VANCOUVER, CANADA – Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights, stated that Afghan women believe ‘gender apartheid’ best describes their experience of gender-based violence under Taliban rule and are calling for its recognition as a ‘crime against humanity.’
While presenting his new report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan at the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva today, June 18, Mr. Bennett expressed his belief that the system of domination and oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan should drive the discussion on criminalising gender apartheid.
He noted that the violence against women and girls by the Taliban in Afghanistan is “very severe and widespread,” and concluded that this violence could constitute crimes against humanity, including gender-based harassment.
The UN Special Rapporteur emphasised that the Taliban’s policies against women are “systematic” and “institutionalized,” enforced through decrees and directives. Since June of last year, the Taliban have issued at least 52 decrees that have intensified restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan. These decrees are widely and sometimes violently enforced.
Mr. Bennett warned of the consequences of the Taliban’s policies on Afghan women and children, highlighting that depriving women of education increases the risk of forced marriages, and banning them from work undermines their financial independence.
He also pointed out that ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with disabilities in Afghanistan face increased discrimination and violence.
Challenging and dismantling the Taliban’s system of domination and oppression of women, and holding the perpetrators accountable, is a collective responsibility, Mr. Bennett stressed. He emphasized that all tools and approaches should be used, as no single approach is sufficient on its own.
Mr. Bennett suggested that efforts should focus on four key areas of justice and accountability, inclusion of women’s human rights and voices in political processes and diplomatic interactions, strengthening documentation, and enhancing the protection of Afghan women and girls and human rights defenders.
Referring to the upcoming third Doha meeting on Afghanistan, he mentioned that this meeting is an opportunity to ensure that women’s voices are not marginalized.
The UN Special Rapporteur called for meaningful participation of Afghanistan civil society members, especially women, in the Doha meeting, stressing that women’s rights should be a central topic of discussion.
He highlighted that the Taliban are not recognized by the international community and should not be treated as such. The Taliban should not be allowed to dictate the conditions of UN-managed meetings, he emphasized, and meaningful and sustainable progress in the human rights situation must be a core aspect of Afghanistan’s future path.
The 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council reviewed the human rights situation in Afghanistan today.
Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed his regret over the “systematic persecution of women and girls” in Afghanistan at the start of the session. He also noted that human rights defenders and journalists in Afghanistan face arbitrary arrests and detentions, and attacks against civilians, especially Hazaras, continue.
