Women in the Indonesian city of Banda Aceh have been banned from entertainment venues like cafes and sports halls after 11 pm, its mayor said on Tuesday, the latest Islamic regulation in Aceh province. Aceh, alone among Indonesia provinces, implements Islamic law and makes homosexuality, gambling and drinking alcohol punishable by caning.
Internet cafes, tourist sites, sports facilities and entertainment venues have been instructed to refuse service to women after 11 pm unless they are accompanied by a husband or male family member. Women will also be barred from working in such businesses after the cut-off time, in a move slammed by a women’s rights advocate as discriminatory.