Oppression of Afghan Women

There have been many disputes over whether or not Afghan women have been liberated from oppression. After the Taliban regime fell, President Karzai signed the Declaration of Essential Rights of Afghan Women. This stated that women must receive equal protection under the law. This brought about signs of hope and lessened the oppression of women however the Taliban are resurgent and people do not feel safe. Still, in some villages there is violence against women, arranged marriages and high maternal mortality rates. Sima Wali gives her input on why she believes Afghan women have been liberated and Noy Thrupkaew opposes her argument with why he feels they have not. Women were horribly oppressed under the control of the Taliban. Women were prohibited from working outside their homes, attending school, or appearing in public without a close male relative. They were forced to ride on “women only” busses, couldn’t wear brightly colored clothes, and the windows of their house had to be painted so that people outside could not see them. If they committed a crime the punishment was a public stoning and they were not entitled to petition a court directly. In this oppressive environment, RAWA (Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan) opened schools and hospitals for Afghan women and girls. Then in January of 2002, president Karzai signed the Declaration of Essential Rights of Afghan Women as mentioned before. This gave women equal rights to both education and political participation and the freedoms of movement, speech and dress (they no longer had to wear the burqa). Women were guaranteed a percentage of seats in both the upper and lower legislative houses. Even the first women-managed radio station in Kabul came on air. Sima Wali provided her insight and her opinion on why she feels women’s oppression has been liberated. However an opposing argument made by Noy Thrupkaew explains why he feels women have not been completely liberated. Noy states that