A female beautician in Kabul says that after the Taliban government shut down women's beauty salons over four years ago, she has been forced to work secretly from a small room in her house.
The beautician, who identifies herself as Afsana (a pseudonym), says that continuing her profession is accompanied by a constant fear of being identified and confronted by the Taliban's virtue and vice officials. She is one of thousands of women who have turned to clandestine work since the ban.
Afsana told Amu TV, "I had invested about 500,000 afghanis in my business. After the salon was closed, I had to sell my shop's equipment and goods at a very low price. I couldn't recover all the capital I had put into my work, and now I work in a small room at home."
This anxiety is not limited to the beauticians; clients also visit these home-based salons with apprehension. Zohra (a pseudonym), a customer, says, "The situation has become very difficult for both beauticians and clients. When we go to home salons for necessary services, there is always a worry about being caught and the consequences."
According to the beauticians, the closure of their salons was not just the loss of a job, but also a severe blow to their investments, eliminating a primary source of income for numerous families.
Many of these women now continue their work at home under completely different circumstances than before. However, they emphasize that the lack of a safe and designated workspace has made it very difficult to sustain their profession.
The ban on women's beauty salons is part of the Taliban government's oader restrictions on women's work, education, and social presence in Afghanistan.
Source: Amu TV
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