According to Afghan media reports, the Taliban regime in Afghanistan has stopped issuing driving licences to women and other provinces of the landlocked country.

Women could be seen driving in some of Afghanistan’s major cities, including Kabul, before the Taliban took control. This restriction has now been imposed by the regime.

Since the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan last year, the country’s human rights situation has deteriorated. Women’s rights have been snatched away by the new government, with reports ranging from banning girls from schools above sixth grade to not allowing women to travel alone.

Since capturing Afghanistan, the Taliban has imposed a number of restrictions on women.

On March 23, the Taliban regime closed secondary schools for girls across the country, just hours after reopening them for the first time since the new regime took power. The Taliban allowed some schools for girls up to class 6 to reopen just a month after taking power in 2021. The United Nations reacted angrily to the move. “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 honour their commitments to reopen schools for all female students without further delay,” the UN Security Council said. The Taliban’s Ministry of Education (MoE) has stated that the Islamic Emirate is close to reaching an agreement to reopen the school.

The Taliban administration barred women from working in government offices, banks, media companies, and other workplaces just a month after taking power. Waheedullah Hashimi, a Taliban high-ranking official, stated that the regime will fully implement sharia law, but that women should not work alongside men.

In December of last year, the Taliban issued a decree stating that women who wish to travel longer distances must be escorted by a close male relative. In addition, the regime demanded that vehicle owners only provide rides to women who wore hijabs.