Summary of Article: The United States has been at war in Afghanistan for over a decade and hopes to withdraw next year. As a result of the American presence, young Afghani men now wear jeans and shirts (as opposed to traditional dress), update Twitter and Facebook accounts on their cellphones and wear stylish sunglasses. Americans hoped that by embracing these material things--which the US and allies have spent billions of dollars instilling--the young generation would also embrace American values of democracy and women's rights. But New York Times interviews with dozens of young Afghanis shows that when it comes to women's rights, the young generation is not progressive. Young Afghanis still believe in tribal justice rather than a court system and see democracy as empty. For instance, they believe in cultural practices such as selling young girls to pay off family debts. They think women should stay at home and not be educated. Many women have protested laws aimed at protecting them--laws that protect against child marriage, polygamy and violence against women--and many still cling to black niqabs that cover them completely. They believe that women's rights go against Islam and are morally corrupt tools of the West.
Questions for Kids:
- Where is Afghanistan? Find on map.
- What values did America hope to bring to Afghanistan? Why are these values positive?
- Why do many Afghani men prefer to keep women contained in the home and without rights?
- Why do we believe in America that women should have rights?
- Name and talk about 3 famous women in history or today that impact the world for the better.
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