On September 11, 2001, the US saw one of it’s greatest tragedies in history. The fall of the twin towers seemed to split time into two periods – the before and after – spurring the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom, the longest running war in US history.
As the justifications for war compounded, so did the list of groups who would benefit. Historically, women have been used as justification to enter into war, and Afghan women were no different. On paper, they became another reason for the occupation, as their life under the Taliban rule was something to be salvaged.
Now over a decade later, just how much of this goal has been recognizably achieved? On War & Women: Operation Enduring Freedom's Impact on the Lives of Afghan Women, is an academic research that seeks to examine the war’s impact of the on the lives of Afghan women, exploring several quality of life indicators to determine if the US military can cross this off as a triumph, or a wasted opportunity.
