October is a difficult month as we recognize Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence. Recently, there have been articles acknowledging that one of the justifications for our fight in Afghanistan was to liberate women. Ten years later, there have been few strides forward, and some steps backward, and we have begun to see it isn’t as simple as some had imagined.
In the U.S., we want our government to step up for us and offer protection. It doesn’t always happen that way, but we do have that expectation.
This morning, NPR reported a victory for women in Afghanistan. Last year, there was talk about putting women’s shelters under the Afghan government. There was an outcry from women’s rights activists saying that by doing so, they would create a prison environment. The law said that before women could enter the shelters, they would government approval and to submit to virginity tests.
In recent months, there has been progress in making the law more acceptable and allowing the shelters to continue to be independent. However, something they are continuing to fight to change is the regulation that a woman leaving the shelter can only leave if she is moving into the home of a male relation. In many cases, the male relation may be the reason she is in the shelter in the first place.
Overall, this is a victory for women in Afghanistan.
Lawrence, Q. (2011, September 26). Afghan Women Fight Back, Preserve Shelters : NPR. NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. Retrieved September 26, 2011, from http://www.npr.org/2011/09/26/140709134/afghan-women-fight-back-preserve-shelters
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