NEW YORK TIMES: … There is finally the sense here, after years of international aid and effort geared toward improving Afghan’s women’s lives, that women have become a significant part of Afghan political life, if not a powerful one.
But their celebratory moment is also colored by the worry that those gains could so easily be reversed if extremists come back into power, or if Western aid dwindles. Those concerns have added urgency to this campaign season for women who are fighting to make their leadership more acceptable in a still deeply repressive society.
“It’s an exciting and terrifying point, because the international presence has actually empowered the women here, and when they leave, some of those women will be concerned,” said Mariam Wardak, who is working on Ms. Sarobi’s campaign as well as her mother’s… (more)
EDITOR: It is almost impossible to change the way adults think when it comes to religion. However, it is possible to educate the younger generation and thus they are likely to view things differently. If Talilban can be contained in Afghanistan long enough for a generation of women to be become literate and empowered voters, reform will follow.
