The Constitution of Afghanistan

Since 2004 the Afghan Constitution has provided women with equal protection before the law. However, many discriminatory practices are disguised as 'Islamic' and, therefore, lawful. These include husbands deciding whether their wives should work, and a father having the right to prohibit his daughters from attending school or forcing them into marriage, all of them based on conservative interpretations of the Quran.

Nevertheless, under the new Constitution, the Independent Human Rights Commission will be able to enforce CEDAW, among other international conventions Afghanistan has signed. More significantly, the Afghan State commits to take affirmative steps towards women's empowerment such as promoting their education. Similarly, the Carta Magna adopts quotas for female Members of Parliament.