The treatment of women in Afghanistan is a matter of concern that has caught the attention of people around the world. The abuse of women was especially notable during the period of Taliban rule (1996-2001). The Taliban leaders, with their extremely strict view of Islamic fundamentalism, were very oppressive in their treatment of women. During the time of the Taliban, Afghan women were denied education, jobs and medical care. They were kept in the home most of the time, and were forced to wear burqas that covered their entire faces and bodies whenever they went out in public. Furthermore, women were often abused physically if they did anything that men disapproved of.
The Taliban oppression of women was especially problematic because it was part of the government's official policy. Prior to the rule of the Taliban, Afghan husbands, fathers, religious leaders, and tribal leaders frequently treated women with acts of discrimination and abuse. However, such treatment was generally not encouraged by the official perspective of the government. In fact, some of the earlier governments made serious efforts to increase rights for women in Afghanistan. This could be seen, for example, during the time of the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, which existed from 1978 to 1992. The leaders of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan were actively involved in efforts to achieve equal rights for women in education, the workplace and politics. Despite these reform efforts, Afghan women continued to experience difficulties in their relationships and interactions with Afghan men. With this view in mind, this paper will discuss the lot of Afghan women in the pre-Taliban period under the Soviet-backed regime.
Gradual improvement in the rights of Afghani women began in 1880 with the reign of Abdur Rahman Khan. Although Abdur Rahman held the traditional view that women are unequal to men, he also believed that women should...