Women's rights in Afghanistan
Women of Afghanistan in 200
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|
| Gender Inequality Index | |
|---|---|
| Value | 0.712 (2012) |
| Rank | 147th |
| Maternal mortality (per 100,000) | 460 (2010) |
| Women in parliament | 27.6% (2012) |
| Females over 25 with secondary education | 5.8% (2010) |
| Women in labour force | 16% (2014) |
| Global Gender Gap Index | |
| Value | NR (2012) |
| Rank | NR out of 144 |
Women's rights in Afghanistan have gradually improved in the last decade under the Karzai administration. Through different rulers such as the mujahideen and the Taliban in the later part of the 20th century, women had a lot to struggle about to gain freedoms and reform a society that is primarily male dominant. Violence against women in Afghanistan remains high, and international observers noted improving as the country slowly progresses, though rights groups have expressed renewed concerns in 2014.
Afghans lived in Afghanistan for thousands of years. Of all of the ethnic groups, the Pashtuns are the largest followed by Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks and others. 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. Among them was King Amanullah, who ruled from 1919 to 1929 and made some of the more noteworthy changes in an attempt to unify as well as modernize the country.
King Amanullah, along with other rulers following him, promoted freedom for women in the public sphere in order to lessen the control that patriarchal families had over women. King Amanullah stressed the importance for young girls and women to receive an education. Along with encouraging families to send their daughters to school, he promoted the unveiling of women and persuaded them to adopt a more western style of dress. In 1921, he created a law that abolished forced marriage, child marriage, bride price, and put restrictions on polygamy, a common practice among households in Afghanistan. However, over time these restrictions became nearly impossible to enforce.
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Wikipedia