At the International Women Peace Security Forum in Kosovo, it was revealed to Afghanistan International that four Afghan women were blocked by the Taliban from traveling to Kosovo at Kabul Airport.
These women were set to attend a conference to receive the Kosovo Courage Award, an event where several Afghan activists had recently been honored with the Kosovo Medal of Courage.
Zahra Nader, editor-in-chief of Zan Times, addressed the forum, expressing dismay that her colleagues were denied travel by the Taliban, who restrict Afghan women from traveling alone, requiring them to be accompanied by a male guardian.
The women prevented from traveling were identified as Adela Yadegar, Mahnaz Baluch, Negina Ahmadi, and Freshta Yaqubi, representing various organizations.
While invited men were allowed to travel, the Taliban intervened to stop the women from boarding their flight. The Taliban has yet to respond to these allegations.
This incident echoes past actions by the Taliban, such as obstructing girls’ education trips in 2023 and imposing limits on women’s employment and education beyond the sixth grade.
