Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

A Chronic Problem with Trivial Solutions

As far as a decade ago, Afghan women were denied their basic human rights. The Taliban regime, under fanatic and radical views of Islamic teachings added to the tribal culture, allowed huge gender violence take place in Afghanistan. The problem however didn't emerge fist during Taliban; it was carried on from old ages in Afghanistan history when Afghan local culture tasked women to serve their men.

According to the tribal culture in Afghanistan, women were not considered as independent identities but as attachments to the opposite sex. Going through the recent centuries in the course of Afghanistan history, one can see strong evidences indicating superiority of Afghan male group over the female.

In an absolutely male-dominated tribal culture, denial of any civil, political and socio-economic rights of women is justified by certain empty talks. A mixed of religious and social principles ruled over Taliban's doctrine of violence against women.

I never forget a Taliban provincial governor naively justifying restrictions imposed on girls' schooling. He believed it was necessary to prevent girls from becoming literate or else they would easily communicate with their boyfriends.

Almost immediately following ouster of the radical fanatic regime, Afghan women stood up for their long-violated rights, with strong supports from international community and the Afghan government. As a result of the regime change, certain restrictions on women activities were lifted, they embarked on social, political and economic activities, and various short term programs and projects were launched to advocate women's rights.

President Karzai administration stood behind women renaissance in Afghanistan but lacked the strategic vision to embed women's rights in social and political arena. Afghan government and the international community failed to develop a reality-based, long term vision to improve women status in Afghanistan. To meet this objective, the stakeholders needed to focus on the roots causing violence against women and undermining their position as human being.

No sociologists or psychologists undertook the job in government or nongovernment organizations to identify the problem, discover causes and propose practical and effective solutions. Besides limited gender sensitive reforms in government policies and structures, pro-women activities were mostly undertaken by Afghan or foreign non-government organizations.

They have so far sought income-generating jobs rather than being concerned on women status in Afghanistan. Thus, this very approach will never help Afghan women in remote rural areas across Afghanistan, no matter how big achievements the implementing agencies claim to mislead donors.

More than security challenge, physical barriers and lack of capacity, Afghan women's participation in political, social, economic and military areas are challenged by male-dominated, fundamentalist, women-unfriendly cultural norms. To improve women status in Afghanistan, tribal cultural structures, religious understanding, political approach and the social norms should undergo a fundamental transformation.