Businesses suffer in Afghanistan as Taliban dress code restrictions keep women home

Businesses in Afghanistan's western city of Herat are witnessing a sharp decline in customers as women increasingly avoid public spaces following a recent Taliban crackdown on dress code violations, according to shopkeepers, drivers and residents.In early June, the Taliban government's morality police detained dozens of women accused of failing to wear the body-covering chador or burqa, prompting widespread fear. A rare protest against the restrictions was violently dispersed, leaving at least two people dead, according to the United Nations.Many women told AFP they have since stopped going out except when absolutely necessary, fearing they could be stopped by officers from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV).Markets feel the impact as female shoppers disappearHerat, one of Afghanistan's largest commercial hubs, has traditionally relied on women as its primary shoppers.