Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has issued a new decree regulating window placement in buildings, ordering that women must not be visible from neighboring homes while cooking, sitting, or standing.

The five-point decree, announced Saturday, December 29, by the Taliban’s Administrative Affairs Office on X (formerly Twitter), outlines strict measures to ensure women’s privacy.

According to the first article, any new building constructed within a pathway’s distance of another structure cannot have windows facing the neighbor’s kitchen, water well, or any area where women are commonly present.

The second article requires property owners with existing windows overlooking a neighbor’s home to build a wall or take other steps to eliminate the perceived “harm” to neighbors.