“The day will come when man will recognize woman as his peer, not only at the fireside but in the counsels of the nation. Then, not until then, will there be the perfect comradeship, the ideal union between the sexes…”
- Susan B. Anthony, 1897
In the year 1776, Abigail Adams wrote to her husband, John Adams, who was away to help create The Declaration of Independence:
In the new code of law, which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies...do not put such unlimited power into the hands of husbands...
John Adams wrote back:
As to your extraordinary code of laws, I cannot but laugh.
This was probably the usual response of a man's, scoffing at a woman's desire for equality. At this time, women and men did not have equal rights. Men had unlimited power, as Abigail Adams said, and women were expected to cook, clean, and do many other chores. Most importantly, she was expected to take care of her husband and children.
The history of Afghanistan in women's rights are pretty similar to those of Americans over 150 years ago. Men didn't think of women as their equals. They were deprived of many great privileges that we have today in the United States. Though they were Islamic, they don't follow the rule that women are equal to men. We have rights today that men used to think we couldn't have. Progress is still slow in Afghanistan for women and they don't have too many rights. However, in years to come, Afghanistan women might be equal to what we have now.