Afghanistan Women

Barbara Walters of television's 20/20 did a story on gender roles in

Kabul, Afghanistan several years before the Afghan conflict. She

noted that women customarily walked 5 paces behind their husband.


She recently returned to Kabul and observed that women still walk

behind their husbands. From Ms. Walter's vantage point, despite the

overthrow of the oppressive Taliban regime, the women now seem to

walk even further back behind their husbands and are happy to

maintain the old custom.


Ms. Walters approached one of the Afghani women and asked, "Why

do you now seem happy with the old custom that you once tried so

desperately to change?"


The woman looked Ms. Walters straight in the eyes, and without

hesitation, said, "Land Mines."