In the wake of September 11th,
the world has learned of the tragic oppression that Afghan women
have suffered under the Taliban. Although Afghan women have been released from the oppression of the Taliban, they have not been released from the effects of it. After 23 years of war, most
of these women are widows. It is estimated that there are more
than 1,500,000 widows in Afghanistan. In Kabul alone, there are
70,000 widows. Most of these women have six or more children
to support.
Traditionally, the next living male relative would
take responsibility for the care and support of the widow. The
problem now is that many of these men have died. Many
of the surviving male relatives are disabled due to land mines.
The men who have survived the war intact are unable to find work and are too poor to support another family.
In this patriachal culture, these women have lost the very foundation of their survival. They now find themselves unprepared and without the necessary skills and resources to support their children. These women struggle daily to obtain food, clothing, and shelter. This situation has left these women with no choice but to beg
in the streets. Many have given their children to orphanages
because they are unable to care for them. Six-year-old boys are
working as shoe shiners or selling newspapers and cigarettes
on the street to support their families.
These women were denied the
right to an education and the right to work while the Taliban
were in power. Therefore, they are unskilled and have no way
to rise above the poverty to become contributing, self-supporting members
of their society and remain impotent to improve their circumstances. The women who were educated and skilled prior
to the Taliban oppression have been out of the work force for
so long that their skills are not up to par with the current
standards. Desperation, hopelessness, and loss have become a way of life.
Already, over 1,000,000 refugees
have returned to Afghanistan, creating a crisis. Their homes
are either completely destroyed or in ruins. Most are living in tent cities or refugee camps which are shells of bombed out buildings which are structurally unsafe,
or in the remains of the home they once had, with nowhere to
go.
Afghanistan is still covered in land mines, suffers from a severe shortage of water due to a six year drought, and endures a 95% illiteracy rate. Afghanistan has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world, with one out of fifty women dying due to pregnancy-related complications, poor health care, and malnutrition. One in four children under the age of five die, mostly from dysentery resulting from contaminated water and food sources, and malnutrition.
Afghanistan was once fertile land, gaining 85% of its gross national income from agriculture. The devastating effects of war have left the land unable to support the daily food requirements of its population.
Traditionally, an Afghan widow's
nearest living male relative cares for her. So many men have
been killed or disabled in 23 years of war that many widows have
no one to provide for them.
work and are too poor to support another family.
In this patriachal culture, these women have lost the very foundation of their survival. They now find themselves unprepared and without the necessary skills and resources to support their children. These women struggle daily to obtain food, clothing, and shelter. This situation has left these women with no choice but to beg
in the streets. Many have given their children to orphanages
because they are unable to care for them. Six-year-old boys are
working as shoe shiners or selling newspapers and cigarettes
on the street to support their families.
contributing, self-supporting members
of their society and remain impotent to improve their circumstances. The women who were educated and skilled prior
to the Taliban oppression have been out of the work force for
so long that their skills are not up to par with the current
standards. Desperation, hopelessness, and loss have become a way of life.
. Afghanistan has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world, with one out of fifty women dying due to pregnancy-related complications, poor health care, and malnutrition. One in four children under the age of five die, mostly from dysentery resulting from contaminated water and food sources, and malnutrition.
