Afghan women are only allowed to board a plane if they are accompanied by a male relative. The Taliban government has instructed airlines in the country to do so. The measure applies to domestic and foreign flights, but it is unclear whether it also affects foreign women.
The Islamic fundamentalists had already decided over the weekend that men and women are not allowed to visit parks in the capital Kabul on the same day. On Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays they are only open to women, and the rest of the week to men. Local channels are also allowed no BBC news bulletins broadcast more in local languages.
The rights of women and girls have been drastically stripped since the Taliban took power last August. They had promised a more lenient policy than during their previous reign from 1996 to 2001, but all kinds of restrictions are being reintroduced, especially at the local level.
Schools closed
Women in Afghanistan are denied schooling and government jobs, and the dress code is based on a strict interpretation of the Quran. Secondary schools were due to open for girls for the first time since the summer, but that was reversed to the dismay of the international community. Afghan women’s rights activists have announced actions if schools also stop teaching girls next week.
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