Then and Now: Gender Equality

         A Thousand Splendid Suns begins with the life of a young girl named Mariam living with her mother, Nana. They reside in a kolba on the outskirts after they are cast out from Mariam's father, Jalil's, home. Nana refuses to allow Mariam attend school and tells her that the only thing she needs to learn is how to endure life. When Mariam wishes to spend time with her father, Nana hangs herself. Thus, resulting in Mariam moving in with Jalil where she is treated as illegitimate and is married off to Rasheed. Mariam is forced into marriage, forced into pregnancy, and forced to be an obeying wife. Rasheed also forces her to wear a burqa, a garment that covers her face. He says that only he should be allowed to view her face. Mariam is treated as a possession. She is then forced to chew on rocks when Rasheed criticizes her food, claiming that bad food is the only thing she gives to him in the marriage. The story then switches to focus on Laila's life. While her brother's are praised and loved, Laila is pushed to the side. She is overlooked and neglected. Her school teacher supports gender equality and communism, but this doesn't reach the home life. Her mother then claims she wishes to stay alive for her boys, leaving out Laila. The women in this novel are suppressed and kept from breaking away and creating their own life. 

            Currently in Afghanistan, the country has a fourteen percent literacy rate for females. The Karzai government had also passed a law in 2009, legalizing rape in marriage and forbidding women from working without their husband's permission. This keeps women from rising socially and economically. Their society and government suppresses them. This also occurs in the United States under different circumstances. Typically, women are expected to cook, clean, and stay at home with the kids instead of following their own career path. This is portrayed in literature and other sources of entertainment. According to Dr. Pat Heim, gender roles are defined in childhood. From birth, boys and girls are treated different; boys receive blue blankets while girls receive pink blankets. During childhood, boys are taught the hierarchy through rougher play. They are taught to listen to the coach or superior, to man-up, and to get to the goal line, as well as how to handle losses. On the other end of the bell curve, girls are taught to play nice with others and that there is no top doll player. Women are treated separately and play different games even at a young age.  In the business world, women also often receive a lesser salary than a male coworker in the same position. This gender inequality is still occurring today in Afghanistan and our own country in various settings.