In Afghanistan, the Taliban demanded that working women obtain “mahram cards”

The Taliban in Kandahar Province have forced working women to obtain an official document certifying that they have a male guardian, the so-called "mahram card." This was reported by Fergana.ru with reference to Amu.tv.

A regulation by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in the Taliban government stipulates that women working in both the public and private sectors must carry a “mahram card.” The card contains the details of a male guardian (husband, father, son or brother) who must be with the woman during working hours.

According to Afghan women, they were warned that if they did not comply with the requirements, they would be denied access to the workplace. "This decree has created huge problems. Most families cannot afford for a man to be at work with a woman all day," one of the interlocutors of Amu.tv noted.

Obtaining a mahram card is a multi-step process that can take up to three days and requires approval from several authorities, including the provincial director of the Ministry of Integrity, a local council representative, a security officer and the employer.

Meanwhile, Kabul has seen a wave of arrests of women who the Taliban say violated their hijab (Muslim headscarf) requirements. Dozens of women and girls have been detained in central and western Kabul over the past week.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) responded to the arrests almost immediately. “These incidents further isolate women and girls, contribute to a climate of fear, and undermine public trust,” the organization said in a statement.

After seizing power in Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban began to consistently restrict women's rights, although they assured that they would show more restraint than during their first period of rule from 1996 to 2001. But soon the radical movement banned most girls from attending schools, all women from studying in medical schools and visiting medical institutions, going out without a hijab, talking, chanting and singing in public places, and other restrictions were introduced. The Ministry of Women's Affairs was abolished. In its place, the Taliban established the Ministry of Propaganda of Islamic Virtue and Prevention of Vice.