Date: 04/06/1404
Local sources in Khost Province report that the Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has closed shops selling women’s goods in parts of the province. According to the sources, the closures were carried out on Tuesday, August 26, in the Gurbuz district and several other areas.

Sources stated that virtue officials informed shopkeepers that selling goods to women is forbidden. Additional restrictions were reportedly imposed on women’s travel and shopping across the Province. These measures form part of a broader pattern of escalating restrictions on women and girls introduced by the Taliban in recent months.

The closure of shops selling women’s goods and the prohibition on selling to women represent a further extension of gender-based exclusion into basic economic and daily life. by restricting women’s ability to shop, travel, and access essential goods, the Taliban weaponize market regulation as a tool of social control. These measures deepen women’s isolation and dependency while eroding access to necessities required for dignity and survival.