In 2006, Laura Bush said1 that America was going to Afghanistan to fight "the brutal oppression of women".While we were busy fighting sexual oppression (among other things) in Afghanistan, we also tried 1to reduce sexual assaults in our own military, even if it didn't1 succeed at the start.
We defeated the Taliban, established democracy, and helpedAfghanistan's2women feel safer.Women were playing agreater role2 within our armed forces, and we tried again1 to reduce sexual assaults in our own military. But itstill didn't1seem to work.
Ultimately, though, the war severelyworsened6 Afghan women's lives.While we were busypretending1 to help Afghanistan, we kept pretending to reduce sexual assaults in our own military. Itdidn't work2at all.