KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Amnesty International has expressed support for initiating legal action against the Taliban for its systematic violation of the human rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.
In a statement on Thursday, September 26, the rights group said that the international community should utilize all available means, including the International Court of Justice, to end the ongoing human rights violations in Afghanistan.
“The Taliban have made life for Afghan women and girls intolerable. They have erased them from all spheres of life and systematically stripped away their rights and dignity,” said Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard.
“Amnesty International welcomes any steps by States to hold the Taliban accountable under international law for the widespread and institutionalized violation of women’s and girls’ human rights, which most likely amount to the crime against humanity of gender persecution,” she added.
Amnesty International’s chief urged the international community to stand in solidarity with the “courageous” women and girls of Afghanistan by advocating for their rights and holding the Taliban accountable for their crimes.
In an unprecedented move on Wednesday, September 25, Canada, Germany, Australia, and the Netherlands jointly announced their intention to hold the Taliban accountable for its discriminatory policies against women and girls in Afghanistan.
They stated that the Taliban has violated the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), to which Afghanistan is a signatory, and that the regime should be brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Following the announcement, more than 20 countries expressed their support for the move, emphasizing that the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan is responsible for its ongoing gross and systematic violations of its obligations.
“The women and girls of Afghanistan deserve nothing less than the full enjoyment of their human rights. Afghan women themselves have shown courageous leadership in calling for accountability. We recognize their vital role and heed their call,” they said in a joint statement.
Earlier, another international human rights organization, Human Rights Watch (HRW), also welcomed the decision to take legal action against the Taliban, urging other countries to support this initiative.
“The announcement by Germany, Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands may mark the beginning of a path to justice at the World Court for the Taliban’s egregious human rights violations against Afghan women and girls,” said Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at HRW.
“Is it vitally important for other countries to register their support for this action and for them to involve Afghan women as the process moves forward,” she added.
Since taking control of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have implemented severe restrictions on women, effectively excluding them from public life, including education and employment, as well as basic freedoms like movement without a male guardian. The recently enacted morality laws have intensified these restrictions, with experts warning that they will lead to further repression.
