In the 21st century, women across much of the world enjoy the freedom to study, work, and travel independently. Yet, in some nations, these basic liberties are still tightly restricted by law or tradition. The simple act of leaving one’s country without a male guardian’s permission remains a serious challenge for many women. While global conversations about gender equality continue to gain strength, travel restrictions remind us that women’s rights are far from universal.
In this blog, we’ll explore three countries where women still can’t leave the country alone – examining the cultural, legal, and political systems that enforce such limitations, and how women in these regions are fighting for autonomy and change.
Afghanistan: The World’s Most Restrictive System
Afghanistan stands as the most extreme example of women’s travel restrictions in 2025, where the Taliban announced a new law on the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice that prohibits women from traveling or using public transportation without a male guardian. There are no official laws about male guardianship in Afghanistan, but the Taliban have said women cannot move around or travel a certain distance without a man who is related to her by blood or marriage.
Women who are unmarried or do not have a “mahram,” or male guardian, face even tougher restrictions and have been cut off from access to health care, banned from traveling long distances, and pressured to quit their jobs. Single and unaccompanied women, including an estimated 2 million widows, say they are essentially prisoners in their homes and unable to carry out even the most basic of tasks.
The situation has become increasingly dire since the Taliban’s return to power. In Paktia province, the Vice and Virtue Ministry has stopped women without mahrams from accessing health facilities since December. This systematic approach represents what many international observers consider to be one of history’s most comprehensive restrictions on women’s basic freedoms.
Yemen: Complex Authority System Creating Travel Barriers
Yemen requires as a matter of policy, but not law, that women of all ages need to show permission from their male guardian in order to obtain a passport. The Yemeni authorities continue to impose the practice according to which women are required to be accompanied by a male guardian, known as a mahram, for travel unless they show evidence of their guardian’s written approval.
The ongoing civil war has made the situation even more complicated for women. In areas under their control in Yemen, Houthi authorities have increasingly required women to travel with a mahram or to provide evidence of their male guardians’ written approval. Such rules have forced many female Yemeni staff at nongovernmental organizations and United Nations agencies to leave their jobs, losing much-needed income for their families.
Even in government-controlled areas, women face significant obstacles. In 2021, a local media outlet reported how a Yemeni woman sought to obtain her passport to join her husband who lives abroad, however, when she went to the Passports Office with her father the officials refused to process it on the basis that as a married woman her guardian is her husband, and she had to find a senior officer to act as a guarantor for her to obtain her passport.
Iran: Restrictions on Married Women’s Travel Rights
In Iran, married women must show their husband’s permission to obtain a passport, and to travel. This creates a significant disparity between married and unmarried women in the country, where single women over 18 can technically travel more freely than their married counterparts.
In Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, and Yemen there are the most stringent regulations, and sometimes even obtaining a passport or a permit to travel abroad depends on a male guardian or a court. However, Iran’s restrictions specifically target married women, making them dependent on their husbands’ consent for international travel.
The policy reflects broader restrictions on women’s freedoms in Iran, where the male guardianship system affects various aspects of women’s lives beyond just travel. These restrictions have become increasingly controversial as Iranian women have continued to push for greater rights and freedoms, particularly in light of recent social movements within the country.
The Impact on Women’s Lives and Society
With laws prohibiting women from travelling or working without a male guardian (mahram), many deported single women and widows found themselves stranded at the border, unable to continue their journey or access aid. Women who violate the Taliban’s mahram requirements have been detained or arrested and are often released only after signing a pledge that they will not break the rules again in the future, with the UN mission in Afghanistan reporting that the Taliban’s notorious religious police was enforcing the rules by carrying out inspections in public spaces, offices, and education facilities as well as setting up checkpoints in cities.
The humanitarian consequences extend far beyond individual inconvenience. The Mahram requirement has also affected Yemeni women working in the humanitarian aid sector, as since 2022, authorities have increased the restrictions on female national staff without a male guardian, for example when travelling for work or delivering food aid, consequently, many of them have been forced to resign from their roles in local and international organisations, thus undermining their financial independence, and these limitations have also led to a lack of humanitarian access for women and girls because of the reduction of women’s involvement in service delivery.
These restrictions create ripple effects throughout entire societies. When women cannot work or access services independently, families lose essential income and children lose access to female healthcare providers and educators. The economic impact extends to national economies that lose out on women’s productive contributions.
International Response and Future Outlook
In a positive advance, most governments in the region now allow women to obtain passports and travel abroad without requiring guardian permission. In August 2019, after much campaigning by Saudi women’s rights activists, Saudi authorities amended their rules to allow women over age 21, like men, to obtain passports and travel without guardian permission. Iran, Qatar, and Yemen remain outliers.
Human rights organizations continue to document and condemn these practices. These restrictions violate Yemen’s constitution which claims that “freedom of movement from one place to another within the country is guaranteed for all citizens” and infringe the obligations under the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the Arab Charter.
The international community faces ongoing challenges in addressing these restrictions, particularly in countries experiencing conflict or where diplomatic relationships are strained. However, the gradual progress seen in countries like Saudi Arabia demonstrates that change is possible when sustained pressure combines with internal advocacy efforts.
These three nations represent the last strongholds of systematic travel restrictions based solely on gender. While progress has been made globally, the women living under these systems continue to face daily limitations that affect every aspect of their lives, from accessing healthcare to pursuing education and maintaining family connections across borders.