Watch how Afghan women under Taliban rule secretly sell their hair to sustain their families in a trade for survival.
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00:00This is Fatima. She used to sell her hair freely in Afghanistan, earning just enough
00:05for food, books or medicine. But today, it's illegal. In 2023, the Taliban's Ministry for
00:10the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice outlawed the sale of human hair.
00:15Before the Taliban's takeover in 2021, many Afghan women supported their families by selling
00:20their hair for wigs and extensions in limited opportunities.
00:37But now the ministry enforced its ban with brutal crackdowns. Reports suggested women
00:42caught breaking these rules face beatings, arrests or worse.
00:47Nikki like Fatima defied Taliban restrictions. She ran a secret underground salon, offering
00:52more than just hair and makeup. She provided a space where women reclaimed a sense of normalcy
00:57by selling their hair here. For these women, selling hair wasn't just about money. It was
01:02about fighting to exist in a country that wanted them invisible.