The freedom of movement of women in the Middle East and North Africa is so severely restricted

According to a report by human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW), women in the Middle East and North Africa are still severely restricted in their freedom of movement.

Women in the region often need permission from their male guardians — usually their father, brother or husband — to travel at home or abroad or to apply for a passport, the report published Tuesday said.

From leaving home to leaving the country, there are myriad restrictions, as explained by Rothna Begum, senior HRW researcher on women’s rights. Authorities said the measures were designed to protect women, but “in reality, they deprive women of their rights and allow men to control and abuse them at will,” Begum said.

According to the HRW report, 15 countries in the region still enforce laws that require women to either “obey” their husbands, live with them or be allowed to leave their homes, work or travel. The 119-page report examined dozens of laws, regulations and policies from around the region. It is also based on information from lawyers, activists and women in 20 countries in the Middle East and North Africa. (meg/sda/dpa)