Status
of
women
in
Afghanistan
Introduction
Before the Taliban:
The culture of Afghanistan is traditionally nomadic and tribal, the terrain is
harsh and unforgiving, and the population sparse and diverse.
From the 19th century and through the twentieth century the rulers of
Afghanistan consistently attempted to lessen women's restrictions in the
country.
For the most part, these attempts were unsuccessful; however, there were a
few leaders who were able to make some significant changes for the time
period.
Reforms were first implemented by Amir Abdur Rahman when he ascended
the throne in the 1880's.
He tried to change the custom of widows being forced to marry a brother
or kin of their deceased husband, a custom stemming from the view that
women were property of their husband's family.
He also raised the age of marriage and permitted women to divorce in
special circumstances.
From l901 to 1919, Amir Habibullah Khan was the ruling monarch,
continuing the progressive policies of Abdur Rahman after his death.
The wives of Amir Habibullah were seen publicly unveiled and in Western
clothing.
This was not accepted by tribal leaders and mullahs who were further
distessed by the opening of a school that permitted women.
Habibullah was assassinated in l919.
His son King Amanullah and Queen Soraya ascended to the throne, and began a
mission of modernization in Afghanistan.
Women could choose not to wear the veil, and were encouraged to go to
school.
Some women were even sent to Europe to study. Queen Soraya and her mother
founded the first women's magazine in Afghanistan, and the Women's Protective
Association was formed by Amanullah's sister.
During the twenties conflict between tribal leaders and modernists escalated.
Amanullah changed laws in l924, to allow women to choose their partners and
eliminated the bride price.
By l928, traditionalists were inflamed to the point of protesting these changes for
women in Kabul, and when the marriage age was raised to 18 for girls, and
polygamy was banned, the Loya Jirga, a group of tribal leaders, put enough pressure
on Amanullah that he was forced to reverse the reforms.
The veil became mandatory, it was forbidden for women to cut their hair, schools for
girls were abolished, and mullahs were given total control. Regardless of these changes,
the King was forced to abdicate his throne in l929. No future monarch was brave
enough to instigate any reforms for women.
.
The royal family and government were seen with their wives and daughters unveiled in
public. Once again, women could choose whether or not to wear the veil, and were
encouraged to work outside the home.
In the l960's, a socialist reform began, along with further dependency upon the Soviet
Union. Many Afghan's studied in the Soviet Union, and a left-wing modernizing elite
formed. In l964, women were given the right to vote and to enter government.
In the l970's, many women began to attire themselves in Western clothing. Women
were being educated in universities and working as representatives in government.
In l973, the monarchy was overthrown by Muhammad Daud who declared himself
president.
He was overthrown, in l978, by leftist military officers. The new president was Noor
Muhammad Taraki, and his lieutenant Hafizullah Amin became Prime Minister.
A revolutionary program that included land reform and the emancipation of women
began.
These reforms were intolerable for traditionalists and armed revolt was instigated by
the mullahs and tribal leaders. In l979, Prime Minister Amin created a reign of terror
by arresting and killing opponents and took over rule of Afghanistan while Tarik was
off in Moscow, only to return to be executed by Amin.
The rebels controlled most of rural Afghanistan by the summer of '79, and Amin
refused to abide Soviet directives to moderate his policies.
The Soviet Union invaded on December 25, l979.
The next decade was fraught with violence and destruction, but it was during this
time that women's rights reached their pinnacle in Afghanistan's history: 50% of
teachers, government employees and students were women, and 40% of doctors
were women.
When the Soviet Union left in l989, the nation fell into chaos, and women's
rights quickly eroded.
By 1992, the beginning of civil war, women were precluded from public
service, and by 1994 women were only seen in public in the burqa.
The Taliban ruled from l996 - 2001. During their rule, they implemented the
strictest form of Sharia law seen in any nation.
They banned movies, dancing, music, clapping during sports events, kite flying,
beard trimming, television, hanging pictures in homes, satellite dishes, chess, alcohol,
anything made from human hair, nail polish, statues, dolls, pictures or photos of any
living thing.
The 'religious police' beat - with long sticks - any man who shaved or any woman
not wearing her burqa properly.
Adulterers were stoned to death, and the hands of thieves were amputated.
Taliban restrictions and mistreatment of women include the:
1- Complete ban on women's work outside the home, which also applies to female teachers,
engineers and most professionals. Only a few female doctors and nurses are allowed to
work in some hospitals in Kabul.
2- Complete ban on women's activity outside the home unless accompanied by a mahram
(close male relative such as a father, brother or husband).
3- Ban on women dealing with male shopkeepers.
4- Ban on women being treated by male doctors.
5- Ban on women studying at schools, universities or any other educational institution.
(Taliban have converted girls' schools into religious seminaries.)
6- Requirement that women wear a long veil (Burqa), which covers them from head to toe.
7- Whipping, beating and verbal abuse of women not clothed in accordance with Taliban
rules, or of women unaccompanied by a mahram.
8- Whipping of women in public for having non-covered ankles.
9- Public stoning of women accused of having sex outside marriage. (A number of lovers are
stoned to death under this rule).
10- Ban on the use of cosmetics. (Many women with painted nails have had fingers cut off).
11- Ban on women talking or shaking hands with non-mahram males.
12- Ban on women laughing loudly. (No stranger should hear a woman's voice)
.
13- Ban on women wearing high heel shoes, which would produce sound
while walking. (A man must not hear a woman's footsteps.)
14- Ban on women riding in a taxi without a mahram.
15- Ban on women's presence in radio, television or public gatherings of any
kind.
16- Ban on women playing sports or entering a sport center or club.
17- Ban on women riding bicycles or motorcycles, even with their mahrams.
18- Ban on women's wearing brightly colored clothes. In Taliban terms, these are
"sexually attracting colors."
19- Ban on women gathering for festive occasions such as the Eids, or for any
recreational purpose.
20- Ban on women washing clothes next to rivers or in a public place.
21- Modification of all place names including the word "women." For example,
"women's garden" has been renamed "spring garden".
22- Ban on women appearing on the balconies of their apartments or houses.
23- Compulsory painting of all windows, so women can not be seen from outside
their homes.
Apart from the above restrictions on women, the Taliban has:
-Banned listening to music, not only for women but men as well.
-Banned the watching of movies, television and videos, for everyone.
-Banned celebrating the traditional new year (Nowroz) on March 21. The Taliban has
proclaimed the holiday un-Islamic
-.
-Disavowed Labor Day (May 1st), because it is deemed a "communist" holiday.
-Ordered that all people with non-Islamic names change them to Islamic ones.
-Forced haircuts upon Afghan youth.
- Ordered that men wear Islamic clothes and a cap.
-Ordered that men not shave or trim their beards, which should grow long enough to
protrude from a fist clasped at the point of the chin.
-Ordered that all people attend prayers in mosques five times daily.
-Banned the keeping of pigeons and playing with the birds, describing it as un-Islamic. The
violators will be imprisoned and the birds shall be killed.
- The kite flying has also been stopped.
-Ordered all onlookers, while encouraging the sportsmen, to chant Allah-o-Akbar (God is
great) and refrain from clapping.
- Ban on certain games including kite flying which is "un-Islamic" according to Taliban.
-Anyone who carries objectionable literature will be executed.
-Anyone who converts from Islam to any other
religion will be executed.
-All boy students must wear turbans. They say "No
turban, no education".
-Non-Muslim minorities must distinct badge or stitch
a yellow cloth onto their dress to be differentiated
from the majority Muslim population. Just like what
did Nazis with Jews.
- Banned the use of the internet by both ordinary
Afghans and foreigners.
More than 175 programs affecting women have been
implemented since the Karzai government was put into
power following the invasion and ousting of the Taliban, the
constitution reserves 25 seats for women; access to
education has improved drastically, and many women are
now working outside the home. At least in Kabul.
This is one of the major problems: the improvements are
difficult to find anywhere outside of the capital. And within
Kabul, according to Afghan women, there was a greater
feeling of hope and freedom directly following the
changeover of government.
The Taliban government has been replaced by a government that is largely made
up of warlords, and so the West has essentially propped up a group of
tribesmen who are corrupt beyond the pale and eerily similar to the Taliban in
their views toward women, having little desire to protect women under fire
from extremists, or the Taliban.
The coalition forces are also negligent in protecting women who are known
targets. What these women receive is a letter from the police on a monthly
basis informing them of death threats.
The loathing of women's equality is so extreme that the punishment for men
who discuss or disseminate information on women's rights is beyond severe.
In October, 2007, journalism student Parwez Kambaksh was arrested and given
the death penalty for blasphemy against Islam: he had asked questions about
women's rights in class, and distributed an article he downloaded off the internet
about women's rights and Islam.
Education in Afghanistan is very low, especially for women. Approximately 15%
of females can read and write but this is now increasing due to the high number of
girls attending schools throughout the country.
As of 2011, there are around 8 million students in Afghanistan, 37% of them are
females.
About 82,000 students are enrolled in different universities around the country.[24]
In the early twentieth century, education for women was extremely rare due to
the lack of schools for girls.
Occasionally girls were able to receive an education on the primary level but they
never moved past the secondary level.[5] During Zahir Shah's reign (1933-1973)
education for women became a priority and young girls began being sent to
schools.
At these schools, girls were taught discipline, new technologies, ideas, and
socialization in society.[5]
In this atmosphere of hatred towards women's equality the following list of some of
the women who have been killed or received death threats in Afghanistan shouldn't
come as a surprise.
October 13, 2008: a man murders his 18-year-old daughter in law with 7 blows of an
ax in front of her family when she refuses to return to her husband after visiting her
family for Eid. The head of Women's Affairs for Samangan, Hanisha Afna, has urged
punishment for the crime which could be considered an 'honor killing'.
September 21, 2008: Malalai Kakar, Afghanistan's most senior female police officer is
gunned down by Taliban on motorcycles while in her car in Kandahar; her son, who
was her driver, was critically injured in the ambush. She had been receiving death
threats for over a year.
July 14, 2008: two women in blue burqa's are shot and killed by Taliban outside
Ghazni city; they were accused of running a prostitution ring.
June, 2008: Bibi Hoor, policewoman, is gunned down by men on motorcycles in Herat.
She is the first policewoman to be assassinated.
May 21, 2007: MP Malalai Joya, is ousted from the lower house of parliament for
comparing the war lords with a stable of animals.
She can not keep track of the death threats she has received since her first speech
to the council in 2003; she has survived 4 assassination attempts
. Her situation is rare in that she actually has some security, bodyguards, to help
protect her.
Sept. 25, 2006: Safia Ama Jan, the head of Kandahar's Women's Affairs Department is
shot and killed while walking to her office. She was a teacher for 3 decades who fought
for women's rights; during the Taliban rule she ran an underground school for girls.
July 3, 2006: 8 female college students are wounded in an explosion in a women's English
class at Herat University.
May 18, 2005: Shaima Rezayee, host of an MTV style music show, is shot in the head in
her Kabul home.
June 26, 2004: 2 women are killed and 13 wounded from a bomb exploding on a bus
carrying female election workers on their way to register women voters.
Over a decade after the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States and the
military campaign in Afghanistan, there is some good news, but still much bad news
pertaining to women in Afghanistan.
The situation for Afghan girls and women remains deplorable, despite concerted
efforts to improve their freedoms, rights, and quality of life.
In a June 2011 global survey, Afghanistan was named as the “world’s most
dangerous country in which to be born a woman.” Afghanistan has staggering
maternal mortality rates, poor and inaccessible health care, decades of conflicts,
and “near total lack of economic rights,” rendering the country “a very
dangerous place for women”.
In addition, “women who do attempt to speak out or take on public roles that
challenge ingrained gender stereotypes of what is acceptable for women to do
or not, such as working as policewomen or news broadcasters, are often
intimidated or killed” according to Antonella Notari of Women Change Makers.
The U.S. and international donors committed to Afghanistan’s reconstruction
have been active lately in promoting Afghan women’s rights and supporting
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), UN agencies, and some
government entities in the efforts to empower Afghan women politically,
economically, educationally, and even in law enforcement.
Overall, the situation for girls and women in Afghanistan remains bleak
and tragic