10+Afghanistan

Afghanistan  Women's Rights Many Afghan women follow the religion of Islam, the Islamic religion when it was first made demanded that men and women be equal before God. They had all the rights that men had. During the Taliban’s rule (1996-2001) women were treated worse than they had ever been before. They weren’t allowed to go to school, didn’t have the right to vote, and there husbands were often chosen for them in arranged marriages. Following the rule of the Taliban women in Afghanistan have gained many of their rights back. The Taliban has recently been attacking Afghan schools where young girls attend.  Opium Production Afghanistan is the world’s largest producer of opium, opium is commonly used in medicine but many say that the opium produced by Afghanistan is used as an illegal narcotic in the United States. The Taliban is said to be behind much of the opium production and is behind purchasing most of the product, although most of the Opium is used for exports enough stays in the country for many addicts. In countries where opium is illegal it is a much more profitable business to produce it for illegal purposes rather than medicine. Afghan Opium crops have been hit by a mystery disease that is expected to reduce the amount of it produced by about 70% in some areas. If this disease becomes more widespread it could severely harm Afghanistan's economy. In 2009 an estimated 1.6 million were involved in opium cultivation down from 2.4 million in 2008, a 27 percent drop. Afghanistan is the world's leading producer of heroin, which opium poppy is a key ingredient in.

[|Women's Human Rights Resources - Women in Afghanistan] [|IRIN] [|Global Research] [|CBS] [|Afghanistan Timeline]
 * Additional Resources**



What You Can Do? There are a few ways you can help women in Afghanistan.You could donate to an organization called Women for Women, it accepts donations that help survivors of war including Afghanistan. Donations start at $25 and you can donate as much as you would like. Or you could give monthly donations starting at $10 a month. Your donation helps provide: You could also sponsor a woman via the same site. A sponsorship is $27 dollars a month and a $30 initial fee. Within 4-6 weeks of sponsorship you will receive a welcome kit. When you sponsor a woman it gives them a chance. It also gives them support in knowing that they are not alone, and hope.
 * Food, clean water, and clothing for women and their children.
 * School for the children.
 * Education programs to improve literacy (87 percent of Afghan women are illiterate)
 * Various job skills

[|Women for Women]

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