The Taliban have barred women from flying alone on domestic and international airlines operating in Afghanistan.
The change in flight policy was announced on Monday as the latest move by the militant group to hinder women’s rights within Afghanistan.
The policy specifically told airlines that women could not board a flight without a male relative or chaperone, two sources told Reuters.
The policy change barred dozens of women who arrived at Kabul’s international airport from transferring flights, officials told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Local women and dual nationals were equally affected by the policy and were denied boarding on flights to Islamabad, Dubai, and Turkey on Kam Air and the state-owned Ariana Afghan Airlines, the officials said.
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This policy is the latest action taken by Taliban authorities to inhibit women’s rights within the country. The Taliban closed several girls’ schools on March 23, hours after opening them, alleging that they needed to deal with breaches in the uniform policies. The closings inspired several girls to protest the closings.
The Taliban also announced new rules on Sunday that segregated men’s and women’s access to parks. Women were restricted to visiting parks on three days in the week.
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Men were not exempt from the Taliban’s rules either. Government employees were reportedly told they were not allowed to shave their beards and that doing so could lead to them being barred from their offices.
