To think Afghanistan is the worst place to be born female.

Are you a British man by any chance? Why downplay it? Have you seen the likes of Jimmy Saville in any other country? I know I haven’t.

Every time a new restriction for women in Afghanistan comes out in the news, I just get angrier and angrier that literally no one seems to be doing anything about this. Where are the demonstrations in the streets, even in Europe? There seem to be demonstrations about everything but the horrible situation of women in countries like Afghanistan.
It also makes me wonder more and more where the men are in all of this? Do they genuinely only see women as objects, don't they care about there wives/sisters/daughters/mothers lives? Even if the women have been made completely powerless, surely the men could take some kind of action. They always seem to say that they don't really agree with the restrictions, but also refuse to do anything about it. Which makes me feel that actually they love the power they have got.
For some reason, I feel that Syria is on the brink of starting with a similar regime, surely the men have been used to living in a society where women have more rights that that. If they don't protest against taking away women's rights now, it will be too late, I'm afraid. They've already started saying that a woman 'because of the natural state' is less suitable for certain professions....
I think it's also very scary for us and our daughters, that more and more men with these kind of ideas seem to be living in our western countries as well and we are not allowed to say anything or be considered racist...

India has a caste system. Horrendous in this day and age ( or any ).

Oh ok then. We have it soooo much worse in the uk. 🙄

I'm not sure India is in the same league. There certainly is huge poverty and women and girls often bear the brunt of that but women can be educated, can have jobs, can own property etc.. I work with many intelligent, highly educted and successful women in India who would not consider themselves opressed.

For those of you still on Twitter, please read: https://x.com/JeanHatchet/status/1876546225488441559

A letter to the ECB from the writer Jean Hatchet.

I'd have copied and pasted here but it's long.

And it's spot on!

Their main source of military support, and training for the Taliban was Pakistan.

https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-192454

This despite the Taliban now lobbing missiles at them and retaliatory airstrikes.

Qatar and Saudi Arabia and now China are cordial with them.

Also Turkey
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan/provincial-192190

It's way worse. And I thought that was the worst.

I once listened to a Saudi lady on a radio programme, who had escaped Saudi with some difficulties, obviously, and now lived in the U.K. She said she actually now still felt oppressed as a female in a different way and at least she had understood the Saudi rules, but found it hard to understand Western ones, which she felt had same ultimate reason - women 3rd class and most population there as 2nd class to make others rich - just kept quiet by alternate and seemingly nicer means.
Obviously, Afghanistan is beyond any understanding. I don't think all men agree, as we saw with the desperation to get their wives and daughters out. Also I think men get punished too, if the female members of their family 'misbehave' and if they do in terms of beard etc. Probably the only 'good' thing to be in Afghanistan is to be part of the Taliban - in terms of being able to live fairly much as you might want, and be able to eat, get healthcare etc, and sadly young men may well wish to be powerful and violent and hope to be a part of it.
I wonder how women are policed in remote areas, if some areas just continue as they always have despite any western occupation or Taliban rule. So not all Afghanistan is even aware to be troubled by this.
I see a few threads talking of banning the cricket team competing but I believe the ICC does some work in supporting objections to the regime - the Taliban don't approve of playing cricket for one and secondly an Afghan women's cricket team does play though they don't live in Afghanistan. I think it would be better if no country dealt with them internationally though this would impact on the food for the general public so it's difficult.
I think that with all the rules all should follow, eg no sports or music or much apart from prayer, plus the lack of fighting which some government members are bored without!, then their only amusement and outlet of boredom is making up ever more awful rules and being able to punish.
It is beyond awful, beyond sad, and I actually think the only end is when the Taliban just wreck the country and have barely any women to 'breed, cook etc' and there are just a few tribes roaming around with no cities and infrastructure. I hope it's not so though.

There's nothing to boycott, that's the issue

All you can do if you can afford it is give to charities that help women there, such as Home - The Linda Norgrove Foundation

Me neither, that is quite shocking especially when women do all the hard work of pregnancy and childbirth and beyond!

Why the hate for women? This is so extreme. Are they scared?

Was it Germaine Greer who said women should never underestimate how much men hate them.

Only as incubators.

Though if they didn't exist, they'd have to find someone else to persecute.

Should we all be boycotting Afghanistan? I’m not sure if there are charities listing afghani products to avoid?

Or would boycotts just make life for Afghani women worse?

I agree, one of the worst places to be born, specially for women, but imagine being a husband/ father/ son/ brother in this environment!

I wish I could recall the study but I remember one done typically looking into the attitudes of men around the world, and it found that British men were the most misogynistic and likely to be abusive out of all the countries listed. it really opened my eyes as to the lies that are spread about so called ‘backward’ countries and how actually we need to look at ourselves and our men before pointing fingers elsewhere.

It's a scary thought, and I guess what Atwood was trying to explore.

I wasn't referring specifically to Afghan men....I literally mean all men. Let's say the UK had a referendum tomorrow to limit women's rights in some way...what percentage of men would vote for that?

What is happening in Afghanistan is truly awful for women and I would imagine not all the men think it’s great that it’s happening to their sisters mothers and daughters.

However with the statement that there are half a million children each year sexually abused in the UK then we need to look at ourselves before we think we have any grounds to be policing the world.

I am sure there are many countries safer for women and girls looking at the UK with their own horror. Very very sad times

I know an Afghan uber driver . He works 2 other jobs as well. Has sisters and he has so far saved up and got 2 of them here and is just working constantly to get the others here to so they are safe. He doesn’t agree with what is happening there he says it’s an awful place for women

So they are saying seeing a woman ‘could lead to obscene acts’ . Why can’t they control themselves and just not wank at windows ffs ??

Do they hate women that much? It's insane! Women gave them life they give life and are treated like their worthless. I wish every female could just leave! They would be totally usless without women

I often wonder if men in western countries would secretly want this way of living?

It's very disturbing how despised women are.

I did not know that. Horrifying