Can a price be put on women and children? Every day, people in Afghanistan are being sold for property, or their in debt, or because of anything else. In addition, innocent Afghans are being arrested even though they did not commit any crime. On top of everything, many acts committed in Afghanistan violate the Declaration of Human Rights.

To start off, women are not treated equally in Afghanistan. They do not have the right to work, to have an education, or to even to leave the house. Male toddlers are more powerful than women. This is a violation of the Declaration of Human Rights because Article 1 states that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” Women in Afghanistan are not being treated equally. They do not have the same rights as men. In The Breadwinner, the women in Parvana’s household could not leave the house or they had a chance of being caught by a member of the Taliban. If they get caught, there are almost guaranteed to get beaten. Also, Article 23 states that “everyone, has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favorable conditions of work and to protect against unemployment.” Women are not given the opportunity to earn a living for the family. If the dominant person in the household is a female, and there are no other males living in the house, then the family may not have a chance to survive. After Parvana’s father got arrested, there was no one in the house who could make money because they were all women. So, Parvana’s mother and Mrs. Weera decided that they should dress Parvana as a boy so she could earn a living for the family. Finally, Article 26 states that everyone has the right to an education. Women in Afghanistan are forbidden to go to school. The Taliban closed all women’s schools in Afghanistan and bombed many of them. In The Breadwinner Mrs. Weera had to open a secret school so girls in the area could get an education. But there was still a chance that a Talib would discover the secret school. If they were caught, there was a great chance that the Taliban members will throw acid on their face. All in all, the cruel treatment of women in Afghanistan is a violation of the Declaration of Human Rights.

Additionally, young girls, especially if they come from a poor family, are being treated terribly in Afghanistan. One of the cruelest things that these girls can experience is getting married at a young age. They can’t finish their education, people take advantage of these girls, they’re forced to do housework, and, most importantly, the rest of their lives are planned out. These girls don’t even have a say in their future. Also, if the try to run away from their husband, they have a 50/50 chance of escaping. If they escape, that’s wonderful. But if they don’t, they are almost guaranteed to be returned to their husband’s family to get beaten or worse. Getting a young girl married for any reason is a violation of the Declaration of Human Rights because Article 16 states that “men and women of full age… have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution. Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.” In Afghanistan, young girls are not allowed to make the decision to get married. They must agree under any circumstances. In The Breadwinner, Nooria was forced into marriage. She did not even know who her fiancé was. She had no right to say if she wanted to get married or if she wanted to finish her education. All in all, the marriage of young women in Afghanistan is a violation of the Declaration of Human Rights.

Last but not least, many people is Afghanistan, men and women, are arrested by the Taliban even though they are innocent. The Taliban always comes up with an excuse of why they arrested someone. In The Breadwinner, Parvana’s father was arrested for no reason. The Taliban’s excuse was that he owned books that could educate people. Even though this isn't a crime, Parvana’s father was arrested. This is a violation of the Declaration of Human Rights. Article 9 states that “no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention, or exile.” Parvana’s dad was arrested for no reason which is a violation of Article 9. He shouldn't be arrested by the Taliban if he did not commit any crime. Another article the Taliban violated after arresting Parvana’s father was Article 12. It states “no one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, not to attacks upon his honor and reputation.” The Taliban barged into Parvana’s house while they were enjoying some family time. On top of that, Parvana’s father was arrested at that time. The Taliban were interfering with the family’s privacy, family, home, and reputation. All in all, the arrest of the Parvana’s father was a violation of the Declaration of Human Rights.

In conclusion, many acts committed in Afghanistan violate the Declaration of Human Rights. Imagine if you were forced to be stuck inside a house forever, or if you forced into marriage. What about being arrested for wanting others to have an education? How would you feel? People living around the world may not see how big of a deal this is because they have not witnessed such cruel behavior. On the other hand, people in countries that were controlled by the Taliban have either witnessed or experienced such terrible things. Try to make a difference. If we all could just change accept each other as individuals instead of judging each other by our gender, imagine how great life would be.