Women rights remain a hot issue in the election campaigns of almost a dozen presidential candidates. Whether it is election debates, talk shows or social media statuses of the presidential candidates all talks of improving the condition of Afghan women. Even the candidates that have been warlords give hefty promises to the women of the country. The scenario reminds one of the campaigns for 2004 and 2009 presidential elections. Since the first election in the country after the fall of Taliban government, however, women rights have worsen.

During the Taliban rule, women were punished and even executed in public for unjustifiable and minor reasons. Unfortunately, the practice has not ended, as the Taliban’s Shariah is still valid in many parts of Afghanistan where the Afghan government has failed to extend its writ despite support from International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Most of the women rights activists maintain that the government has been using issues pertaining to women as a tool to improve its image at the international level. All its measures have been symbolic and no fundamental change in the condition of women is observable, although the government has received billions for the same purpose.

In major parts of the country women are deprived of their most basic rights such as getting education, accessing health facilities and remaining socially active. Issues like domestic violence and early marriages that cause women to commit suicides and self immolations add fuel to the fire. In addition, a big portion of Afghan population has resembling mentality as Taliban which has resulted in the sufferings of Afghan women to become manifold. More than a decade of practicing democracy has done nothing to change the Taliban-like rules that confine most of the Afghan women inside their homes.

The little and hard-won gains of the Afghan women seem to be quite fragile. It is feared the government might compromise on women rights in negotiating peace with the Taliban. With the imminent withdrawal of international forces, there is a risk that the government may sacrifice women's rights in order to secure a political deal with the Taliban and other armed opposition groups.

Despite everything, it is better to be optimistic about the new government. Afghanistan’s new president that will be elected on April 5th has to deal with many challenges that will be left behind by Hamid Karzai’s government. These challenges include the crucial issue of women rights.