Ahead of the second anniversary of its grabbing power in Afghanistan, the Taliban has banned women's beauty salons in the country.
Beauty salons were where Afghan women -- who were forced out of schools and colleges and out of their jobs since the Taliban returned to rule the country in August 2021 -- gathered to have a chat while getting their faces or nails done.
The Taliban stated that services provided in beauty salons were forbidden in Islam and can cause economic hardships for grooms' families.
IMAGE: Beauticians close their salon. All photographs: Ali Khara/Reuters
IMAGE: A beautician removes a poster at a salon.
IMAGE: Beauticians collect equipment from a salon, here and below.
IMAGE: Cosmetics seen at a salon.
IMAGE: An empty salon.
IMAGE: A salon with defaced pictures of women.
IMAGE: An Afghan woman walks past a closed salon.
IMAGE: Maryam, a child who polishes boots for a living, sits next to a shut salon.
IMAGE: An abandoned salon.
IMAGE: The salon's name has been removed.
IMAGE: A man walks pass a shut salon.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
