In Herat, the Taliban have escalated their crackdown on women’s public presence, barring those not wearing a burqa or full-body chadri from accessing essential services. Yesterday, several women seeking identification documents at the Population Registration Office were expelled by Taliban morality police for not adhering to the mandated dress code, despite wearing hijabs.

One woman recounted: “Even though I was covered, the Taliban repeatedly confronted us. They told one woman, ‘Come with a chadri, or you’ll get no services!’”

A similar situation persists at Herat’s prison, where women visiting loved ones are humiliated, insulted, or outright denied entry if they do not comply with the Taliban’s strict “hijab” standards.

These measures are the latest manifestation of the Taliban’s repressive “Promotion of Virtue” law in Herat, which deems a woman’s voice “awrah” (private) and her face provocative. Step by step, the Taliban are erasing women from public spaces, even from simple queues for basic services like obtaining an ID.

Human rights groups have condemned these policies as systematic gender-based oppression, with activists warning that such restrictions aim to eliminate women’s autonomy and visibility. The international community continues to face criticism for its limited response, as Afghan women call for urgent global action to counter these violations.