:salam2:
That's the basic sum of it akh. A woman cannot travel without a mahram, but day to day work in the area she is familiar with (like her city/market etc) is not considered travel (and this depends on custom to a degree), and she may easily transverse on her own if there is a need. Or else it really wouldn't make sense sah? Cos women in the time of Rasulullaah :saw2: also traveled, did work in the marketplace, and other things to run the society.
In fact, in those times the conditions were even harsher sometimes. Read this narration below of Asmaa' bint Abi Bakr radiallaahu anhuma - the Daughter of the best of the Sahaabah, and the sister in law of the Messenger of Allaah :saw2:
Asmaa' daughter of Abu Bakr said: "az-Zubair (Ibn al-`Awwam, the cousin of the Prophet , through his aunt) married me. He had neither wealth, slave or anything else like it, except a camel (to get water) and a horse. I used to graze his horse, [provide fodder to it and look after it, and ground dates for his camel. Besides this, I grazed the camel], made arrangements for providing [it with] water and patched up [his] leather bucket and kneaded the flour. But I was not proficient in baking the bread, so my female neighbors used to bake bread for me [and they were sincere women]. And I used to carry on my head the stones (seeds) of the dates from az-Zubair's land which Allaah's Messenger had endowed him, and it was at a distance of two miles (from Madinah).
Asmaa' daughter of Abu Bakr said: "az-Zubair (Ibn al-`Awwam, the cousin of the Prophet , through his aunt) married me. He had neither wealth, slave or anything else like it, except a camel (to get water) and a horse. I used to graze his horse, [provide fodder to it and look after it, and ground dates for his camel. Besides this, I grazed the camel], made arrangements for providing [it with] water and patched up [his] leather bucket and kneaded the flour. But I was not proficient in baking the bread, so my female neighbors used to bake bread for me [and they were sincere women]. And I used to carry on my head the stones (seeds) of the dates from az-Zubair's land which Allaah's Messenger had endowed him, and it was at a distance of two miles (from Madinah).
"As I was one day carrying the stones of dates upon my head I happened to meet Allaah's Messenger along with a group of his Companions. He called me and said to the camel to sit down so that he should make me ride behind him. I felt shy to go with men and I remembered az-Zubair and his gheerah, and he was the man having the most gheerah. When the Messenger of Allaah understood my shyness, he left. I came to az-Zubair and said: 'The Messenger of Allaah met me as I was carrying the stones of the dates on my head, and there was with him a group of his Companions, he said to the camel to sit down so that I mount it, I felt shy from him, and remembered your gheerah.' Whereupon he (az-Zubair) said: 'By Allaah, the carrying of dates' stone upon your head is more severe a burden on me than riding with him.' [And I led this life of hardship] until Abu Bakr sent afterwards a female servant who took upon herself the responsibility of looking after the horse and I felt as if she had emancipated me(2)."
(2) al-Bukhari, Muslim and Ahmad; additional narration in brackets "[ ]" are from Muslim.
SubhanAllaah... a distance of two miles she would walk by foot carrying this load! Obviously she did not have anyone, such as her husband, with her or else the Messenger of Allaah :saw2: would not have offered, so of course there are limitations for women, and they are protected by not traveling alone, but regular day-to-day movement throughout the locality for things she has to do is perfectly normal. And obviously Islaam is more rational than to disallow that, walhamdulillaah.
Allaah knows best
