Gotta bump this thread before Christmas as a reminder how vile superstitious belief can be, although with a bit of an Islam slant. Not sure if I've seen this discussed but in Aug of this year the Taliban in Afghanistan passed a law to become even more oppressive towards women. Tough to imagine that's possible but they did it. Women are no longer allowed to speak or be heard in public, even if you're in your own home and speak loud enough that someone on the street hears you, you're in trouble. Suicide rates among women in that part of the world has been terrible but they've risen even higher since.
Women’s voices are also deemed to be potential instruments of vice and so will not be allowed to be heard in public under the new restrictions. Women must also not be heard singing or reading aloud, even from inside their houses.
“Whenever an adult woman leaves her home out of necessity, she is obliged to conceal her voice, face, and body,” the new laws state.
https://www.theguardian.com/global-d...un-afghanistan