The article I chose was https://womensenews.org/2021/07/as-we-leave-afghanistan-dont-abandon-women-and-girls. This article is called “As we Leave Afghanistan, Don’t Abandon Women and Girls.” I chose this article because it is relevant to recent topics that we discussed in class, and to what is currently going on in our world (the taliban take over). Afghanistan women have always been marginalized and viewed as inferior to men. However, under the Taliban rule things have become extremely worse.Women have no rights, they are forced to stay home, beaten and abused if they are not constantly wearing the clothing deemed appropriate, and denied access to health care. This article touches on the fact that over the years, other countries noticed and felt sympathy for the way the women in Afghanistan had to live. Since the war first began with Afghanistan causing US troops to deploy there, there has been much more attention and media on Afghanistan women from different countries. This article mentions a national geographic magazine previously published in the eighties of an Afghanization girl living in a refuge camp. This was one of Americas first looks into how Afghanistan women are treated. The cover truly shocked our nation. As international troops began to get involved, they helped these women get some liberty. With help from international troops, humanitarian aid was given to the women in Afghanistan. Although, the Taliban still disregards women’s rights, things were starting to get somewhat better for Afghanistan women for a brief period. There was an increase in how many girls attended school, Infant and maternal mortality rates decreased, and life expectancy had increased. However, with the recent concern of all international troops withdrawing from Afghanistan, women living there are left wondering what will happen to them and the humanitarian aid they have been given. The Afghanistan women are worried our country will leave them behind, because we have in the past. Although the previous magazine cover of the Afghanistan girl shocked our nation, when the soviets declared to withdrawal from war our country turned a blind eye to everything. After we looked past Afghanistan the people in Afghanistan went into war. This war ended in thousands of Afghanistan women raped and dead.
With all of this information I can’t help but wonder for myself, what will happen to the women of Afghanistan? It seems they have never had true relief from the gender and sexually based violence that they endure. Being that I am from this country, I have realized I will never know how it feels to live a day in the life of an Afghanistan women. That’s how drastically restricted their life is compared to ours. I feel that although troops are leaving, everyone still needs to be advocating for these women. They cannot depend on themselves for help.