KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A group of women in Afghanistan calls on the UN and the international community to move beyond “conservative policies and contradictory statements” to hold the Taliban accountable for their crimes against humanity.
In a statement on Tuesday, October 1, the Purple Saturday Movement, a women’s rights group in Afghanistan, emphasized that the UN and other international bodies should act swiftly and decisively to officially recognize “gender apartheid” in Afghanistan.
They stated that the time for action is now, and any delay in this regard will not only violate the rights of Afghan women but also call into question the credibility of the UN and other bodies defending human rights.
They noted that the upcoming UN Human Rights Committee meeting this month is a crucial opportunity for the international community to officially recognize the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls as “gender apartheid,” and to pave the way for global legal and diplomatic actions.
“We believe that the time has come for the United Nations and the global community to move beyond conservative policies and contradictory statements, and to firmly and fundamentally uphold human rights, women’s rights, and the pursuit of justice in support of the victims against the Taliban,” the women activists said.
Under Taliban rule, Afghanistan has become one of the worst countries for women and girls, as the regime has severely restricted their most basic rights, including education, work, social mobility, and other freedoms.
Despite repeated calls from around the world to change course and respect women’s rights, the regime continues to impose additional restrictions, claiming that it is enforcing Sharia law.
Over the past three years, Afghan women both inside and outside Afghanistan, along with activists, UN experts, and rights groups, have repeatedly called for the recognition of gender apartheid in Afghanistan and its codification as a crime against humanity. However, their pleas have yet to receive a positive response from the international community and relevant bodies.
Last week, four countries—Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, and Australia—said that the Taliban has violated the laws ratified by Afghanistan and expressed their intention to hold the Taliban accountable for these actions.
They said that the Taliban has breached the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and that Afghanistan could face proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for this violation.
Following this unprecedented move, over 20 countries, the UN, and human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) expressed support for taking legal action against the Taliban.
The rights groups called on other countries and organizations to register their support for this crucial initiative in solidarity with Afghan women and to hold the Taliban accountable for their crimes.
