I recently joined several of my Senate colleagues in calling on President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan to reverse a law that would legalize marital rape and limit a woman’s ability to leave her home.

Under the law, passed last month by the Afghan Parliament, a Shiite woman would be allowed to leave home only for a “legitimate purpose” as defined by her husband. The law also says, “Unless the wife is ill, the wife is bound to give a positive response to the sexual desires of the husband,” a provision that human rights groups say legalizes marital rape.

This law should be reversed immediately.  Not only is this law a direct attack on individual freedom, but it condones despicable attacks on women in their homes. By approving this law, Afghan leaders are holding back the entire country’s progress and turning the nation back toward some of the most oppressive practices of the Taliban.

You can find the text of our letter by using this link.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator