Afghanistan Afghanistan has been in a state of constant chaos for twenty years. The Soviets invaded the country in 1979 and installed a puppet regime there. After withdrawing their troops in 1989, rival mujahideen (tribal) groups began fighting for the capital. When the Taliban entered the scene around 1994, the country was devastated by war. Many Afghans have fled to neighboring countries such as Pakistan. An estimated one million lives were lost. Today, poor conditions persist. Afghanistan has one of the worst literacy rates in the world; only three percent of women and less than twenty percent of men can read and write (Rashid, 107). A quarter of all children die before their fifth birthday. Life expectancy is only 43 to 44 years (107). Simply put, life is hard, especially for women. Women have been caught in the middle of powerful governments fighting for control. The question of their emancipation is neither religious nor cultural. It's political. To understand women's struggle, we must consider their socio-economic history, the qualities of the Taliban, and the reactions of outside groups to the plight of Afghan women. Afghan government leaders have consistently worked to reform women's rights. For a century, the emancipation of women has constituted an essential element of the image of the nation. Amir Habibullah, who reigned from 1901 to 1919, emphasized that women should have a role in society beyond motherhood (Dupree, 307). Mahmud Beg Tarzi (1865-1933), one of the leading reformers of the era, advocated women's education. He believed that intellectual housewives would lead to a stronger sense of family and nation. He constantly spoke of an egalitarian Islam, which does not deny women the right to knowledge (Dupree, 306-307). ...... middle of article ...... interfere presents theories of cultural relativism and activism. The Taliban's repression of women stimulates their goal. The West fights for women in the name of democracy and for their own success. And where does that leave women? They are trapped in a spinning ball that is thrown violently between opposing teams. No matter what they do to end this repression, it persists. They are thrown, turned and pulled in different directions in a battle for control. Whether universal human rights exist or not, they remain stuck in a forced vacuum. Maybe one of these teams will realize that respect for the ball will fuel their success. When a partnership is finally established between the political powers and the female population of Afghanistan, women will be able to take great steps towards their freedom. In the meantime, they're caught desperately bouncing.