Gender Inequality Essay

Gender inequality is a deeply rooted issue that has been prevalent in all corners of the world since the beginning. It is in no way bound to a single country or area, as gender discrimination is everywhere, but in middle eastern countries it is so connected to the culture that this discrimination is seen as normal and even supported. People are being treated as second-class citizens based on nothing but the sex they were born with, and no one is even batting an eye. This is part of why the Middle East houses some of the lowest ranking countries on the Global Gender Gap Index. While some people continue to hold onto discriminatory values and remain uneducated in important topics, it is necessary for governments to make ending gender inequality a priority, especially in these middle eastern countries where radical religious groups like the Taliban force their restricting values on others and male guardianship strips women of the freedom of being in charge of their own lives. It is essential for governments to continue the fight against the Taliban and other extremist groups that are preying on women. The attack on women’s rights began immediately after the group took control when “the Taliban closed the women’s university and forced nearly all women to quit their jobs” (“Report on the Taliban’s”). Before the rise of the Taliban in 1994, Afghanistan was making steady progress towards equality. Women could vote by 1920, gendered separation was abolished in the 1950s, and in the