Throughout history, women have often been confronted with inequalities. In some parts of the world, particularly in the West, women have made great strides in achieving respect and equality. Although the Western world has taken these steps, there are still places where women face severe sexism on a daily basis. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, author Khaled Hosseini explores the treatment of women, particularly two named Laila and Mariam, in Afghanistan. Hosseini follows their lives and the political atmosphere in Afghanistan to show how Mariam and Laila experience sexism but still persevere. Patriarchal societies, like Afghanistan's, have often led to severe sexism against women. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In the typical patriarchal society, men are the breadwinners while women are expected to stay at home and take care of the children. While Mariam is in the hospital while Laila gives birth, she notices a doctor wearing a burqa. She describes: “Here was a woman… who understood that she was lucky even to work, that there was always something, something else, that they could take away.” Women have already suffered so much loss that this doctor knows she is lucky to work when many other women don't have the opportunity. In addition to not working, women often do not even receive education because it is considered unimportant to their duties as wives and mothers. Although many men in the book agree with this logic, Babi, Laila's father, has contrasting thoughts; he believes that his daughter's education is crucial to her success in life. When he brings up the idea of ​​fleeing Afghanistan, Babi explains to Laila: “You would continue to go to school… That would be our top priority: giving you a good education.” Babi exhibits characteristics not typically found in a patriarchal society, which help to show the contrast between societies in which women are treated as equals and the patriarchal society in Afghanistan. Patriarchal societies are associated with male dominance, so women often experience violence from men with no government interference. When Laila and Mariam try to flee Rasheed, they are arrested and questioned by the government. When they tell the police officers interrogating them that they are not safe at home, the police officer responds: "What a man does at home is his business," meaning that the women are left to themselves when it comes to Rasheed's abuse. . As Laila and Mariam predicted, once he returns to Rasheed's house, he goes on a rampage, abusing both women. After locking Laila and Aziza in a hot room without water for an extended period of time, Rasheed tells Laila, "Try again and I will find you...And when I do, there will be no court in this lost land that will hold me . responsible for what I will do. Rasheed openly admits that he could abuse or even kill his wives without any repercussions. The idea that men are not punished contrasts with the punishment that women receive. When Mariam is guilty of murdering Rasheed, she is executed even after claiming to have killed him in self-defense. The difference between the two circumstances shows the drastic differences in the treatment of men and women in the eyes of the law. The idea that men can get away with more than women may fuel the idea that.