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Afghanistan Women |
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THE PLIGHT
OF THE AFGHAN WOMEN
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The
vast majority of Afghanistan's population professes to be followers
of Islam. Over 1400 years ago, Islam demanded that men and women be
equal before God, and gave them various rights such the right to inheritance,
the right to vote, the right to work, and even choose their own partners
in marriage. For centuries now in Afghanistan, women have been denied
these rights either by official government decree or by their own
husbands, fathers, and brothers. During the rule of the Taliban (1996
- 2001), women were treated worse than in any other time or by any
other society. They were forbidden to work, leave the house without
a male escort, not allowed to seek medical help from a male doctor,
and forced to cover themselves from head to toe, even covering their
eyes. Women who were doctors and teachers before, suddenly were forced
to be beggars and even prostitutes in order to feed their families.
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Since the fall of the Taliban in
late 2001, many would agree that the political and cultural position
of Afghan women has improved substantially. The recently adopted
Afghan constitution states that "the citizens of Afghanistan
- whether man or woman- have equal rights and duties before the
law". So far, women have been allowed to return back to work,
the government no longer forces them to wear the all covering burqa,
and they even have been appointed to prominent positions in the
government. Despite all these changes many challenges still remain.
The repression of women is still prevalent in rural areas where
many families still restrict their own mothers, daughters, wives
and sisters from participation in public life. They are still forced
into marriages and denied a basic education. Numerous school for
girls have been burned down and little girls have even been poisoned
to death for daring to go to school.
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 MORE
AFFORDABLE HOTELS IN AFGHANISTAN
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