Afghan men's hair and beards are under scrutiny by Taliban, UN says
The law on the propagation of virtue and prevention of vice (PVPV) was brought into force in August 2024 on the instruction of the Taliban's supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada.
The law is reminiscent of one in place during the Taliban's first stint in power in the 1990s, and implements an Islamic civil and moral code in the country. Among other things, it stipulates that women must cover their entire bodies, including their faces, and may not travel without a male companion.
However, the law has also increasingly targeted men's hairstyles and beard lengths, with more than half of the arrests made in the first six months concerning men's appearances, the report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) showed.
"Afghanistan's de facto authorities use [the PVPV] to ensure their vision of a pure Islamic system is implemented nationwide," the report said, emphasizing that the law has limited women's and girls' access to public spaces and health care, dress code and travel.
The law has also prevented UN agencies and other non-profits from delivering services to millions of people across Afghanistan, the study, mandated by the UN Security Council, said.
Around 3,300 male "inspectors" are now deployed in 28 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, 540 in the capital province of Kabul alone, the report said.
These inspectors have extensive powers, including the right to detain individuals for up to three days and to destroy property such as musical instruments. Few women are employed as inspectors, the study said.
In addition to the serious impact on human and women's rights, the report also highlights the economic consequences of the Taliban's measures, pointing to a World Bank study which puts the economic losses of work and education bans for women at around $1.4 billion.
Both women and men told UNAMA that the law "deprived families of their incomes, exacerbated poverty and forced families to consider migration."
"The direct and indirect socio-economic effects of PVPV law implementation are likely to compound Afghanistan's dire economic and humanitarian situation," the report stated.
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