How Flat is the World When it Comes to Women's Rights?

Two very disturbing incidents that I came across this morning, which points to how uneven and how erroneous the flat world argument is when it comes to women's rights. The shooting of the woman in Afghanistan by the Taliban multiple times is especially shocking in view of the ISAF mission and the American commitment since August of 2003.
Sudanese woman sentenced to stoning: Charges dismissed, Taliban shoot woman 9 times.