Roots of contemporary sexism

In the last few days we've seen a number of accounts as to why intense gender 
inequality exists in Afghanistan.  Among the reasons I recall:  decline in 
traditional masculine occupations (an explanation that may have more 
relevance in other parts of the world), men spending their lives in religious 
schools or armies, rebellion against the Soviet-backed government (an 
explanation that may have relevance elsewhere as well, not only in formerly 
Communist states, but also in the US, where the right to abortion is seen by 
its foes as the epitome of the imperial nature of the federal government), 
cultural structures that predate the modern world, colonialism, etc, and 
perhaps, metaphorically, a parallel with earlier persecutions of women that 
were connected to capitalist transformations.

I'm not sure why a number of these factors, in combination, might not be at 
work.

Steven Sherman