大象传媒

The Sahar Gul internet cafe was opened in Kabul today by a group of young rights activists called the 'Young women for change' - it is the first of its kind in the country. The group says that there are many internet cafes in Kabul but women do not go there because they face harassment. The atmosphere in these cafes is not good for women.

This group of young women plan to open similar cafes in several other provinces across Afghanistan. A largely symbolic move, the opening of this cafe may boost the morale of Afghan women. Millions of girls have returned to school, and women have gone back to work and into politics after the removal of Taliban regime in 2001.

But the life of most Afghan women still remains fraught with many hardships and challenges. Millions of women, mostly in the rural areas, are still deprived of their very basic rights. They are often forced into marriages by their families; others bear the brunt of violence at the hands of their husbands.

Women's rights have been a topic of hot debate lately after the country's top religious council advised women not to mingle with men and not to travel alone. Activists have accused the Afghan government of turning a blind eye towards the rights of women. While many women will be able to enjoy some freedom inside Sahar Gul's all female cafe, most still suffer and like Sahar Gul they are victims of domestic violence.