Makeup, colourful scarves: Bizarre reasons Taliban uses to detain women

What actions or clothing choices led to women and one girl being detained in Afghanistan?

The detentions show how closely Taliban authorities regulate women’s appearance and movement. Women and one girl were reportedly held for alleged dress-code violations or for going into public without a male guardian. These rules affect ordinary choices, such as how women cover their hair, what colors they wear, and whether they use makeup.

Reported reasons included not wearing a chador, leaving hair visible, wearing colourful scarves, and wearing makeup. Women were also detained for going out without a mahram, a close male relative who acts as a guardian. Female shopkeepers reportedly faced threats and abuse as well.

The cases were reported in Kabul and Herat between July and September. UNAMA warned that fear, safety concerns, and stigma could hide many more cases. The detentions therefore may discourage women from working, shopping, protesting, or taking part in public life, even when no arrest occurs.

What are a chador and a mahram, and why do they matter under Taliban rules?

A chador generally means a loose, full-body outer garment that covers a woman’s head and body. A mahram, as the article explains, is a close male relative who acts as a guardian. The two terms concern different controls: one regulates clothing, while the other regulates whether a woman may move in public without male accompaniment.

UNAMA reported that women were detained for not wearing a chador. Women were also detained for leaving home without a mahram. Other reported clothing concerns included visible hair, colourful scarves, and makeup. These examples show that enforcement can reach both clothing details and travel arrangements.

The rules matter because they can limit women’s independence and access to public life. Detentions and threats may also create fear among women who need to work, shop, or travel. UNAMA warned that stigma and safety concerns could mean many cases remain unreported.

How many women and girls were reported detained between July and September, and where did the detentions occur?

The reported total was 52 women and one girl detained between July and September. That means the cases involved 53 people altogether, although UNAMA presented the figures separately. The detentions were linked to alleged dress-code violations and appearing in public without a male guardian.

The arrests were reported in two places: Kabul and Herat. Herat is described as a western city. UNAMA also reported threats of arrest and expressed grave concern about the treatment of women, including reports of verbal abuse, beatings, and threats against female shopkeepers.

The total may not show the full scale of the problem. UNAMA warned that safety concerns and stigma could cause many more cases to go unreported. The Taliban government did not immediately respond to UNAMA’s statement, so the article gives no additional official explanation of the figures.

What does Afghanistan’s 2024 Law on the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice require women to wear and do in public?

Afghanistan’s 2024 Law on the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice sets detailed rules for women’s clothing and public conduct. Article 13 says women must cover their entire bodies and should cover their faces to prevent fitna. The law also says women must conceal their voices in some public settings, including singing, reciting, or chanting aloud.

The law states that women’s clothing must not be thin, short, or tight. Women must conceal their bodies and faces from men who are not close male relatives. An adult woman leaving home for an urgent need must conceal her voice, face, and body. These requirements regulate both appearance and public expression.

The law applies throughout Afghanistan. Its rules sit alongside reported arrests for visible hair, colourful scarves, makeup, and not wearing a chador. Because enforcement can include detention, the law may further restrict women’s movement, work, speech, and participation in public life.

What punishments can Taliban enforcers use for alleged violations, and what effects can these arrests have on women’s safety and public participation?

The law provides a sequence of enforcement measures for alleged violations. These range from warnings and fines to detention. Its translated text also allows enforcers to impose other punishments they consider appropriate, subject to the law’s stated conditions. This gives authorities several ways to enforce rules governing clothing, movement, and speech.

The reported cases show how enforcement can affect daily life. UNAMA cited detentions for visible hair, makeup, colourful scarves, not wearing a chador, or going out without a mahram. It also raised alarm over verbal abuse, beatings, and threats against women, including female shopkeepers. Authorities opened fire on a rare Herat protest after similar arrests.

These actions can have effects beyond individual detainees. UNAMA warned that safety concerns and stigma may hide additional cases. Fear of arrest or abuse may discourage women from working, shopping, protesting, travelling, or taking part in public life.

How have the Taliban’s restrictions on women and girls changed since they returned to power in 2021?

The article describes a broadening system of restrictions since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. The measures affect education, movement, appearance, speech, work, and participation in public life. They are not limited to isolated clothing rules; they shape whether women and girls can study, travel, speak, and appear publicly.

Girls have been barred from education beyond primary school. Women’s movement and participation in public life have also been curbed. The latest reported detentions added enforcement of appearance and male-guardian rules. The 2024 law further details requirements for clothing, face covering, voice, and conduct.

The pattern has also produced confrontation and fear. In June, Taliban authorities opened fire on a rare protest in Herat over arrests of women for alleged dress-code violations. At least one person was killed and several wounded, according to witnesses and UNAMA. The article does not state that these restrictions will be eased.

What are human rights, and why do rules controlling women’s education, movement, clothing, and speech raise human-rights concerns?

Human rights are basic freedoms, protections, and opportunities that belong to every person. They include equality, personal safety, education, movement, expression, and participation in society. These rights matter because people should be able to live with dignity and make important choices without unfair discrimination or abuse.

The article describes rules controlling women’s education, movement, clothing, faces, voices, and public conduct. Girls are barred from education beyond primary school. Women can be detained for visible hair, makeup, colourful scarves, not wearing a chador, or travelling without a mahram. These measures directly affect personal choice and access to school, work, and public life.

Human-rights concerns grow when enforcement includes detention, threats, beatings, or verbal abuse. Fear and stigma can silence people and hide further violations. UNAMA warned that many cases may go unreported, while restrictions and arrests may discourage women from participating openly in society.

Key Facts:

📌 Women were detained for visible hair, makeup, colourful scarves, or not wearing a chador.

📌 Going out without a mahram also led to reported detentions.

📌 UNAMA reported detentions in Kabul and Herat.

📌 A chador generally covers a woman’s head and body.

📌 A mahram is a close male relative acting as a guardian.

📌 Women were detained for lacking either required clothing or male accompaniment.

📌 UNAMA reported 52 women and one girl detained between July and September.