Is it still mandatory for women in Afghanistan to wear the burqa?
No, it’s optional but in most regions and specially areas under the fundamentalist armed commanders, women prefer to wear it for security purpose. A lot of women don’t want but they feel much safer to wear a burqa because in many areas still, young girls and women are being abducted and raped by armed groups. Even in Kabul, where thousands of ISAF troops are stationed, many women continue to wear burqa. It is important to know that under Taliban it was compulsory for all women in every part of the country to use it. Can women go out alone now or do they have to be still accompanied by a male relative? • Again, depends on the area. There are a lot of women walking alone in the big cities but in smaller towns they are always accompanied by a male relative. Security situation is critical in many parts of Afghanistan so many families do not allow the female members of the family to go outside fearing they will be killed or abused. When women go out on the streets does the fear of being thr
