Taliban Bans Afghan Women from Hearing Each Other's Voices

The Taliban have introduced a new rule restricting Afghan women from hearing each other's voices, an additional step toward erasing women's presence in public life, as reported by the New York Post. Taliban Minister for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, Khalid Hanafi, reportedly decreed that women must not be able to hear one another's voices, even during prayer. Hanafi stated that if a woman prays aloud and another woman passes by, her voice must be kept low enough to prevent others from hearing.

Hanafi explained that a woman’s voice is considered "awrah," meaning something to be concealed, particularly in public spaces. He argued that, as women are not permitted to call the takbir or adhan, they certainly should not be allowed to sing or produce any music. The ruling, he said, would be introduced in phases with divine support guiding the implementation, according to the New York Post. The specific details of this new decree remain unclear, though concerns are already mounting among Afghan women and international human rights advocates.

Activists inside and outside Afghanistan have condemned the measure, asserting that it aims to further prevent Afghan women from participating in society. Zohal Azra, from the Australian Hazara Advocacy Network, stated that the situation, already dire, continues to deteriorate as the Taliban increasingly restrict women’s rights through a systematic approach involving over 105 orders and decrees, enforced with violent measures such as detention, abuse, and other forms of punishment, including stoning and whipping. Azra remarked that, with this decree, the Taliban are effectively erasing women and girls from society.

Amnesty International Australia's Zaki Haidari added that the conditions for women in Afghanistan are worsening daily, calling for immediate international intervention. Haidari, who is of Hazara background, suggested the Taliban appear to be testing international tolerance for its actions, noting a pattern of imposing restrictive and punitive laws against women. She described the Taliban's policies as part of a "gender apartheid" system.

On September 29, United Nations Chief Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over the situation in Afghanistan, drawing comparisons to historical systems of extreme oppression. Meanwhile, the Taliban have partially defended their policies, claiming they intend to protect women. Historically, Afghanistan granted women the right to vote in 1919, a year before the United States, and opened its first schools for girls in 1921, as reported by The Washington Post.