Women who want to travel longer distances should be escorted by a close male relative, according to Taliban authorities in Afghanistan. The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice recently released guidelines requiring all vehicle owners to only provide rides to women who wear hijabs.
“Women who are travelling above 45 miles (72 kilometres) should not be provided a transport unless they are accompanied by a close male relative,” ministry spokesperson Sadeq Akif Muhajir told AFP on Sunday.
The directive, which has been widely disseminated on social media, comes weeks after the government requested that Afghan television stations stop airing dramas and soap operas starring female actresses.
