Jubilee Post News & Views
Special desk
IN yet another dictate, the Taliban have banned Afghan women from traveling long distances by road alone. Instead they will be required to have a male companion to do so.
The directive, came as the latest curb on women rights since the Islamist group seized power in August this year. The majority of secondary schools remain shut for girls, while most women have been banned from working and many had to leave country including professionals in sport and other fields.
Activists say the new order is a problem for women as they will face more discomfort inside home and wont be able to escape that any further.
Heather Barr, the group’s associate director of women’s rights, said the order shuts off opportunities for women to be able to move about freely or to be able to flee if they are facing violence in the home. The latest directive, issued by the Taliban’s Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, said women travelling for more than 45 miles (72km) should be accompanied by a close male family member.
The document calls on vehicle owners to refuse rides to women not wearing Islamic head or face coverings, although it does not say which type of covering to use. Most Afghan women already wear headscarves.
Since taking power following the departure of US and allied forces, the Taliban have told most female workers to stay at home while secondary schools are open only to boys and male teachers.
The Taliban say the restrictions are temporary and only in place to ensure all workplaces and learning environments are safe for women and girls. During their previous rule in the 1990s, women were barred from education and the workplace.
Last month, the group banned women from appearing in television dramas and ordered female journalists and presenters to wear headscarves on screen.
