Several teenage girls were walking to school in Kandahar, a city in southern Afghanistan, talking about an upcoming exam, when two men on a motorcycle passed by and sprayed them. with battery acid from a water bottle. Within seconds, their skin was burning from the contact and the end result was two permanently disfigured girls and at least one blind. What did they do to deserve this treatment? They were born female and tried to go to school (Chassay, 2008). This is just one of many examples of gender discrimination in Afghanistan. Organizations around the world and various governments, including that of the United States, are concerned about the current situation of Afghan women and are trying to make changes to bring more gender equality to Afghanistan in several areas, including education, social, politics and health care.HistoryHistorically, Afghanistan, a country in the Middle East, has experienced the most extreme cases of subjugation of women under Islamic law. What exactly is the official status of women in Islam? More than 14 centuries ago, Islam affirmed that men and women were equal in the eyes of God and that all had the right to vote, work, choose their spouse and inherit (Qazi, 2010). The Prophet Muhammad is said to have said: “Women are but shaqa'iq sisters, or twin halves of men” (Badawi 1971). Traditionally, a veil of respect is placed around the Muslim woman, and she is given equal, but not identical, rights, with the reasoning that if her rights were the same as those of the man, then she would be a copy of him. . Abdul-Ati (n.d.) asserted that the equal rights granted to her took into consideration, recognized and acknowledged her. his independent personality. A woman's role...... middle of paper ......e is violence: ending the abuse of women in Afghanistan Retrieved from unama.unmissions.org/Portals/UNAMA/vaw-. English.pdfUnited States Department of State (January 29, 2010). Advancing the Rights of Women and Girls: Keys to a Better Future for Afghanistan, Washington, DC: Accessed March 31, 2010 from http://www.state.gov/s/special_rep_afghanistan_pakistan/2010/136250.htmVerveer, M. (February 23, 2010). Afghan women and girls: building Afghanistan's future. Washington, DC: Office of Electronic Information. Retrieved April 1, 2010 from http://www.state.gov/s/gwi/rls/rem/2010/137222.htm Ward, O. (2010). Will the winnings be lost? The Toronto Star. Retrieved March 2, 2010 from the Lexis Nexis database. Women's rights violated despite the new law. (March 8, 2010). Accessed March 23, 2010 from http://www.afghan-web.com/woman/rights_trampled.html