The urban and rural social fabric differed greatly. In Kabul, women continued their studies in schools and universities; many went to work and could move freely within the city, even under the Soviet rule.

In rural Afghan society, the birth of a son signified the strengthening of the family, whereas a daughter grew up to assist her mother with household chores and serve as her confidante.

Financial considerations were also crucial in the impoverished rural community; having many daughters meant putting aside a significant amount of hard-earned money for the dowry.

However, in many individual families and clans, daughters enjoyed a fair amount of liberty within the confines of their home, primarily due to the love and respect they received from their menfolk. These girls enjoyed greater freedom of movement, albeit in the company of a close male relative, and managed to acquire higher education because of the support of the male members of the family.

Ironically, after the Soviet withdrawal, Afghans supposedly took charge of their fate, and things got worse.

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The failure of the central administration to govern the nation from Kabul asserted the urban-rural cultural divide. It was unable to enforce authority over the entire state due to power struggles in the center, ideological differences between the urban and rural areas, and a lack of natural resources that could sustain the economy of the country. This resulted in widespread social injustice, impoverishment, and discontentment, ultimately shaping Afghanistan's destiny.

Kabul was a hive of uncertainty and anxiety in the late 1970s. Since April 1978, the assassinations of three successive heads of the Afghan government had left the country in complete turmoil, with the people declaring "Jihad" or holy war on the Soviets and their designated government in Kabul.

Following December 1979, KhAD—the dreaded state intelligence agency of the Afghan government—and its Soviet operators closely monitored and strictly controlled the political and security framework of the country and gained complete authority over the judicial system. The agency routinely carried out group arrests, abductions, detentions, and torture, with no right of appeal for the suspects it rounded up.

Kabul University had consistently served as a center for political activity, fostering a blend of diverse ideologies that had given rise to a variety of political entities. The regime imprisoned or allegedly executed a large number of students and faculty members, while many others either fled the country or joined the partisan groups collectively known as the "Mujahideen."