Women’s Rights in Afghanistan Lose Steam

As the world observed International Women's Day, news of the the fate of women in Afghanistan is discouraging. Since the US overthrow of the Taliban in Afghanistan a decade ago, women in urban communities gained basic human rights, including education, voting and the ability to step out onto public streets. But cultural resistance to equality in Afghanistan remains strong, reports Tom A. Peter for the Christian Science Monitor. Fear continues to grip women, particularly those in rural communities, and prevent their full participation in society: Female attendance at schools is few; parents force daughters into abusive marriages; families impose harsh punishments on disobedient women. Proposed regulations for women’s shelters – purportedly targeting health standards and mismanagement – have stirred new fears that government interference could reduce the number of safe havens for abused women, underlining little progress for women after a decade. – YaleGlobal

Women's Rights in Afghanistan Lose Steam

The fall of the Taliban may have brought change for many women in major urban areas, but today women run into cultural barriers that go beyond Taliban influence
Tom A. Peter
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
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