I+Do-+What+it+Means+to+be+a+Married+Afghani+Woman

My project is about differences between Afghanistan women and American women. How it seems that Afghanistan tend to tolerate much more than American women. I looked at different articles about the marriages in Afghanistan and here in America to give me a better understanding of marriages overall, and how the rights of a married women here are much different than those in Afghanistan.




 * “Most girls dream about about falling in love, getting married in a beautiful dress, and having a family. But for thousands of young Afghan girls, and millions more across Asia and Africa, marriage often comes before they are old enough for such dreams -- and ends in nightmare.” (Farangis Najbullah.) When I read this statement, I thought this is exactly what my project is about. Women here take advantage of the great freedom we have as being women for other women in other countries don't get anywhere near the same amount of freedom us American women do, especially in marriages. **


 * According to article “Afghanistan: Marriage Practice Victimizes Young Girls, Society” the picture above is about this young girl who at the time was 17, but already had been married for four years of course by force, as most girls her age are. The average marriage age in Afghanistan is 18 for males, and 16 for girls, but half of marriages involve females under 16. While here the average age for marriage is 28 for men, and 26 for women. Girls in Afghanistan are wives before they can even be children, and realize what they want in life; But over there is really doesnt matter what they want, its what their parents or husband want for them. This is heartbreaking to me, I feel as no one should get married to someone they don't want to and they should live THEIR live the way THEY want, but then again i was raised in a completely different culture. **
 * While we are used to seeing pictures of married couples like this rather than the first one. Its not like that for everyone, as you can see in the picture taken in Afghanistan photo above; while pictures are only a minor **** difference its whats behin **** d the picture that makes our worl **** ds so **** different. **** “... wives complain about finances, and how they wish their husband would help out around the house more. . I hear the usual complaints about how their husbands do not do the dishes, or the laundry, or how they wish their husbands would change a diaper now and then. Many of the wives have complained to me that their husbands spend too much time on the computer, or they sit around the house on the weekends, or do nothing but watch football.” (Sands, Deanne) As Mrs. San  **** ds says that those are the typical complains of women here in America, which we can all pretty much agree on, but that is nothing ****  compared to what the Afghan girls have to put up with in their marriages.  **
 * “Being forced to serve her husband's family, and having virtually no say in her own life have taken a heavy toll on her. So heavy, she says, that she tried to escape -- by taking her own life.” Which is not uncommon for women in Afghanistan, but they consecquenses if you live are not any better. “The girls are given into the "care" of a husband, and many of them end up abused.” Which plays a role on why this next statement is what it is. “Young marriages have contributed to high rates of death among women.... At 44, an Afghan woman's life expectancy is one of the lowest in the world.” (Najibullah, Farangis) **
 * As i kept rea **** ding i ha **** d **** come to fin **** d that they are not allowe **** d to **** do the simplest things such as paint their nails without their husban **** ds approval, an **** d if they **** di **** d they woul **** d be punishe **** d. The sa **** d thing is that they cant even really go to their own government for portection because they coul **** d care less, but there are **** different organizations that help women going through these situations in that place in the worl **** d. **
 * Their problems range from things we coul **** dnt even imagine, I chose this project because i wante **** d to show my fellow class mates how lucky we are to live in such an amazing country, especially as girls turning into women, an **** d to bring awareness of these situations that nee **** d to be helpe **** d. Women here woul **** dnt even come close to tolerating what the women over there can, i **** dont know how they **** do it, but i guess that answers the question on how **** do people come to tolerate. Being able to tolerate comes from where, how, an **** d who you grow up with, an **** d what you learn as you grow. **

__**Work Cited**__ Denza, Diana. "Can You Imagine? The Brutal Rights Violatons of Afganistan's Girls." Berry Confidential. Desha Productions, Inc, 9 Jan. 2012. Web. 2 Apr. 2012. .

Najibullah, Farangis. "Afghanistan: Marriage Practice Victimizes Young Girls, Society ." Radio Free Europe Radio Library. N.p., 2 Apr. 2012. web. 2 Apr. 2012. .

Planning A Beach Wedding. 29 Oct. 2009. Personal Photograph by author. Does the Dress Fit? N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. .

Sands, Deanne. "Being a Wife in Takes Patience: A Wife's Perspective on How to Keep a Marriage Going Strong." Yahoo! Yahoo! Inc., 18 May 2008. Wen. 10 April 2012. .