Rights of Afghan Women

Introduction

Women's lack of basic human rights in Afghanistan has a profound influence on their maternal experiences. Afghan women had gradually gained rights throughout the 20th century. However, conflicts of the late 20th century resulted in those rights being systematically stripped away. These conflicts included the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan from 1979-89, followed by civil war and government collapse, and then Taliban control of the country from 1996-2001. The Taliban was especially significant as it enforced strict gender segregation and forbade women from attending school, working outside the home, leaving the home unless accompanied by a male relative, appearing in public without wearing the burqa, or seeing a male doctor.

During Taliban rule, women's social roles were limited to that of wife and mother; those who stepped outside of these social roles could be stoned, beaten, and even executed. There are a number of documented instances where mothers were publicly beaten or jailed when their daughters were accused of extramarital affairs or other gender-related infractions.

Discussion

In 1998, a study proved that the Taliban policies have impacted the mental health of women causing severe depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Afghan women were brutally beaten for walking on the streets without a male chaperone. Women were also not allowed to receive healthcare from a male doctor. Even if they were, they must be in the presence of a male chaperone and they are not treated as a normal patient. Women were to be examined though their clothing and surgery is not an option. There were not very many hospitals that even accepted women and some of those that did women had to deliver their child on the floor. Due to the Taliban, many women doctors and nurses moved out of Afghanistan. There also weren't very many specialists, therefore if a woman needed surgery she had to go to Pakistan.

Many women cannot afford the trip, so they are unable to receive the adequate healthcare. In one instance, a woman was bleeding and waiting for her unborn child to die because she could not afford an antigen for an R-H incompatibility. Afghan women who used to work and were able to support their family were not allowed to work anymore. Many of these women became widows due to Taliban bombing, and were forced on the streets to beg. Begging became a job for women and was very common. Everywhere you went, you would see women on the streets begging for money to feed their children. The Taliban's restrictions deprived women of their rights greatly.

Since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, the United States has been a tremendous help in Afghan women's healthcare. First Lady Laura Bush has greatly impacted these women by offering them a safe environment to take care of themselves. There are many women who have taken charge in leadership roles across the country. The United States has been committed to the full participation of women in all aspects of Afghan society.

The National Women's Dormitory and the Women's Teacher ...