“Every day I was mistreated by my husband and his family. Mentally and physically; Then one day it became unbearable, so I ran away. The laws cut off his nose and ears as punishment for trying to escape. Three years later, Mohammadzai began his reconstructive surgery and life with his new host family and is studying English at school. Aesha Mohammadzai tells abused women to stay strong and never do it. lose hope (Phillip Caulfield. 2013). This is just one of many common punishments Afghan women receive. Mohammadzai is proof that in today's society, Afghan women still suffer extreme punishment. Over the years, women have been forced to live. in fear because of the way they were treated. The consequences of the punishments do not match the actions carried out, and Afghan women are fighting to defend themselves against extreme, cruel and violent punishments. The punishments meted out to women are the result of the loss of their basic human rights. Before the Taliban regime, punishments against women were under the control of Afghan men and were considered reasonable. Afghanistan is divided by a strong gender role divide. The gender divide is clearly visible in the way Afghan women are treated compared to Afghan men. In Afghanistan, women were underestimated before the Taliban dictatorship (Campaign for Afghan Women and Children, 2014). As the Taliban slowly rose to power, women's roles at home and in the workplace quickly began to change. The more rules that were added to control Afghan women, the worse their lives were...... middle of paper ......e did not stop completely, the extreme punishments that were used by the Taliban were less used, and more women's basic rights returned. The way Afghanistan treats women may not change overnight, but women can only hope to find the courage and freedom to move away from their destructive lifestyle. Works Cited by Ahmad Khan. (2012). Women and gender in Afghanistan Extracted from: www.Cimicweb.org Amnesty International. (2013). Violence against women Extracted from: www.Amnestyusa.orgFMF. (2014). Campaign for Afghan Women and ChildrenRetrieved from www.feminist.orgJamieson Lesko. (2014). Women's Rights in Afghanistan Retrieved from: www.worldnews.nbcnews.com Trust in Education. (2013). Life as an Afghan WomanRetrieved from www.trustineducation.orgWnet.org. (2014). Women's Rights in the Taliban Era Retrieved from www.pbs.org