Article August 12, 2013 Issue

Purifying our image of womanhood

Paul Dixon

As I drive along the road from the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on my way to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) headquarters for a meeting, I can see only the eyes of the women I pass.

Life for women here is quite different from what we normally see in the United States. The men walk with men and the women walk behind them carrying everything and wearing burkas that hide everything but their eyes. After seeing this day after day in many countries in this region, I can’t help but wonder if these women will ever gain more freedom.

According to NATO’s study of women here in Afghanistan over the past five years, they are honest, trustworthy, loving, and praying for peace. The many women I’ve met and talked to, sometimes with an interpreter, are praying every day, caring for their children, and doing the right thing. Their strength and resolve are amazing to me.