Afghanistan: The Most Dangerous Place On Earth For Women

The fall of the Taliban six years ago heralded new rights for Afghan women: no more beatings, no more repression, and no more mandatory burqas. But did their health and well-being improve?

More than 1,600 Afghan women die in childbirth out of every 100,000 live births. In some of the most remote areas, the death rate is as high as 6,500. In comparison, the average rate in developing countries is 450 and in developed countries it is 9. This statistic explains why Afghanistan is considered to be the most dangerous place on earth for women.

Meanwhile, the Taliban is resurgent, and Al Qaeda is flourishing again. This week, during the Mujahedin Day military parade, a celebration of the expulsion of Soviet forces in 1989, Taliban fighters penetrated an area under heavy security to attack with machine guns and heavy weapons. Bullets hit Afghan parliamentarians within 30 yards of President Hamid Karzai.

How many more dollars should the US keep spending to provide security for Karzai, instead of helping Afghan women?

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Jamal Dajani produces the Mosaic Intelligence Report on Link TV