Editorial: The causes of violence against women

Afghan society is a traditional one, and the various ethnic communities are governed by customs which run counter to Islamic injunctions. One of these customs involves paying a bride-price for one’s future wife. This practice is known as “walwar” among the Pashtuns, “toyana” by the Tajiks and “kailim” by the Uzbeks and Hazaras. Since the size of the dowry increases every year, like commodity prices, young men of marriageable age from poor and even middle-income families have to wait years in order to amass a fortune by doing difficult jobs, inside and outside the country, to obtain, for example, the required one to two million afghani [20,000-40,000 US dollars]. This is especially true in Katawaz in the Paktika province, and in other Pashtun areas. The amount paid varies among other ethnic groups, where fathers are not so strict. In fact, Islam bases marriage on the mutual consent of the two partners, and requiring a bride-payment is illegal. This is the answer to the questions that outsiders ask about forced or arranged marriages in Afghanistan. Another tradition that is unwise is that of looking down on women, based on them being weaker than men, and of denying them access to literacy and education. This ignores the fact that God bestowed greater physical strength on men so that they can defend their wives, mothers, sisters and daughters, and their whole communities, against external aggression; while He created women to be delicate, compassionate yet persevering beings.