KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Women activists from Afghanistan have issued a resolution declaring the current situation of women in Afghanistan as “gender apartheid” and “gender-based persecution.”
The resolution was the outcome of a summit held from September 11 to 13 in Tirana, Albania. Organized by Women for Afghanistan, led by former Afghan MP Fawzia Koofi, the summit aimed to unite the voices of women and girls in their ongoing struggle against the Taliban’s oppressive policies. Organizers noted that the event had been two years in the making and was hosted by the Albanian government.
The event gathered women activists from within the country and from the diaspora, with over 120 participants attending. Rina Amiri, the U.S. Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights, was among the attendees.
Despite the extensive turnout, some women were prevented from attending, either stopped at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border or pulled off flights. Others traveled from countries like Iran, Germany, Canada, the UK, and the US.
In the resolution, the participants highlighted a critical gap in international law, noting the absence of gender apartheid as a recognized crime against humanity. The lack of political will among UN member states to recognize and criminalize gender apartheid was also emphasized.
Participants called for decisive global action to hold the Taliban accountable for ongoing human rights violations, urging the international community to formally recognize gender apartheid as a crime against humanity.
The resolution urged the use of international mechanisms, such as the International Criminal Court, to prosecute the Taliban for their systemic violations of human rights, especially those targeting women and girls.
Moreover, participants stressed the importance of documenting human rights abuses in Afghanistan, reopening schools and universities for girls, and ensuring education meets international standards, including digital literacy. They also advocated for women’s return to the workforce with dignity and secure incomes.
The resolution also called for increased transparency in the distribution of international aid, better coordination with women-led organizations, and facilitating access for women entrepreneurs to international markets.
A key point of the resolution was the inclusion of Afghanistan’s women in international negotiations with the Taliban. The activists demanded consultations with women regarding the agenda of such discussions, ensuring that any engagement with the Taliban is grounded in human rights principles.
