Discrimination Against Women in Afghanistan
By Mary Yoon
There are two main types of people seen in the world: women and men. With these two types, it has been a prominent trend, throughout all of history, to favor the men. Although with the recent feminist movements throughout different places in the world the patriarchy has been dwindling. However, some areas of this world are still largely male-dominated, with strong discrimination against the female sex. Women in Afghanistan have had it rather rough with the bumpiness of their rights in the past few decades, current acts of discrimination against them, and the difficultly in securing women’s rights.
Before the Soviets took over in 1979, leading the country into a turmoil that would continue to last until the present day, Afghanistan was a rather peaceful country for both men and women. While women still weren’t considered totally equal to men, they had many more opportunities to live full lives. The schools in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, consisted of 70% female teachers. The total number of doctors in this city was 40% women, and the government workers were half women. Soon when the Soviets took over everyone had a rough time, and women’s rights slowly started diminishing. After the Soviets were pushed out in 1989, a civil war broke out for the next six years. The day the Taliban came into power in 1996, women’s rights disappeared completely. While the Taliban originally seemed like a wonderful idea that would save the cities from the civil war that raged in their streets, they soon learned that the Taliban were more cruel then the war ever had been. Women were pushed into a domestic box with her entire life revolving around men. Women were not allowed to leave their house without a male escort, and when they did, they were forced to wear concealing burqas that only had a tiny screen from them to see through. Along with that they were not allowed to work outside of their home, and not allowed to attend schools. Additionally they were banned from enjoying the simplicities of life’s joys such as riding bikes, laughing loudly, and wearing clothes that were too vibrant. When the US-invaded, the Taliban fell, and presidential elections took place, it hope finally ensued for all of Afghanistan, especially the women. In 2004, a constitution was made, guarding women’s rights and declaring men and women equal citizens. It also advocated that women should make of 25% of the government. While this is only half of what it was pre-war, progress has still been made. (Women and Girls in Afghanistan)
While progress is seen in Afghanistan in terms of women’s rights, it’s still quite difficult to be a women living there. Life is difficult for women in domestic life, educational life, and religious life. In their domestic life, young girls in rural areas are often forced by her family to marry someone much older than her. And, often times, she meets this person on her wedding night. According to recent statistics, at least 50% of girls are married by the age of ten, and 60% by the age of sixteen. Some of these marriages are to someone up to sixty years old. One reason that girls are so quickly rushed into an arranged marriage has to do with the lack of protection that three decades of turmoil brought. There isn’t much protection for women against rape, or sexual abuse, except for marriage. In addition to domestic life, women face hard discrimination when it comes down to academic life. The statistics show that there is a large favor shown towards women when it comes to schooling. Only two-fifths of women attend elementary school, and only five percent attend school after 6th grade. On top of this, 90% of women are illiterate. When there’s such a hinder of women’s education, even if the economy did pull itself up and jobs became readily available to women, women still wouldn’t be able to qualify for these positions. In addition to these shocking statistics, there’s even more the social issue. Many of the people in Afghanistan don’t believe that women should be educated and the make it clear to them. Many women’s schools have fallen due to arson, and many schoolteachers have been both threatened and killed. It also is not safe for girls to attend school because often times they get physically harassed and attacked while on their way to the school building. Finally in addition to educational life, women’s religious life is also hard. According to the Shari’a, Islamic law, women are required to wear full burqas, and their testimonies are only worth half of what a men’s testimonies. (Trust in Education)
While women’s life is very hard, it’s also extremely hard to secure women’s right. While things seemed to look up in 2004, a couple of laws were passed in 2009 that were extremely discriminatory towards certain women in Afghanistan (Trust). So although good laws were passed in 2004, they were not secure for long. These laws were directed towards the Shi’a women, a minority in Afghanistan (Trust). These laws that were passed did not allow women to leave the house unless they had a legitimate reason (Trust). On top of this, marital rape is allowed (Trust). Shi’ite women are not allowed to inherit husband’s property, nor get educated without their permission (Trust). In addition to Shi’a women, altogether women’s rights are at risk, and the oppression continues. For instance, over the course of 2012, violet crimes against women in Afghanistan has rose 24%, and since the year 2004, the percentage of women involved in the government has fallen a total of 4% (Zucchino, David). One of the senior researchers for the Human Rights Watch in Afghanistan has said, “Signs are everywhere that a rollback for women’s rights has begun,” (Zucchino, David). In addition to the rights not being secure, those who attempt to help secure them are often times persecuted. For example, just last year, the head of women’s affairs in Eastern Afghanistan was blown up in her car due to a planted bomb, and a couple months after, her replacement was shot to death on her way to work (Zucchino, David). Although an effort is being made, women’s rights and equality will not come easy to Afghanistian.
Afghanistan is statistically the worse place to be a woman (Trust), and not much is currently being done in defense of them. Although certain laws are being passed in women’s favor, it’ll be a long road that may never end, until women are treated equally to men. Women in Afghanistan have had it rather rough with the bumpiness of their rights in the past few decades, have it rough with the current acts of discrimination against them, and will have it rough with the difficultly in securing the gains that have been made.
There are two main types of people seen in the world: women and men. With these two types, it has been a prominent trend, throughout all of history, to favor the men. Although with the recent feminist movements throughout different places in the world the patriarchy has been dwindling. However, some areas of this world are still largely male-dominated, with strong discrimination against the female sex. Women in Afghanistan have had it rather rough with the bumpiness of their rights in the past few decades, current acts of discrimination against them, and the difficultly in securing women’s rights.
Before the Soviets took over in 1979, leading the country into a turmoil that would continue to last until the present day, Afghanistan was a rather peaceful country for both men and women. While women still weren’t considered totally equal to men, they had many more opportunities to live full lives. The schools in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, consisted of 70% female teachers. The total number of doctors in this city was 40% women, and the government workers were half women. Soon when the Soviets took over everyone had a rough time, and women’s rights slowly started diminishing. After the Soviets were pushed out in 1989, a civil war broke out for the next six years. The day the Taliban came into power in 1996, women’s rights disappeared completely. While the Taliban originally seemed like a wonderful idea that would save the cities from the civil war that raged in their streets, they soon learned that the Taliban were more cruel then the war ever had been. Women were pushed into a domestic box with her entire life revolving around men. Women were not allowed to leave their house without a male escort, and when they did, they were forced to wear concealing burqas that only had a tiny screen from them to see through. Along with that they were not allowed to work outside of their home, and not allowed to attend schools. Additionally they were banned from enjoying the simplicities of life’s joys such as riding bikes, laughing loudly, and wearing clothes that were too vibrant. When the US-invaded, the Taliban fell, and presidential elections took place, it hope finally ensued for all of Afghanistan, especially the women. In 2004, a constitution was made, guarding women’s rights and declaring men and women equal citizens. It also advocated that women should make of 25% of the government. While this is only half of what it was pre-war, progress has still been made. (Women and Girls in Afghanistan)
While progress is seen in Afghanistan in terms of women’s rights, it’s still quite difficult to be a women living there. Life is difficult for women in domestic life, educational life, and religious life. In their domestic life, young girls in rural areas are often forced by her family to marry someone much older than her. And, often times, she meets this person on her wedding night. According to recent statistics, at least 50% of girls are married by the age of ten, and 60% by the age of sixteen. Some of these marriages are to someone up to sixty years old. One reason that girls are so quickly rushed into an arranged marriage has to do with the lack of protection that three decades of turmoil brought. There isn’t much protection for women against rape, or sexual abuse, except for marriage. In addition to domestic life, women face hard discrimination when it comes down to academic life. The statistics show that there is a large favor shown towards women when it comes to schooling. Only two-fifths of women attend elementary school, and only five percent attend school after 6th grade. On top of this, 90% of women are illiterate. When there’s such a hinder of women’s education, even if the economy did pull itself up and jobs became readily available to women, women still wouldn’t be able to qualify for these positions. In addition to these shocking statistics, there’s even more the social issue. Many of the people in Afghanistan don’t believe that women should be educated and the make it clear to them. Many women’s schools have fallen due to arson, and many schoolteachers have been both threatened and killed. It also is not safe for girls to attend school because often times they get physically harassed and attacked while on their way to the school building. Finally in addition to educational life, women’s religious life is also hard. According to the Shari’a, Islamic law, women are required to wear full burqas, and their testimonies are only worth half of what a men’s testimonies. (Trust in Education)
While women’s life is very hard, it’s also extremely hard to secure women’s right. While things seemed to look up in 2004, a couple of laws were passed in 2009 that were extremely discriminatory towards certain women in Afghanistan (Trust). So although good laws were passed in 2004, they were not secure for long. These laws were directed towards the Shi’a women, a minority in Afghanistan (Trust). These laws that were passed did not allow women to leave the house unless they had a legitimate reason (Trust). On top of this, marital rape is allowed (Trust). Shi’ite women are not allowed to inherit husband’s property, nor get educated without their permission (Trust). In addition to Shi’a women, altogether women’s rights are at risk, and the oppression continues. For instance, over the course of 2012, violet crimes against women in Afghanistan has rose 24%, and since the year 2004, the percentage of women involved in the government has fallen a total of 4% (Zucchino, David). One of the senior researchers for the Human Rights Watch in Afghanistan has said, “Signs are everywhere that a rollback for women’s rights has begun,” (Zucchino, David). In addition to the rights not being secure, those who attempt to help secure them are often times persecuted. For example, just last year, the head of women’s affairs in Eastern Afghanistan was blown up in her car due to a planted bomb, and a couple months after, her replacement was shot to death on her way to work (Zucchino, David). Although an effort is being made, women’s rights and equality will not come easy to Afghanistian.
Afghanistan is statistically the worse place to be a woman (Trust), and not much is currently being done in defense of them. Although certain laws are being passed in women’s favor, it’ll be a long road that may never end, until women are treated equally to men. Women in Afghanistan have had it rather rough with the bumpiness of their rights in the past few decades, have it rough with the current acts of discrimination against them, and will have it rough with the difficultly in securing the gains that have been made.