Women’s Rights in the Middle East

Women’s Rights in the Middle East Naomi Willis Period 9

Taliban • The Taliban took control of Afghanistan’s Capital in September 1996 • They Issued an edict which forbids the Education of women • The Taliban also forbid women to go to work. • The Taliban issued other laws forbidding Kites, Television, Applause, and music.

Before the Taliban • Women made up more than half of government workers and university students. • Women Must Have Had written permission to travel • Now travel is rarely allowed for women. • Women were allowed to speak in public

Daily life for Women • Citizenship was determined by paternity • If you have lived in Afghanistan all your life but your father was born elsewhere you are not a citizen. • Little girls who attempted to go to school have been poisoned, and died because they did not have any medicine • Afghanistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world

Daily life • Women without boys in their family, have had to eat grass to survive • Many women grew tired of the stressful lives they lived and went to work dressed as men • the women who have been caught were killed • Women in Afghanistan spend most of their married life doing household chores

Imperialism • Women may Publish books to spite the government • Supports basic rule in Saudi Arabia • Builds and arms the Taliban • Arms and helps Saddan Hussein • Assassinates elected political leaders in Latin America

Under the Taliban… • Only 3 percent of girls got any form of education • Women were banned from driving cars • If a women shows her wrists to a shopkeeper he must ignore her and she must leave • In September 2001, women started to increase there business activity, they took part in panel discussions, conferences, and international meetings,

Now women can … • November 2001, women national staff members of the Office of Humanitarian Affairs, UNICEF, WFP and other agencies were allowed to work in Kabul again • A survey was conducted in December 2001 2,400 of the 3,612 people involved were women • . new opportunities have been presented for women to reclaim their rights • They are now active participants in the governance, as well as the rehab and reconstruction of Afghanistan

Problems we can solve • The infant mortality rate is 165 per 1,000; • the under five mortality rate is 257 per 1,000, • with one in four children in Afghanistan dying before the age of five from preventable diseases. • TB or Tuberculosis kills 15,00 people every year • 4 percent of the population is disabled

More problems we can solve • Malnutrition of women, which affects pregnancies • war have destroyed the infrastructure of the educational system • and increased the • illiteracy rate in Afghanistan • 54 per cent of girls under the age of 18 are married. Families of girls and young women were reportedly forced to marry them to the • Taliban

Tuberculosis

Literacy Rate 99 each

Conclusion Women, even in America are not treated entirely equal to men. If a female wants to play a masculine sport, she is questioned. If a woman works at a construction site her abilities are doubted. In The middle east, in countries like Afghanistan, women are forbidden from driving! Even though due to America’s “kind heart” we “must” get involved, it is best for us to stay out of the woman’s rights debate in the middle east. Working out problems will bring the country together and help them in the future.

Women’s Rights in the Middle East