Women’s

Rights

By Gabi Lerner

MIDDLE EAST

AFG

HA

NIS

TAN

IRAN

Daily Life of Women in most of Middle East

In most of Middle East can’t work Can only go outside with a mahram (a close male relative) Can’t talk to men except mahram Must wear a burqa (a head to toe covering). Can get brutally beaten for showing their ankle No health care (men can’t treat women, women can’t work/be doctors)

Struggles for Women Women have lost many basic rights in Afghanistan…

Marry as young as eight, even with abusive husband No rights that have to do with marriage, divorce, or children

custody If raped, brings dishonor to her family, when she did nothing

wrong Legally can get only half of what her brothers’ get from

parents Education not allowed by the Taliban Can’t go to any public gatherings

AFGHANISTA

NAFGHANISTANAFGHANISTAN

Struggles for Women Women have lost many basic rights in Iran…

Men allowed four permanent wives, and as many temporary ones as wanted Women must have husband’s written permission to travel (outside country) Strict dress code, much like a burqa Go to jail for non-covered hair (and 280 lashes with whip) Can get stoned (government is trying to stop it) If gets divorced, has to go back to father (usually makes her miserable)

IRANIRANIRAN

Married Women/GirlsThe life of daily women and girls…

In Afghanistan girls can get married at eight, and in Iran at thirteen Usually married without a choice Have to obey their husband’s every command Often have an abusive husband (who beats them and sometimes kills them) Have no rights in marriage, husband decides on everything

A man and a girl getting

married

Stoning (When it is believed a woman committed adultery, she is hit with stones until she dies)

Punishments for Women

Whipping/Flogging (whipping a woman in public happens all the time, for the smallest of crimes, like showing hair)

Hanging (Hanging a woman around the neck, often for adultery)

Disembodying (Cutting off a limb, or part of a woman’s body, for example if she tried to run away)

Bibi Aisha, got her nose

and ears cut off after running

away from her abusive husband

Bans for WomenWomen are forbidden to do many things… Can’t go outside without husband’s permission Paint windows black so can’t see in or out No mixed buses (male and female only) No perfume or cosmetics No laughing loudly No high heels or noisy shoes

Clothing

Some different clothing

permitted for women to

wear in most of the Middle

East.

Before the Taliban took control, many different things were worn After the Taliban got in control, mostly only allowed niqab and burqa Taliban said it wasn’t modest or religious for women to show face Now women beaten or killed for wearing anything else

Women only have few things they are allowed to wear…

Women’s Shelters

Are being taken over by the Taliban A new government program chooses if girls go to shelters, jail, or back home New bad rules for shelters (going to be strictly/government run) Believed to encourage girls to run away (and to be fronts for brothels) More and more girls running away to shelters When girls leave shelters, not accepted back into society and usually beaten or

killed

A safe place for women who run away…

Middle East and The World

The U.S. is trying to help the women in the Middle East Charities being made for women in the Middle East All but three countries in the U.N. (United Nations) believe the Taliban is not a legal

government Rules became lighter when Americans came to the Middle East Very hard to negotiate with the Taliban about women rights

The Middle East’s relationship with the world…

Women’s Old LivesThe lives of women before the Taliban took over…

Had jobs (like doctors or teachers) Were 50% of the university students Girls had an education and went to school Didn’t get married so early (able to have a childhood) Women had basic rights (education, food, shelter, safety) Could go outside freely, without a mahram or with a burqa

ReligionWhat women’s rights have to do with religion…

Taliban are the unofficial government of Afghanistan The way women treated caused by laws made by the Taliban The Taliban say they are a religious group/governmentMany believe/know the laws are only abuse The Taliban “religious” laws are causing women abuse Suicide rate in women went up since the Taliban went into power

The Taliban

Other Facts

Woman’s court testimony is only worth half of a man’s Iran trying to discourage stoning, but still taking place Women/girls going back to school in Iran (though many girls schools getting

bombed or burned) Many widows that can’t support their families have to eat grass Burqas cause lots of injuries, because very hard to see Widows in Afghanistan, sitting in homes and pray for humanitarian (help)

Other things that concern women in the Middle East…

Bibliography"Afghanistan: Proposed Clamp Down on Women’s

Shelters." South Asia Citizens Web. Web. 01 Mar. 2011.

<http://www.sacw.net/article1942.html>.

Powell, Conor. "Talks With the Taliban Come at a Price

For Women - FoxNews.com." FoxNews.com - Breaking

News | Latest News | Current News. Web. 25 Feb.

2011. "Some of the Restrictions Imposed by Taliban in Afghanistan." The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA). Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://www.rawa.org/rules.htm>.

Powell, Conor. "Talks With the Taliban Come at a Price For

Women - FoxNews.com." FoxNews.com - Breaking News |

Latest News | Current News. Web. 25 Feb. 2011.

<http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/02/21/talks-

taliban-come-price-women/>.

WOMEN

Bibliography

"Starting at Home, Irans Women Fight for Their Rights." �

Latest News, India

News, Breaking News, India Latest News Online - The Indian Express. Web. 08

Mar. 2011. <http://www.indianexpress.com/news/starting-at-home-irans-

women-fight-for-the/423273/>.

Web. 25 Feb. 2011. <http://feminist.org/afghan/taliban_women.asp>.

"Womens Rights in Iran." �

Women for Peace and Justice in Iran. Web. 06 Mar.

2011. <http://women4peace.org/women-rights.html>.

WOMEN

Women in the Middle East should be Happy and Free…