1. Peripheral Social Formation: Drive for Modernity -- 2. Gender Polity: The Status of Women -- 3. Peripheral State: Politics of Modernization -- 4. Political Mobilization: Women's Struggle for Equality -- 5. Politics of Regression: Women in the Post-Soviet Era -- 6. Women's Empowerment: Prospects for the Future -- App. Bilateral Agreement Between the Republic of Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on the Voluntary Return of Refugees
Summary
Afghan women have faced an exhaustive struggle in the battle to change their status and improve their situation. Emadi takes a long look at the role of development and modernization policies implemented by the state in the pre- and post-Soviet eras, under the Taliban, and beyond. He finds that such policies have failed to bring about much- needed change and improvement for women. Modernization strategies benefited only a small segment of urban women and left the plight of rural women unchanged. Although a small segment of middle- and upper-class women organized themselves and fought to bring about changes in their status and to end gender inequality, their efforts alone did not meet with much success
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages [163]-174) and index