The Swallows of Kabul is Inequality by Yasmina Khadra

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Recommended: Challenges of gender inequality

Behind the Burqa
A social issue that is raised in the book, The Swallows of Kabul is inequality. It is defined as the condition of being unequal; lack of equality; or disparity. In the book, gender inequality is well demonstrated as a social issue as there are many restrictions towards women. The book is set in Kabul, Afghanistan under the Taliban rule during 1996 to 2001 and follows the lives of two very different couples. Gender Inequality is defined as the unequal treatment or perception of individuals based on their gender. It is a worldwide issue that continues to occur resulting in the mistreatment of others, discrimination, lack of respect, and so on. Gender inequality exists due to the male dominance, biological hormones, and a lack of education.
First of all, an effect of gender inequality is male dominance. Male dominance is very evident in the novel. One example is where males do whatever they please.
"In that case, what are you waiting for? Kick her out. Divorce her and get yourself a strong, healthy virgin who knows how to shut up and serve her master without making any noise. I don't want to see you talking to yourself like a mental patient again, not in the street, and especially not on account of a woman. That would be an offense against God and his prophet." (Khadra, 28)
This shows how men are regarded as the superior being. The Taliban follow the belief of the Koran which states that God sees man as the head of the house and primary figure, having rule over wife and child. This leads to men living up to this philosophy as in the book. Another example in the book showing male dominance is very early in the novel when there is a detailed description of the public stoning of a woman.
"In an indescriba...

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...tant to be educated in a sense that you treat people the properly with respect, with equality and fairness.
In conclusion, by showing evidence for the effects of gender inequality of male dominance, biological hormones, and lack of education we can identify the social injustice issue evident in the novel. These points are all key factors that support the topic of gender inequality. Despite living in such a great country like Canada, there are still issues to this day that we deal with in society relating to gender inequality. This is a global problem that happens to this day, and is of greater concern in different parts of the world. It is a social issue that must be brought to an end before it gets worse causing harm to others. Some attempts that can be made to help deal with this is through education, public awareness and people speaking out for one another.

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