Taliban Bans Afghan Women from Entering Uzbek Border Trade Center

The Taliban has reportedly banned Afghan women under 40 from entering the Termez International Trade Center in Uzbekistan, located along the Afghan border.

19.06.2025

Afghan women wait to receive food rations distributed by a Saudi humanitarian aid group, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 25, 2022. Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers on Saturday, May 7, ordered all Afghan women to wear head-to-toe clothing in public, a sharp hard-line pivot that confirmed the worst fears of rights activists and was bound to further complicate Taliban dealings with an already distrustful international community. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

According to Amu.tv, the decision has been confirmed by local shopkeepers and residents.

Vendors say married women were among their most frequent customers, and the new restriction has caused a sharp decline in business.

Opened in 2022, the Termez Trade Center features more than 4,000 shops, a medical clinic, restaurants, production facilities, and logistics zones. Afghan citizens can enter without a visa and remain for up to 15 days, making it one of the few remaining accessible commercial centers for Afghan shoppers.

Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban has imposed sweeping restrictions on women’s rights — banning education, most jobs, public presence without a male escort, and even singing in public. In late 2024, they reportedly prohibited the installation of windows in homes where women could be seen from outside.