Analysis

Afghani Women 

The oppression of women in the Afghanistan has been show obsessively throughout the media in the United States. We see many instances of rape, murder, wife-beatings and underage girls forced into wedlock, on various news outlets. In the article The Oppressed Women of Afghanistan: Fact Fiction or Distort by Tonita Murray, she discusses the roles of Afghani women and their role in their society. She dissects their rights and injustices infringed upon them, as well as the implications of western ideologies on the women. Tonita Murray makes it quite obvious that Afghani women are victimized, but she then examines the extent. There is very little that we actually know about the women in these countries. Most people in the west just view these women as victims or prisoners forced to hide behind the burqa. In her article, Tonita explores the misconceptions of the western view on Afghani women through analyzing oppression, the use of the burqa, similarities between Afghani men and women.

 Oppression against women is not new concept and still continues today all around the world, not just Afghanistan. Women in America receive less pay for doing the exact same jobs. Despite the oppression, there is plenty of opportunity for women in Afghanistan. Tonita claims, “There are also more women in Parliament than in some Western countries, as well as women elected to Provincial Councils…” According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Afghanistan’s Parliament women currently hold twenty-seven percent of the seats in the upper and lower houses of Parliament. In the United States, women hold seventeen percent of the seats in the House and twenty percent of the seats in the Senate. In the private sector of Afghanistan, women hold a great deal of power too. According to Tonita, “They own property, choose their sons’ wives, arrange marriages, settle disputes, and manage household resources and family property.”  There are also famous women warriors such as such as Bibi Ayesha, who currently lead men on the battlefield. Despite the portrayal of enslaved women by western media, Afghani women have many rights and freedoms.

Feminists and the media influences have seduced westerners into believing that the burqa is a cruel form of imprisonment forced onto women by extremist Islamic sects. However, the burqa predates Islam and has been used in the Middle East and South Asia. The burqa is used to “set gender boundaries for both men and women…” and “…is frequently a means to mobility and an assurance of security for women entering public space.” From an Islamic stand point the burqa is meant to shield outer beauty while extenuating personality. In protest of Western women’s groups attempting to reinforce western views, a larger number of Muslim and Afghan women have returned to wearing the burqa.

In Afghanistan men are portrayed to westerners as complete and dominant rulers over women in the country. This is not the case. There are many more similarities between the genders in the country than meet the eye. Life in the country is tough for both genders. While steps with in the country are being taken to prevent the abuse of women, boys are left in the wake being abducted for “labor or sexual purposes.” With mainly only labor-intensive jobs available it is a struggle to provide for a family.   Although Muslim women are expected to cover their bodies, “men also are expected to be modest and… cover their heads and bodies for practical if not religious reasons, so covering in both genders might be regarded as much a social as a religious custom.”

Westerners have just been portrayed a skewed perspective of Afghani women to the world. Treatment of women in the country is as varied as anywhere else in the world. Despite the accusations of western media we do not know the exact amount of cases of violence towards women in Afghanistan due to a lack of statistics. The attempt to impose a western concept of feminism on the country is simply not viable due to a difference in ideologies and cultures. Instead, the Muslim feminists should head this movement and focus on their own practices and concepts. We need to allow the Afghani women to return to “… original Islamic principles and building on existing practices and structures that support the equality of women...” With this approach and a more factual and less biased portrayal of the Women of Afghanistan the country may be able to become more progressive towards women.

Works Cited:

Murray, Tonita. "The Oppressed Women of Afghanistan: Fact, Fiction, or Distortion." Middle East Institute, Dec. 2000. Web. 6 Oct. 2013. <http://www.mei.edu/content/oppressed-women-afghanistan-fact-fiction-or-distortion>.

“Women in National Parliaments.” Inter-Parliamentary Union . 1 Sept. 2013. Web.  6 Oct. 2013.

<http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm>.