Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the interim government of Afghanistan, has issued a new decree emphasizing that women should not be seen from the windows of neighboring houses while coming and going or cooking, continuing the imposition of restrictions on women and girls.
In a five-article decree published on Saturday, December 28, by the current government’s administration on its X account, it is stated that the construction of windows that have a direct view into neighboring houses is prohibited.
The first article of this decree states that when constructing new buildings, if the distance is one path from another house, they are not allowed to have a window facing kitchens, water wells, or places where women are typically seen. This is because women, by custom and habit, sit near windows.
Additionally, the second article states that according to the first article, if previously constructed buildings have windows with a direct view into a neighbor’s house, the owner of the building is obligated to build a wall of human height in front of it or to otherwise mitigate the “harm” to the neighbor.
In the third article, Akhundzada has instructed municipalities and other institutions under the control of the current government to oversee construction to prevent the installation of windows that have views into neighboring houses.
It continues: “Those buildings that were constructed before this decree was issued and whose windows are installed in a manner that contradicts the provisions of this decree, the owners of those buildings are required to mitigate harm to their neighbors by constructing a wall of human height or through any other means.”
It is worth noting that since the current government’s takeover of Afghanistan, more than 80 restrictive decrees against women have been issued. In the third year of the current government’s rule, Hibatullah Akhundzada ratified the law on Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice with an introduction, four chapters, and 35 articles, emphasizing that this law must be implemented throughout Afghanistan.
Articles three and thirteen of this law impose restrictions on women. According to these articles, women are required to cover their entire body and even their faces and to refrain from raising their voices or appearing in public places without adhering to hijab.
Furthermore, the Minister of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice had previously announced that even hearing women’s voices during prayer is not permissible for one another.
