The Stay at Home Mother

Photo from Lynsey Addario

What Century are we in?

In Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai, has reportedly signed a law this past week which legalizes rape.

The new Afghan law makes it legal for men to rape their wives.

Human rights groups and some Afghan lawmakers say the law legalizes the rape of a wife by her husband by not allowing her to refuse sex, and prevents women from leaving the house without a man’s permission...

Apparently he only signed the legislation for political purposes as a nod to Shia clerics in the country who control about 20 percent of the votes. He is up for re-election in a few months.

The law negates the need for sexual consent between married couples, approves child marriage and restricts a woman's right to leave the home.

Article 132 requires women to obey their husband's sexual demands and stipulates that a man can expect to have sex with his wife at least "once every four nights" when traveling, unless they are ill. The law also gives men preferential inheritance rights, easier access to divorce, and priority in court.

The US and Canadian governments have been trying to liberate Afghanistan people for years, and now this happens. A law that is literally one of the worst ones I’ve ever heard of – and is anything BUT liberation for the women of Afghanistan.

These are mothers, sisters, daughters – and the President will sacrifice all of them at the expense of political leadership?

I am shocked and horrified– these are basic human rights which have been taken away for these women.

Nothing has really changed since the Taliban.

Our soldiers are there putting their lives on the line every day to protect the rights of women.

How could this have happened?