Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban has steadily restricted women’s lives in Afghanistan.
Women and girls have faced bans and restrictions on education, employment, public spaces and movement. One of the most important restrictions concerns the mahram, a male relative or companion who is required in several situations.
UN Women says Afghan women have been required to travel with a male relative for journeys beyond roughly 77 kilometres. In some areas, however, women have reported being questioned or harassed at checkpoints even when travelling shorter distances.
That rule has now come into focus after a Kerala travel vlogger said Afghan authorities threatened to arrest her while she was travelling alone through Bamyan.
Here is what happened.
What Happened?
The vlogger, known online as Backpacker Arunima, was travelling through Afghanistan alone.
On 14 September, she posted on social media saying she had been arrested by “Mujahideen” in Bamyan and asked people for help contacting the Indian embassy. She also shared what she described as a translated communication from local authorities.
The initial claim could not be independently verified. There was also no immediate response from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, according to The Times of India.
Arunima later gave a more detailed account.
She said she reached Bamyan at around 7 pm after getting a lift in a lorry. Local residents approached her and checked her passport and visa.
Later, officials asked to see her travel permit.
That was when the situation escalated.
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Why Did It Happen?
According to Arunima, she had previously gone to Jalalabad to obtain a permit but was refused because she was travelling alone.
She said officials told her she would need either a male companion or a guide to receive the permit.
After spending two days in Kabul, she continued travelling and passed through several checkpoints.
In Bamyan, officials checked her documents and found that she had entered Afghanistan on 27 August and had been travelling alone.
She said they told her she had violated the country’s rules and threatened to arrest her. Officials also told her she would have to leave Afghanistan.
According to her account, authorities initially demanded a permit, a guide and a payment of 10,000 in local currency.
A man who had previously helped her then returned and spoke to the officials on her behalf.
After discussions, Arunima said she was allowed to leave Afghanistan and continue towards the Uzbekistan border without obtaining the permit.
She later clarified that she had not been taken to a police station or jail.
Instead, she had faced the threat of detention and became frightened enough to post an emergency appeal online.
The New Indian Express also noted that her account could not be independently verified and that there was no immediate official statement about the incident.
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So, What Is The “Mahram” Rule?
A mahram generally means a close male relative who can accompany a woman.
Restrictions on women travelling without a mahram were introduced after the Taliban returned to power. UN Women says a December 2021 decree required women to be accompanied by a male relative when travelling more than 77 kilometres from home.
The enforcement has not been uniform across Afghanistan. UN Women has documented cases in which women travelling alone were stopped, questioned or harassed at checkpoints even when they were travelling shorter distances.
The Taliban’s 2024 Law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice further codified restrictions on women’s public movement.
UN sources say the law prohibits women from travelling in public and private transport without a mahram and gives morality authorities broad enforcement powers.
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Why Arunima’s Case Matters
Arunima’s experience raises a wider question about how Taliban restrictions on women’s movement affect both Afghan women and women travelling from abroad.
For Afghan women, these restrictions can affect travel and access to services, while the Taliban has also imposed restrictions on education, employment and participation in public life. UNAMA has documented requirements for women to travel with a mahram, or male guardian, beyond roughly 77 kilometres from home.
Arunima said officials in Bamyan challenged her because she was travelling alone without a male companion or required permit and threatened to arrest her. She later clarified that she was not ultimately arrested or taken to a police station or jail, and was allowed to leave.
Her account has not been independently verified. The incident has nevertheless drawn attention to Afghanistan’s restrictions on women travelling without a mahram and the way those rules can be enforced at checkpoints.
The case therefore raises broader questions about freedom of movement, gender restrictions and the enforcement of Taliban rules.
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TL;DR | News At a Glance
Why was the Kerala vlogger stopped in Afghanistan?
Arunima said Afghan authorities challenged her for travelling alone without a male companion and the required permit.
Was she arrested?
Arunima initially said she had been arrested. She later clarified her account, while the latest report says she was held for several hours. The exact circumstances remain based on her account.
What is the mahram rule?
A mahram is a close male relative who is required to accompany women in certain circumstances under Taliban-era restrictions. UNAMA has documented restrictions on women travelling without a mahram, including for journeys beyond 78 kilometres.
Can women travel alone in Afghanistan?
Women face restrictions when travelling without a mahram, and UNAMA has documented enforcement of these restrictions.
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