Sadly, women do not even have the power to advocate for change in their government. Karzai and his administration are trying their best to exclude women from politics. In the 2003 Loya Jirga, or peaceful gathering, a new Afghan constitution was considered. Western countries pushed Karzai to include women delegates in the convention. Women across Afghanistan campaigned for election to the committee to ensure that in the peace talks with the Taliban, women’s rights would not be compromised in exchange for peace. The deceptive nature of this convention soon became clear when Malalai Joya, a women’s representative, was thrown out of the conference for denouncing the Taliban, many of whose members were present and who had been granted amnesty for their ‘war crimes’ (Jalal et al., 2006). Another Loya Jirga was planned in 2009, to discuss the Taliban’s insurgency and try to reach a peaceful agreement. Although a few more women were present than previously, the meeting was postponed due to Taliban attacks, showing the true vulnerability of Afghan security and lives (“Peace Unveiled,” 2011). Furthermore, in the recent 2014 presidential elections, women have been deterred from voting due to Taliban attacks. Furthermore, a significant number of women still vote based on what was “suggested to them” (Mahr, 2014, p. 29). Most voting sites, even under heavy guard, are targets of Taliban suicide bombings or assaults on police, resulting in many deaths (Mahr, 2014). Even through attempts to include women in the governmental and voting process, the rights of women continue to be stifled by the fear of the still rampant Taliban and muted by the peace-seeking government.
Opponents of Afghan women’s rights argue that Westerners cannot hypothesize id...
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Levi, S. (2009, September). The long, long struggle for women's rights in Afghanistan. Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, 2(12). Retrieved from http://origins.osu.edu/article/long-long-struggle-women-s-rights-afghanistan
Mahr, K. (2014, April 14). Waiting for the Taliban. Time, 183(14), 24-38.
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Retrieved from http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/ photographers/afghan-girl-cover.html Peace unveiled [Television episode]. (2011, October 25). In P. Hogan, G. Reticker, A. E. Disney, & C. Rizzi (Producer), Women, war and peace. New York, NY: PBS.
Women in Afghanistan: The back story. (2013, October 25). Retrieved April 6, 2014, from Amnesty International UK website: http://www.amnesty.org.uk/womens-rights-afghanistan-history#.U0If0FzxWP8
Brown, A. Widney., and LaShawn R. Jefferson. "VI. ILLUSTRATIVE CASES." Afghanistan, Humanity Denied: Systematic Denial of Women's Rights in Afghanistan. New York, NY.: Human Rights Watch, 2001. 16+. Print
One of the main controversies in this book is the plight of women and men’s struggles. Although both experienced different kinds of inequalities, women were the target of the Taliban. In 1978, women in Kabul were demanding their rights during the Afghan Women’s Year. The president who was in charge then was president Daoud, and he decreed, “The Afghan woman has the same right as the Afghan man to exercise personal freedom, choose a career, and fins a partner in marriage” (53). This decree was absolutely invalid when the Taliban expelled a humanitarian organization that was run by women, and because of that, the Taliban took over Kabul. Women were not allowed to work outside of home. Because of that, Latifa mentions that women in Kabul usually just bake bread, do embroidery,
The society of the Taliban is almost a polar opposite of that in the United States. The group looks at women as having little to no rights and believes that their holy book, the Quran, gives reasoning to the roles of women as virtually sexual objects in their society. Their political leaders were not elected into their positions, but took them by force. It operates fifteen courts of law in Southern Afghanistan in the...
The women of Afghanistan have been enduring unfathomable suffering since the Taliban, a religious faction, seized control of the country in 1996. (NOTE TO STUDENT: my teacher gave me a B+ and said I would have had an A if I had had more detail on the Taliban's reasons for these laws) Since 1996 Afghan women have been living fear for their safety and lives. A myriad of discriminating laws has been placed on Afghan women. The punishments for violating these laws are unimaginably inhuman.
Since the tragedies of September 11th 2001, Americans have really opened their eyes to the political state of Afghanistan. The poor treatment of women in Afghanistan is an issue that, for many Americans, just seems to be coming to light as a serious concern that requires outside attention. Extreme Islamic leaders in the country persist in limiting the freedom that Afghan women have. Women in the Taliban-controlled country suffer unusually hideous acts of torment and are forced to abide by outrageous regulations because of stringent enforcement methods. Afghan women daily live lives restricted by Taliban law and risk having to endure cruel punishment and torture, yet Afghan political leaders continue to justify the their treatment of Afghan women.
The decree passed by president in year 2009 related to women's right were opposed by some of the conservative members of Parliament. Afghanistan has a cultural society where from the past and still up to this time majority of people abuse women and are opposed to the liberty of women in country. Still there are families who are ashamed of having a girl still there are families where a wife is considered to be as a slave, and still there are families who behave with a Mother as an enemy since she was not able to born a boy rather than a girl. The decree passed by President Hamid Karzai was due to the high percentage of violation against women in the country, where more than 3000 violence cases were record against women. This decree was based on the article 22 of Afghanistan constitution, which states that “The citizens of Afghanistan, men and women, have equal rights and duties before the law" (Afghanistan, 2004). Based on this article of constitution we can find out that men and women are equal before law and this law insures all the liberty given to a man will be same for a woman. Unfortunately, according to biannual report given by Human right commission "violence against women" there are four different type of violence practiced against women in different parts of country. The main reason behind the violence taking place against women are related to Economical condition of a family, literacy level of a family, cultural background of the family as well as usage of drug has caused several violation act by husband and their family members against a woman. In addition, the result of violence is almost same in every place of country (beating, Sexual abuse, forced marriages, denial access to education, Emotional and Psychological Abuse and murder). In this paper I will focus on the policies taken place by the government of Afghanistan and their failure; as well, I will focus on establishing some policies in order to limit or to band all the abuses happening against women in the country.
What if you risked being assaulted every time you left your home? How would you feel if your husband was in control of every aspect of your life? Afghanistan women encounter both of these circumstances on a day-to-day basis. Many are faced with physical and emotional abuse by their husbands and families. Women’s rights in Afghanistan were majorly affected by the rule of the Taliban, a government group who stripped women of their human rights, established discriminating laws, and whose legacy still affects Afghan women today.
The women of Afghanistan have been through every hardship imaginable. Khaled Hosseini uses his novel A Thousand Splendid Suns to show his readers how women’s rights changed through out the last half of the 20th century and how the different governments affected the women differently.
Throughout recent history, Afghanistan has been a country in turmoil. Famine, drought, civil war and Taliban rule have all had a significant impact on the Afghani people. While this has taken a very negative toll on all Afghan people, I believe, that none have been more negatively impacted than the women of Afghanistan. Having said that, not everything the Western world deems as a negative is also considered negative by the women and men of Afghanistan. One only has to read this quote, “Wearing the burqua is not mandatory, but few women are rushing to remove them” (Germani 14). While the Taliban and al-Qaida’s rule had a great negative impact from 1996-2001 and obviously oppressive to all Afghani women. They were not the sole source of oppression felt by the Afghan females as stated in this quote, “The roots of patriarchal oppression go deep in Afghan society - far deeper than the Taliban or al-Qaida.”(Rostami-Povey, E. 2007)
Travesties are committed against women every day, in every country, in every city, town and home. In Afghanistan women are not only discriminated against, they are publicly reduced to animals. Women are deprived of basic human rights: they are not allowed to travel outside their homes without being completely covered by the traditional shroud-like burqa; they are not allowed to speak or walk loudly in public; they are not allowed to laugh or speak with other women; they are not allowed to attend school nor work; they are expected to be invisible; they are the ghosts of what were once educated, notable, and successful women. With their ruthless and extreme laws, the Taliban have effectively removed the physical presence of women in Afghanistan. The Taliban have stolen the very souls of these women and have turned them into the “living dead” of Afghanistan. The Taliban’s harsh restrictions and extreme religious laws have tainted the freedoms and basic human rights of the once valued and prominent women of Afghanistan.
They are involved in politics, before they were not allowed to be doing the things that are doing today. from getting help and a lot of effort these women's lives have changed. According to Afghan Women Seeing Hope in the Ballot Box. “ many women are quick to note that little has changed outside of the cities; in rural Afghanistan, where most women live, women are still more than property to their brothers, fathers and husbands.” The quote is saying that even though the Taliban is not in control anymore, in the rural areas nothing has changed. Theses women are still being treated bad and are not allowed to do anything. women in small places still belong to their families. According to Christina Lamb in Afghan Women Dread Departure of U.S. Forces. “ The situation for women is very bad, even for women like me in positions of power.”(Lamb). The quote is saying that even though some of the rules have changed for women, some women are still in danger. the women who speak out or are apart of
The novel A Thousand Splendid Suns explores the plight of women in Afghanistan; the focus is put on three women Nana, Mariam and Laila. Women in Afghanistan often face difficult and unfortunate situations. In this essay we will examine some of these unfortunate situations for women.
It is difficult to realize the harsh standards and obligations imposed upon women of different cultures. It is especially disappointing to note that women whom may seek to relieve themselves of such discriminatory practices, face little to no government support in terms of fighting inequality. Such as distinguished in text The War Against Feminism, women of Algeria must fight against patriarchal and incredibly sexist political movements, such as the “Islamic Salvation Front,” which although was banned, had won an election and the promotion of their platform’s ideas despite their notions consisting of extreme patriarchal views and their actual assassinations of individuals not compliant with their beliefs. I also strongly agreed with the United Nations decision to aid individuals from fear of the Taliban, in their stating of refusing to continue aid to Afghanistan if intense cruel practices were to continue. The interference of other government agencies in helping to promote the end of cruelty, such as was occurring by the Taliban, act as great movement of defiance against
Women in Afghanistan don’t have as much freedom or no rights compared to the men in their country. Men are seen as strong ,controlling and Powerful. They often say that women are treated worse than the animals. Women are not treated really well in Afghanistan Men and Women should be treated the same.Hopefully one day we will see the rights and responsibilities change and women are valued as much as men
Education of women in Afghanistan is still a big problem facing the Afghan community. The serious situation of illiterate women in Afghanistan ins...