Afghanistan Times
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The Taliban have launched a crackdown on women-only cafes in Herat Province, western Afghanistan, eliminating one of the last remaining havens for women to gather and socialize under their restrictive regime.
Over the past week, at least three such cafes have been forcibly closed by the Taliban’s morality police, with warnings issued to others to cease operations permanently, according to sources. On Friday, another café faced immediate closure under the orders of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
These cafes emerged as sanctuaries for women after the Taliban seized power in 2021, providing rare opportunities for social interaction, networking, and financial independence in a society where women’s freedoms are systematically dismantled.
“This wasn’t just a business; it was our lifeline,” said a café owner, who spoke anonymously out of fear of reprisals. “When we asked for formal documentation, they threatened to return with papers—but we know they’ll close us down regardless.”
For many women, running these cafes was a vital means of economic survival after being barred from education and most forms of employment. One entrepreneur shared her anguish: “This cafe is my family’s only source of income. I was a medical student before the Taliban shut down universities. Starting this business was my way to rebuild. Now, they want to take even that away.”
Human rights activists are decrying the closures as part of a broader Taliban campaign to erase women from public life. The group has imposed over 100 restrictive decrees, barring women from schools, workplaces, and public spaces, and now targeting the few pockets of freedom women had carved out for themselves.
“These cafes gave us hope and a sense of normalcy,” said another businesswoman. “Now, they’re pushing us further into silence and despair.”
International watchdogs have identified Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban’s minister for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice, as a chief enforcer of these oppressive policies. His ministry has been at the forefront of implementing draconian measures, including bans on education and employment for women, further isolating them from Afghan society.
The closures have sparked outrage among women’s rights groups and international organizations, with renewed calls for global intervention. However, the Taliban has shown no signs of reversing its hardline stance, leaving Afghan women facing a bleak future with fewer avenues for independence or dignity.
For many, the shuttering of women-only cafes is not just a loss of income but another crushing reminder of their erasure from public life.
