Girls’ education and the inclusion of girls and women back in the mainstream of Afghan society are ways that can help empower women in Afghanistan. Women have been left at the fringes of Afghan society after the 1970s. Women who were well educated, doctors, teachers, professors suddenly found their personal freedom and rights snatched away. During the Taliban regime, women suffered the worst atrocities and human rights violations. But they are slowly crawling back to normalcy since the Taliban ouster more than a decade ago.

Some problems faced by Afghan women are:

Child marriage: Child marriage is still extremely common in Afghanistan. 60% of girls are married off by the time they are 16. Women are still considered as possessions to be given away or even bartered. Many of these young girls are married off to older men for money. Girls hardly have a say in choosing their groom in an extremely conservative society.

Low rate of girls’ education: Girls’ education is a priority for most aid organization working on the ground. And the progress is encouraging. More girls are encouraged to attend schools and colleges. Yet, the enrollment of girls is still only 40%. This needs a lot of work going forward.

Health problems: Being married off at low age and having children very early poses risks like mother and child mortality and health risks for women. Women have 5 children on an average! Most women die during pregnancy and childbirth than anywhere else in the world. Widows are a large part of the population and don’t have many ways of rehabilitation.

Few opportunities: Due to low levels of education and lesser skills, most Afghan women have no ways to be gainfully employed. A conservative society still keeps them cloistered or allows them to go out with a male escort or fully covered. Women have a very low legal standing. Their word is considered to be of lesser value than that of a man.

Steps taken to aid women’s empowerment in Afghanistan

A newly adopted Constitution states that a man and a woman have equal rights and opportunities. Women are now allowed to work and also hold positions in public office. Implementation is still far from satisfactory.

A domestic violence Act has been passed to punish wrongdoing against women. It is also encouraged that women come out and complain and file cases.

More girls are being encouraged to join schools by having more all-girls schools and training more women teachers. Yet due to threats from extremists and conservative things, most Afghans still do not send their girls to school.

The minimum age of marriage has been raised from 16 to 17. Yet, many men and parents openly flout this rule.

More attention is being paid to women’s health. Thus it has been seen that child mortality rates have come down by half. And women dying during pregnancy and childbirth have also decreased.

Though these are only drops in the ocean yet a beginning of change has been made. We hope and pray that women’s empowerment in Afghanistan continues as an ongoing process. This is not only crucial for peace and stability of Afghanistan but also for its economic progress.

For all my articles on women’s empowerment in Afghanistan, do see my webchannel on Film Annex.

Reference Link: www.trustineducation.org/why-afghanistan/life-as-an-afghan-woman/