen, well and other places commonly used by women.”
“Seeing women working in kitchens, yards or collecting water from wells can lead to indecent acts,” the order, published by government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on the X platform, said.
Municipal authorities and other relevant departments would have to monitor construction sites to ensure that neighbors’ homes cannot be seen or observed.
In cases where such windows exist, owners will be encouraged to build a wall or otherwise block the view “to avoid disturbing relations with neighbors,” AFP reported.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, women have been progressively erased from public spaces, prompting the UN to condemn the “gender apartheid” established by the administration.
