Kerana Sadaf Hakimi
High Distinction & the Continuity and Change Prize
Macarthur Girls' High School
Afghan Girls Gone Wild -

Extract from Chapter 1: Feminism = Acculturation Stress?

What role does feminism play in the sexual oppression that my Afghan peers and I face? The social movement which endeavoured to liberalise women from the constraints of stereotypical and sexist paradigms, may indeed have backfired. “Feminism is scary and foreign for my parents” said Teresa*. Teresa explained that feminism is frowned upon in her family as it embodies the antithesis of the patriarchal system in her household. Sheri*, a divorced single mother responded in an interview that Afghan men rely on patriarchal ideals to exert their power and feel “in control”1 . Many of the other women expressed similar thoughts, suggesting that Afghan men experience culture shock when they migrate to western countries. “One minute they are the heads of the house and then they come here and women are in positions of authority both at work and at home—it frightens them”2. My expert interview with sociologist, Dr. Guy Hungerford*, offered similar views, as he explained that conservative cultures are more likely to oppose feminism as it “challenges deeply-held beliefs about men and women and their place and their [traditional] role in the world”3.

From conducting interviews with eight Afghan women, I have learnt that ‘feminism’ was actually welcomed in Afghanistan, as it encouraged equality and endorsed education. However, the women made it clear that only “well educated, open minded city dwellers”4 were open to this western instigated social movement. The women claimed that they never felt oppressed, sexually or otherwise, as religion and culture prohibited the outright expression of both male and female sexuality. As Fatima* explains; “It was the norm. Boys and girls were taught to be modest. I never felt like I was missing out if I didn’t have a boyfriend because none of the other girls did”5.

Feminism, at least in western societies, has broken down some social paradigms involving sexual double standards and stereotypical gender ‘scripts’. However, through talking to Afghan girls, I have realised that double standards and hypocrisy concerning women’s sexuality still exert influence today. Social historian, Francoise Barret-Ducrocq, suggests that despite the breakdown of traditional attitudes towards sexuality, the double standards have left “residues which still linger on today”6. These double standards are without doubt prevalent in western countries and affect many women on a macro scale, but I was interested in the specific causes and its direct link to Afghans. I wanted to determine whether it was acculturation itself that causes fear and exacerbates the sexual oppression, or whether it was just a continuation of Afghan-Islamic values.

ENDNOTES:

* In-depth interviews (Afghan Girls-Teresa*(name changed with permission)) 9/04/09
* Name changed with permission
1. In-depth interviews (Afghan Women-Sheri*) 16/03/09
2. In-depth interviews (Afghan Women-Sheri*) 16/03/09
* Name used with permission
3. Expert Interview with Dr. Guy Hungerford 4/08/09 (PhD in Sociology University of New South Wales)
Ibid
* Name changed with permission
4. In-depth interviews (Afghan Women-Fatima*) 4/03/09
5. Francoise Barret-Ducrocq (1992) as cited in Giddens, Anthony. Sociology, 6th Edition Malden: Blackwell
6. Publications, Chapter 14: pg. 583