Taliban stops issuing driver’s licenses to women

The Taliban regime in Afghanistan has now stopped issuing driving licences to women and other provinces of the land-locked country, according to news agency ANI, which quoted Afghan media reports.

Before the Taliban took over Afghanistan, women could be seen driving in some of the major cities including Kabul. But now the regime has imposed this restriction.

The human rights situation in Afghanistan has worsened since the Taliban’s return to power last year. From banning girls from schools above sixth grade to not allowing women to take trips alone, there have been reports of women’s rights being snatched away by the new government.

Here’s a look at some of the restrictions Taliban has imposed on women since capturing Afghanistan:

• On March 23, the Taliban regime shut down secondary school classes for girls across the country, just hours after they had reopened for the first time since the new regime took over. The move evoked stern response from the United Nations. The U.N. Security Council had said, “Security Council members reaffirmed the right to education for all Afghans, including girls, and called on the Taliban to respect the right to education and adhere to their commitments to reopen schools for all female students without further delay.” The Taliban’s Ministry of Education said the Islamic Emirate is close to a solution for reopening the school for girls.

• Barely a month after it took over, the Taliban administration effectively barred women from working in government offices, banks, media companies and other work places. Waheedullah Hashimi, a senior figure in the Taliban, said the regime will fully implement sharia law, while adding that women should not work alongside men.

• In December last year, the Taliban ruled that women seeking to travel anything other than short distances must not be offered transport unless escorted by close male relative. Also, the regime called on vehicle owners to offer rides only to women wearing hijabs.