I read an article in the Globe and Mail that discusses the correlation with the social problems in Afghanistan in comparison to the rising rates of mortality (of women) by anemia. http://http://www.globalissues.org/news/2013/02/26/15949

(just wanted to note, I finally know how to insert a link…yay me)

Anyway, it states it is a result of their social structures- meaning that in their religion  culture early childhood marriages are insisted upon and yet, women’s mortality rates are increasing- we could measure democratic freedom- by this scale. The mortality rates of women in countries that are in comparison free and not free, or democratic or not democracy. This relationship can show us something about democracy. Technically  girls under 16 are not legally allowed to be married, but this shows the interjection of state vs. cultural religion…for girls as young as 11 are being married. Firstly, there are human rights concerns with the religious norms as well as health concerns. Moreover, how accurately can data declare a country democratic if religion and culture of the country go against the grain of democratic progress. This progresses that 70% of women in rural areas are illiterate and drop out of school, there are grave concerns here, for the democratic frequency of the country. “Rahimi believes it is {one of the big problems} of “legal flaw” that girls can be married as young as 16 and allowed to start a family.” Arguably, there is a space for child marriges to occur at a greater rate- with this flawed law.