WOMEN UNDER HAMID KARZAI’S GOVERNMENTS IN AFGHANISTAN: HOPING INCLUSIVITY IN A PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v22.n7.4629Keywords:
Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, Governments, Women, Inclusion, Patriarchal Society, Political and Cultural BarriersAbstract
The patriarchal orientation of Afghan society kept women limited to their homes and aloof from the public life of Afghanistan. This attribute was further wielded by the introduction of fundamentalist versions of Islam, misogynistic interpretations, religious political leanings and militancy and Talibanization. Only after the ouster of Afghan Taliban from power in 2001, the government of Hamid Karzai instilled a new hope of inclusivity among Afghan women by involving them in political, administrative, educational, cultural and social affairs of the country. The allocation of 25% seats in Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly) under the constitution of 2004 encouraged women to also help shaping the future of Afghanistan. They provided their services in multiple spheres of the state machinery to ensure gender equality and women rights. Despite multiple cultural barriers, violence and limited resources, Afghan women played pivotal role in the affairs of the country. The existing literature about women’s role during the governments of Hamid Karzai in a country like Afghanistan is very significant. It has extensively been utilized to connect the dots for objectively assessing women participation in Afghan affairs despite having patriarchal characteristics and societal constraints. An explanatory analytical approach is adopted in this research study for comprehending women inclusion and participation during the governments of President Karzai. The research concludes that despite positive developments significant strides, political and cultural barriers coupled with security challenges limited the full realization of gender equality in Afghanistan. The question this research study deals is that how far the Afghan women succeeded in realizing their inclusion in the government of Hamid Karzai despite facing cultural and political barriers of a patriarchal society and fundamentalist religious threats?
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