KABUL: The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reports that restrictions on women’s movement and activities have intensified in several provinces. According to the quarterly report released on Sunday, officials from the Taliban’s Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice have warned women in Zabul against going outside for walks. The report notes that on October 3, Taliban forces in Herat banned women from entering the women’s market and used gunfire to disperse them. Additionally, on December 8, drivers in Uruzgan were cautioned not to pick up women. UNAMA has added that in Kandahar, vendors have been instructed not to sell goods to women who are unaccompanied by a male guardian. Some women have reported that these restrictions even apply to those who need to walk for medical reasons as advised by their doctors.
