Throughout history, women have often experienced inequality. In some parts of the world, particularly in the West, women have made many strides to gain respect and equality. Although the Western world has taken these steps, there are still places where women face severe sexism on a daily basis. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, author Khaled Hosseini explores the treatment of women, specifically two named Laila and Mariam, in Afghanistan. Hosseini follows their lives and the political atmosphere in Afghanistan to show how Mariam and Laila experience sexism but persevere. Patriarchal societies, such as Afghanistan, have often led to severe sexism towards women. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the typical patriarchal society, men are the breadwinners while women are expected to stay at home and take care of the children. When Mariam is in the hospital while Laila is giving birth, she notices a doctor wearing a burqa. She describes, “Here was a woman…who understood that she was lucky to even be working, that there was always something, something else, that they could take away.” So much has already been taken away from women that this doctor knows she is lucky to be working as many other women don't have the opportunity. In addition to not working, women often do not even receive an education as it is considered irrelevant to their marital and maternal duties. Although many men in the book agree with this logic, Laila's father, Babi, has conflicting thoughts; she thinks that educating her daughter is crucial to her success in life. Discussing the idea of ​​fleeing Afghanistan, Babi explains to Laila, “You will continue to go to school… That would be our top priority, to give you a good education.” Babi displays characteristics not typically found in a patriarchal society which help to show the contrast between societies where women are treated as equals and the patriarchal society in Afghanistan. Patriarchal societies are associated with male dominance, so women often experience violence from men with no interference from the government. When Laila and Mariam attempt to escape Rasheed, they are captured and interrogated by the government. When they tell the interrogation officers that they are not safe in their home, the officer responds, "What a man does in his home is his own business," meaning that women are left to their own devices when it comes to of Rasheed's abuse. . As Laila and Mariam had predicted, once they return to Rasheed's house, he goes on a rampage, abusing both women. After locking Laila and Aziza in a hot room without water for an extended period of time, Rasheed tells Laila, "Try it again and I will find you... And when I do, there is no court in this Godforsaken country to hold me back." responsible for what I do." Rasheed openly acknowledges the fact that he could abuse or even kill his wives without repercussions. The idea that men do not face punishment is at odds with the punishment that women receive. When Mariam turns herself in for Rasheed's murder she is executed even after saying she killed him in self-defense. The difference between the two circumstances shows the drastic differences in the treatment of men and women in the eyes of the law. The idea that men can get away with more than women can fuel the notion that patriarchal systems often emphasize women's oppression and therefore limit their independence. When the Taliban take power in Afghanistan, they issue a long list of rules. In this list there is a set of rules, i.