What if you risked being attacked every time you left your home? How would you feel if your husband controlled every aspect of your life? Afghan women face these two situations on a daily basis. Many face physical and psychological violence from their husbands and families. Women's rights in Afghanistan have been significantly affected by the rule of the Taliban, a government group that stripped women of their human rights, established discriminatory laws, and whose legacy still affects Afghan women today. The Taliban, a powerful political association against women's rights, ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 (Hayes, Brunner and Rowen). They predominantly believe in the Islamic religion, like most Afghans, and in the fact that men are the dominant sex (Hayes, Brunner and Rowen). They controlled Afghanistan according to their “version” of Islamic laws that many others disagreed with (Campaign for Afghan Women and Girls). The Taliban are made up of Afghan men of varying ages who did not grow up in Afghanistan and therefore have little knowledge of their country's culture (Campaign for Afghan Women and Girls). The leader of the Taliban from 1994 to 2001 was Mohammed Omar, a religious leader who over time gained more and more followers (Bellamy). Eventually, he ousted the Afghan government and took control of the country (Bellamy). The Taliban only ruled for five years, but what they did left a lasting mark on the country of Afghanistan. During their rule, the Taliban enacted a number of laws that prevented the Afghan people from leading desirable lives. For example, neither women nor men could watch television, use the Internet, read books (unless they contain religious content), or have photos of...... middle of paper ..... .ice not only in Afghanistan but all over the world. Works Cited “Campaign for Afghan Women and Girls.” Foundation of the Feminist Majority. Internet. November 12, 2013. http://www.feminist.org/afghan/taliban_women.aspDeeBee, . “The Taliban Laws of Afghanistan.” Knoji. DB Bellamy, nd Web. November 14, 2013. http://asia.knoji.com/afghanistans-taliban-laws/ Hayes, Laura, Borgna Brunner and Beth Rowen. “The Taliban”. Infoplease.com. Pearson Education, nd Web. November 13, 2013. http://www.infoplease.com/spot/taliban.html “The life of an Afghan woman. » Confidence in education. Trust in education. Web. November 18, 2013. http://www.trustineducation.org /why-afghanistan/life-as-an-afghan-woman/ “Why are we working in Afghanistan?.” Women for Women International, nd Web, November 15, 2013. org/global-initiatives-helping-women/help-women-afghanistan.php