Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers refused to allow dozens of women to board several flights, including some overseas because they were traveling without a male guardian, two Afghan airline officials said Saturday.
Some of the disenfranchised women, who arrived at Kabul’s international airport Friday, were dual nationals returning to their homes in other countries — including some from Canada, according to two Afghan airline officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Women were also denied flights to Islamabad, Dubai, and Turkey on both Kam Air and the state-owned Ariana Airline.
Last month, the Taliban banned Afghan women from traveling more than 48 miles without a male guardian, based on the group’s interpretation of Islam.
By the time some women traveling alone were given permission to board an Ariana Airlines flight to western Herat province, they had missed their flight, the official said.
It was still unclear whether the Taliban would exempt air travel from an order issued months ago requiring women traveling more than 45 miles (72 kilometers) to be accompanied by a male relative.
Women across Afghanistan say guardianship rules are being imposed on a much wider scale, too. These requirements include a male relative accompanying them for rudimentary tasks, such as entering government buildings, seeing a doctor, or catching a taxi.
Some of the disenfranchised women, who arrived at Kabul’s international airport Friday, were dual nationals returning to their homes in other countries — including some from Canada, according to two Afghan airline officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Women were also denied flights to Islamabad, Dubai, and Turkey on both Kam Air and the state-owned Ariana Airline.
Last month, the Taliban banned Afghan women from traveling more than 48 miles without a male guardian, based on the group’s interpretation of Islam.
By the time some women traveling alone were given permission to board an Ariana Airlines flight to western Herat province, they had missed their flight, the official said.
It was still unclear whether the Taliban would exempt air travel from an order issued months ago requiring women traveling more than 45 miles (72 kilometers) to be accompanied by a male relative.
Women across Afghanistan say guardianship rules are being imposed on a much wider scale, too. These requirements include a male relative accompanying them for rudimentary tasks, such as entering government buildings, seeing a doctor, or catching a taxi.
