IEA urged to provide guidelines instead of closing beauty salons

KABUL (Pajhwok): Some experts and beauticians say the government should prepare guidelines instead of closing beauty salons so they can continue within the framework of Sharia.

Earlier, the Ministry of Vice and Virtue in a letter gave all salons one month to wind down their businesses until July 26 and their licenses are invalid.

Mohammad Sadiq Akif, a spokesman for the ministry, called high fee for make-up of brides, using other person’s hair to augment the natural hairs of women, and plucking and shaping eyebrows as main reasons for closing the salons.

There are currently 12,000 women’s beauty salons in the country, of which 3,000 are in Kabul.

At least five women work in each salon and the majority of them are the breadwinners of their families.

Abdul Nasir Reshtia, an expert in economic affairs, said the closure of women’s beauty parlors would result into economic crisis.

He said thousands of salons were operating all over Afghanistan and an estimated more than 60,000 women and girls were working in them and most of them were the breadwinners of their families.

He called the role of women in economic progress of the country as fundamental and important and said the presence of women in social, economic and even political arenas were a must.

According to him, closing these salons will not only increase unemployment rate of women and economic loss for their families, but will also decrease the revenue of the Ministry of Finance as they pay taxes.

He further added: “Proving people shelter, food and work are main obligations of governments… but instead of creating jobs, we are making people jobless. There must be an alternative way.”

Meanwhile, Maryam Malik, owner of one of the women’s beauty salons in Kabul, told Pajhwok that she established the salon five years ago and currently 15 girls and women worked with her in different departments.

She was worried about the announcement and added the hairdressing salon was completely a feminine place. “When a woman comes for makeup, she brings her confidante with her, who waits outside the salon until the woman’s makeup is completed and they leave”.

Sara, another hairdresser who works in one of the districts of Kabul, was disappointed with the decision of the Islamic Emirate and said the decision would render a large number of women unemployed.

She established the salon 13 years ago and currently eight women and girls are working with her, most of them financially support their families.

“I am the breadwinner of my house, I pay the house rent, we eat bread this way, if this place is closed, what should we do and how and by what means should I support my family financially.”

A salon owner in Qala Zaman Khan area of Kabul city, who did not want to be named, said: “I have five children, my husband has died and my daughter is paralyzed, I support my family through this salon, since hearing the announcement. I have been sleepless and wonder what to do.”

Also, Maryam Marouf, a citizen of Kabul, expressed her concern about the decision of the Islamic Emirate and said: “The increasing restrictions on Afghan women and girls, even regarding their most basic Islamic and human rights, such as going to school, university and work, will not solve Afghanistan’s challenges, but will confront the country with other extremely negative crises and challenges.”

Maryam demanded that women should provided  working environment in accordance with Islamic Sharia and added: “There are many, different and positive solutions to improve the living conditions of women, to ensure all their Islamic and human rights.”

Pajhwok Afghan News tried to seek the response of the Vice and Virtue Ministry regarding people’s request not to close beauty salons and to prepare work guidelines for them, but failed.

sa/ma