Can Women Travel to Afghanistan?
A Guide for Women Travellers in Taliban Afghanistan
On August 15, 2021 the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan. Since then there have been reports of Afghanistan women’s rights being decimated and governments around the world have suspended their embassies and issued travel advisories for both women and men to avoid all travel to the country. Despite this, there are people still travelling to Afghanistan and for the woman traveller we’ll guide you through travelling the country safely.
Your local guide
Your local guide or “fixer” will help you navigate through some of the complexities of travelling in Afghanistan. You are required to get permits in advance to visit every region and your guide can obtain these from each regional government office.
If you plan on travelling to various regions you will be required to do a “meet and greet” with local authorities once you arrive. In some cases, you will be required to submit a written application, photos and possibly be interviewed. These meet and greets aren’t an offence—just be cooperative and friendly.
It’s strongly recommended that you travel with a recommended Afghan guide because travelling without one can be extremely difficult—especially for women. The situation with tourism permits can be volatile and new rules are being frequently introduced with little notice. Getting the required permits yourself can prove to be a difficult laborious process and could mean that the majority of your trip is spent navigating the complexities of these requirements.
Local women are also restricted from inter-city travel outside their hometowns due to the Taliban’s maharam law, which requires a woman to have a male relative or guardian accompany her if travelling long distances. While foreign women are not subject to the implementation of this law, that does not mean you would not face repercussions, as rural Talibs are not as adept at dealing with foreigners, especially women.
Additionally, many Taliban regional officers will not address you as a woman, as it would be seen as dishonourable to your male guardians. Women are viewed as belonging to their male relatives, for many Taliban, to address you directly would be offensive.
When you’re sitting in a meet and greet for example and the Taliban officer refuses to even look at you, let alone speak to you, this is likely the reason. Your male guardians and travel mates are expected to answer on your behalf. This certainly makes it even more tricky to navigate Afghanistan as a solo woman.
You may face arbitrary detention if travelling alone, or even with a guide, so it’s vital to have a travel permit issued by the Ministry of Tourism for each province you’re visiting, as well as for Afghanistan as a whole.
The ministry in Kabul issues these permits, but you must have a licensed guide and letter of invitation from a travel company in good standing with the ministry in order to procure one. If travelling with a media visa, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for issuing a journalist letter of accreditation and you must travel with this in order to present yourself to local authorities.
Security
You can expect to have frequent interactions with the Taliban as there are many checkpoints throughout the country. Always have your passport on you and be prepared to answer questions and keep your opinions to yourself.
There have been recent (as of 2022) reports of people being brought to a security compound for further questioning, however it’s usually not generally out of hostility, rather the local Taliban don’t know how to deal with tourists, especially outside Kabul, Herat, Bamyan and Mazar.
It’s in your best interest to follow the current Afghanistan government rules to have a safe and trouble-free experience. The Taliban are people you don’t want to mess with, but at the same time, they are not interested in causing issues for foreigners, especially at a time when their government is struggling for any international recognition and the air dollars that come with it. Be respectful and polite in your interactions.
In cities such as Kabul, women can walk the streets unaccompanied. The only issue other than some potentially uncomfortable interactions with the Taliban is that street kids will likely beg, try to sell you something and/or follow you to great lengths. In most instances they will leave you alone after you give them some money, but there are some that will be more persistent than this, though some just want to interact with a tourist.
You’re likely an experienced traveller if you’re making the trek to Afghanistan so use the same precautions as you would in other places—don’t flash around your valuables and be aware of your surroundings.
The regions in the east of the country, along the border with Pakistan are still considered unsafe for travel. In some areas, IS-K, a splinter group from ISIS made up of former Talibs who believed the Taliban was too liberal, is still known to carry out regular terrorist attacks and kidnappings. They are actively involved in an armed warfare against the Taliban and would not hesitate to kidnap or kill a foreigner.
The Taliban itself restricts access to these areas and has already deported foreigners for trying to enter several eastern provinces. In some cases, the Taliban will assign a mandatory security detail (at your expense) in remote areas where their control is weak or factions within their own organization exist that may not adhere to directives issued from the leadership in Kabul.
Dress
The cities of Kabul, Bamyan, Herat and Mazar are relatively progressive and depending on the neighbourhood many women wear loose-fitting abayas and headscarves, however you will also see equally as many women wearing a full chadri (burka) or niqab—just make sure to cover your hair, arms and legs.
Outside these cities, dress is more conservative with more women wearing a chadri (burka), especially in ethnic Pashtun regions where the chadri has been a social and cultural norm for a much longer period of time. Though foreign women aren’t typically held to the same standards, it’s best not to draw attention to yourself and show respect for the local culture.
In traditional Pashtun regions like Kandahar, Wardak and Helmand (mostly in southern and eastern Afghanistan), women who are not related to men are likely not even spoken to unless mandatory– they are essentially seen as property to the men they are related to and thus it would be considered dishonourable for non-related men to interact with them– and it’s even more vital to cover up very conservatively in these regions.
An option to “blend in” is to have clothes made once you arrive in Kabul. It usually takes just one afternoon and you can have an outfit custom made and support the local economy.
Transportation and accommodation
Your guide can arrange all transportation whether that is from and to the airport, within the city centre or travelling to the various regions—it’s your safest and most hassle free option and will likely be a private car/van or local long-distance bus.
You can expect similar accommodations with Westerner comforts within Kabul, however outside of the city there are guesthouses with very basic sleeping arrangements such as a pillow, blanket and mat to sleep on. Most guesthouses don’t have running water or a toilet and are heated by a fire.
Technically Afghan women are not allowed to travel more than 110 kilometres unless accompanied by a maharam, or male guardian, typically her husband, father, or brother. However, these rules do not typically apply to foreign women. However, the further away from the main commercial centres, the more likely you would be to run into problems as a solo female traveller in this highly male dominated tribalist society.
Conclusion
If you’re a woman currently considering travelling to Afghanistan you are likely someone that prefers a less conventional way to travel. It can be difficult to gauge media reports from reality but regardless you are venturing to a country that has very recently gone through two decades of war. Despite this, under the Taliban rule insurgency has been reduced to a minimum and some travellers are reporting that they’ve never felt safer in the country.