Women in Afghanistan still face repression from many sides.

The women imprisoned by the Taliban for trying to leave the country, raped in prison, then murdered by their relatives, provide a clear illustration of how ingrained this injustice is in Afghan society.

Is there anything we foreigners could do which we could expect confidently to make Afghanistan respect women's rights more, even over decades? Not that I have heard of. Certainly not trying to occupy Afghanistan again. Not "nation-building" either. A just society requires more than peace, but peace in Afghanistan is a step forward from a year ago.

Perhaps we could offer a nonviolent deal to convince the Taliban to allow women to flee the country without permission from a male owner.