Introduction
Agencies from different parts of the world have urged the government of Afghanistan to implement laws that protect women from violence, early child marriages, and forced marriages. This is the main concern to the society, especially women. If the government implements these laws, it will help in discouraging harmful practices and protect women from violence and get able to exercise their rights. The bill was objected by most of the male lawmakers, arguing that it was against the Islamic culture. This was perceived differently by society. Female students started staging demonstrations in universities arguing that it was a necessary agenda to bring to parliament for more discussions.
The draft and women reaction
The draft; Eliminating Violence against Woman (EVAW) law was under scrutiny. Later on, the president passed the draft, but it had to undergo parliament scrutiny. Women in the society were trying to push the government to pass the law in a hurry before the conservative members started arguing that it was against Islamic laws. The conservative condoned the president in the first place for decreeing to the draft, saying that it was an attempt to impose western values on Islam. Women advocates pushed for permanent laws to govern the rights of women and ban practices that were harmful to them. Some women argued that the draft was not against the traditions of the Islamic norms.
Treatment of women
Women are treated as properties in Afghanistan, and they were fighting against the vice. Men have objected to the provision that will give women rights and social customs, for example, the raising of marriage age of children which is currently at the age of 9 years. Laws should be set aside for men who are found guilty of violating women’s rights, like beating women. Conservative men still live in old age; they try to argue that they know what is right for their daughters, so they have an understanding of the right time to marry them. The law is likely to put women in more danger than benefit as it has not yet been passed. Conservative parliament members have done everything feasible to certify that the law fails. By continuously agitating for the law women have started accessing jobs, education, and public life. This happened after the overthrow of the Taliban. But the position of women and girls in the family is still subversive. NATO forces are said that they will withdraw from Afghanistan, and the Taliban will start to operate again. The women fear that they shall get back to where they used to be some past years ago.
Conformity
Conformity in society helps to describe the social life of men and women. Women’s conformity in Afghanistan is not implemented because they are not allowed to exercise their rights in the development of the nation. With a violation of this social concept, society will experience riots, civil war, and disorganization in whole which is the case in Afghanistan.
Women’s ways of behaving and doing things in that society are violated. The behavior of women and what they are supposed to do is dictated by the men in that society. The woman custom in this society doesn’t hold as women are held as properties and are controlled by their men. Custom is the basic regulator of human social life. Custom helps determine the relationship between different communities.
Social stratification
Social stratification is evident in Afghanistan as men have acquired great status, giving them more power and privileges over women. For a society to grow, the equity should be implemented as both men and women play greater roles in social development. Due to this vice Afghanistan women are continuously deprived of their rights.
Status is the position that is held by one in society. Women’s status in this society is dictated by their men. Women always feel inferior to men, and they cannot question their behavior they might be subjected to violence. Therefore, men are held with great respect, and their status is unquestionable.
According to the status one holds in society, we have specific roles that we have to play. Societal roles are defined by the status that we hold in our society. Women’s role in Afghanistan is not well known as their status is not well defined. Women are trying to fight for more defining status in the society so that in the process of derogating their roles, they can be able to advocate for their societal right.
Conclusion
Lawmakers and religious groups have found out that the real obstacle to women’s emancipation is not the Islamic laws but the male-dominant traditional beliefs. We should join hands and stand together to fight against traditional customs that oppress women and do not conform to Islam. This will help women to exercise their rights, have access to education, and work in government institutions. Women should be able to exercise their roles in any society.