The Millennium Development Goals: Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality in Afghanistan

Abstract

. . . While the UN claims that the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) have been the most successful anti-poverty push in the history, I argue that MDG did not achieve its stated goals, it also did not set effective goals to truly empower women and reduce gender inequality and most importantly the goals have been ineffective in addressing the issues of the Afghan women. Structural oppression and violence are the two biggest challenges that Afghan women encounter; yet, none of them are included in the Millennium Development Goals. In addressing the issues of women, the resolutions of the oppressive social structure and prevalent violence are not only integral to women's empowerment but also to their human rights. [From introductory section]