These are days of agitation in the desert kingdom, and perhaps no group is more determined to push the boundaries of change than the kingdom's well-educated and articulate women.
With just half a million Afghans registered since early December 2003, the process has a long way to go to enfranchise the estimated 10.5 million potential voters eligible to participate in elections this summer.
As Iraqis wait for the establishment of a new constitution and judicial framework, so-called "tribal courts" are already administering rough justice in the south.
Under a new family code, or the Mudawana as it is known, husbands will now have to go to court to make their repudiation binding and women will no longer be legally required to be "obedient" to their husbands.
The international community has one more reason to ensure the security of Afghanistan -- to help bring about the women's rights promised in the country's just completed constitution, according to experts.
