Picture after picture of faceless, burqa-clad Afghan women continue to beat at the conscious mind of the Western world. Non-descript figures, depressing in their anonymity, persistently remind us of the plight of millions of women and girls half a world away. Indeed, for many outside observers, this shrouded image has come to represent the very essence of the oppression and degradation inflicted by Talib forces on the Afghan people during the last five years.

It's easy to shake one's head in dismay and frustration over the forced isolation this has meant for all of Afghanistan's adult female population. But, moving beyond the burqa (the head-to-toe covering) to the multitude of deeper, more pressing issues that plague Afghanistan is a challenge — one that the women of Afghanistan are urging us to take up. Full Article