Gaza Authorities Issue Travel Restrictions for Unmarried Women
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Guardians Should Not Have Power to Bar Women from Travel
In a terrible backwards step, Gaza’s Supreme Judicial Council, a body run by Hamas authorities, issued a notice on February 14 allowing male guardians to restrict unmarried women’s travel.
Israeli authorities already restrict the movement of two million Palestinians in Gaza, and Egypt often seals its border to travel from the territory. The council’s notice, issued after Egypt, in an exceptional measure, indefinitely opened its border February 9, could block some permitted to leave Gaza.
The notice, which the authorities amended on February 16 following criticism, now allows a male guardian (a close male relative like a father, brother, or grandfather) to apply to prevent an unmarried woman from traveling if they assess the travel will cause “absolute harm.” She could also be prevented from traveling if the guardian has a pending lawsuit against her that requires a travel ban, for instance if the guardian has applied for a court-ordered ban.