In the Recently concluded Summer Olympics in London, Women from Islamic Country made a first step towards participation in sports by participating in some events. This might seem a small thing for people of Non Islamic countries, but this a big leap for future aspiring Islamic Women where some restrictions are enforced on the name of Religion. Despite this success, the biggest hurdle comes for Women who are bought up in War Ravaged Countries such as Afghanistan.
With American troops withdrawing from Afghanistan, it could be difficult for Organizations such as Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) to maintain the modest Women’s rights that have made encouraging gains over the past decade. Despite this Women should not be threatened and should find solace in sacrifices and successes achieved by different Afghanistan Women. Below Video talks about how Elaha Mahboob, a web design manager and software developer at Citadel Software Company in Herat, Afghanistan Is using digital media to help Afghan women.
Today Afghan Women have run for office, been named to government posts and become more involved in Afghan society. Some of the common Sightings of Afghan Women are
- Female lieutenants of the Afghan Air Force
- Female officers of the Afghan National Police
- Afghan women at a textile factory in Kabul
- Afghan female students outside Kabul Medical University
The Afghan Constitution of 2004 guaranteed equal rights and the amendment in 2009 banned violence against women and set new penalties for underage and forced marriage, rape and other abuses. Despite this much still remains to be done.
Lot of Afghan girls are still not in school, girls have been attacked. In some rural areas, families trade daughters into marriage or prostitution to settle debts. Women abused by their husbands or families too often end up in jail instead of their abusers. As a famous saying goes ‘there is light behind a dark tunnel’, the Afghan Women will be hoping for the same.
The international donors understand the importance of Women in Afghanistan society and their role. Despite major focus on building Afghanistan’s Army and infrastructure projects, there is a strong international will to help Afghan Women. The Afghan society will have to change their view on women and work whole heatedly towards empowering women.
