BRUTAL CRACKDOWN

Taliban Bans Long-Distance Travel in Latest Assault on Women’s Rights

The move follows previous bans on schooling, working, and showing their faces on television.

The Taliban continued its assault on women’s rights Sunday after it issued a decree banning women from traveling long distances alone, with multiple women telling the BBC they’re even more fearful for their livelihoods. “The Taliban captured our happiness from us... I have lost both my independence and happiness,” Fatima, a midwife in Kabul, said. The decree bans women from traveling more than 45 miles alone without a close male relative, bans drivers from driving women not wearing head or face coverings, and eliminates music from cars. The move follows previous bans on women working, attending secondary school, and showing their faces on television. The Taliban claims the restrictions are “temporary” measures to ensure their safety.