Underneath the rule of the Taliban (1996-2001), women were severely oppressed in Afghan society. The Islamic faith, which most of the population followed, deemed all men and women equal, granting them all equal rights and giving them the right to marry whomever they choose. While the Taliban were in control, women were not authorized to work; they were also not allowed to leave the premises of their households without a male escort. Even though the reign of the Taliban has fallen, there is still a distinct, supremacist imbalance of power between the two genders. Although there is now a written law that has assured "the citizens of Afghanistan - whether man or woman - have equal rights and duties before the law" (Qazi), the history of asserted