Freedom of harm in Afghanistan

As human beings we all have human rights that guarantee a dignified

life regardless our skin color, language or religion. However some

countries in the world don’t recognize these rights and deprive people

of their liberties. This type of issue is presented in Afghanistan, where

many human rights are violated specially afghan women’s freedoms.

In the year 2011 Afghanistan was named as the “world’s most

dangerous country in which to be born a woman”. A study by the UN in

2010 pointed that the traditional practices that violate women’s rights

and freedoms include child or forced marriage, isolation of women in

their homes and murders.

During the decade of 1970 before the Taliban came to power, afghan

women had a “normal” life where their rights and freedoms were

respected by society. Unfortunately the Taliban took control of

Afghanistan’s government in 1996 and plunged it into a brutal state of

totalitarian dictatorship in which women and girls were stripped of

their basic human rights. The Taliban imposed strict “rules” such as:

Closed schools to girls and women, prohibited women from leaving

their homes unless accompanied by a male relative, forced women to

wear the burqa ( article of clothing that completely covers the body,

except eyes) and many more injustices. Women were brutally beaten

and killed for violating these Taliban decrees. In the year 2011

the American military forces defeated Taliban regime, liberating

women and girls from the Taliban injustices. However, many afghan

women and girls still live without basic necessities and nearly 1000

girls’ schools have been attacked, because of the inadequate security

forces. These attacks have a clear common motive that is the intention

to undermine the authority of the central government and make

people afraid to use governmental services.

Another aspect that supports these types of injustices against women

is the country’s political system, because they believe everything they

do is for a benefit and even though it is not, politicians excuse