To answer questions about
The Pearl That Broke Its Shell,
please sign up.
Karen
It is not just the Taliban, however, who enforce this harsh treatment of women. According to Nicholas Kristof writing for the New York Times in 2010:
One man from Helmand Province, Wali Khan, told me that there would be no difference for women in his village, whether the Taliban rule or not, because in either case women would be locked up in the home. He approvingly cited an expression in Pashto that translates to: “a wife should be in the home — or in the grave.”
[And Afghanistan is not the only region in which these practices prevail. For example, in June, 2014, a pregnant Pakistani woman who had married against her family’s wishes was beaten to death in a busy Lahore street while a crowd of men watched. In 2013, over 850 women were killed in Pakistan by their families after marrying or dating unapproved men, or after having been raped.]
According to a U.N. study, in 2013, Afghanistan saw a 28 percent increase in reports of attacks against women, with little rise in prosecutions. (The report cautions however that many women are understandably afraid to report abuse so the numbers are probably much higher.)
One man from Helmand Province, Wali Khan, told me that there would be no difference for women in his village, whether the Taliban rule or not, because in either case women would be locked up in the home. He approvingly cited an expression in Pashto that translates to: “a wife should be in the home — or in the grave.”
[And Afghanistan is not the only region in which these practices prevail. For example, in June, 2014, a pregnant Pakistani woman who had married against her family’s wishes was beaten to death in a busy Lahore street while a crowd of men watched. In 2013, over 850 women were killed in Pakistan by their families after marrying or dating unapproved men, or after having been raped.]
According to a U.N. study, in 2013, Afghanistan saw a 28 percent increase in reports of attacks against women, with little rise in prosecutions. (The report cautions however that many women are understandably afraid to report abuse so the numbers are probably much higher.)
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more