Women's role in Afghan culture - The 80's and present day

Women in Afghan culture live by very strict rules, which restrict their actions and every day decisions. Here are just a few simple things which, even now, Afghan women are expected to do.

• Women and men  have different roles in the family, men are the bread winners whereas women should be doing housework and looking after the children.
• Women and men are not meant to mix too much, and free mixing between genders only takes place in families, and women must avoid eye contact with men to maintain their reputation as a 'proper woman'.
• Women are expected to dress appropriately, making sure none of their body shape can be distinguished. They are also advised to wear a headscarf.

Even just looking at these 3 things we can see how different it is to be a woman in Afghan culture compared to us, we are allowed to wear almost anything we like and can go on to work at a job we like. 

Things were improving, more girls are allowed to go to school, resulting in more women getting jobs. When the however when the Taliban took over this was no longer the case, women were sent back home to do domestic work as before, and once again became controlled by the male figures in their lives, even though they had had a good education and job. Some women did not want to stop working, and even tried to continue their job secretly, women who used to be teachers would educate girls privately without anyone knowing. If it had been found out they were still working they would have been arrested and even tortured. 

The segregation between female and non-relative males was reinforced. Men and women could not ride on the same bus, and from the age of eight they were allowed no contact with men who were not blood relatives.

Women were no longer allowed to be independent at all, the Taliban even made a law as soon as they took over, that women were not to leave the house without the company of a male relative. This meant that if a woman had no male relatives or a husband she would be under permanent house arrest. They also were not allowed out without a Burqa to cover their whole body and hide any signs of their body shape. If they did not own one then, again, they would be under house arrest.

These extreme rules and punishments have not improved much. Women are still under harsh rules and are oppressed by men. Many of the practices in Afghan culture deny women simple rights, such as stoning and baad. There are organizations working to help women who are oppressed in Afghan culture, however it is very difficult as a culture is part of life and it may be viewed as inappropriate to interfere. Women may also feel that they should not accept the help as they are meant to live the way they do because of their culture, and they would not want to dishonour it.

Over all women in Afghan culture were and still are oppressed, both by their culture, the Taliban and male figures. It is still very difficult for them to be independent because of the way they think they should be living.