Germany’s Foreign Ministry has pledged to take action against the Taliban for their ongoing violations of women’s rights in Afghanistan, describing the Taliban’s policies as “crimes against female humanity.”
In a statement released on social media, the ministry highlighted Afghanistan’s ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 2003. “With CEDAW, Afghanistan has committed itself to protecting the rights of women and girls. This commitment also applies to the Taliban. But they want to make women silent and invisible. We are fighting against these crimes against female humanity,” the statement said.
The ministry noted that Germany, alongside Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands, had launched a joint effort to hold the Taliban accountable for their human rights abuses. The initiative was unveiled on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly, with Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock spearheading the effort alongside her counterparts from the other nations, including representatives from the Islamic world.
“Making use of the possibilities of the women’s rights convention will not change the situation in Afghanistan today. But it gives the women of Afghanistan hope. We see you, we hear you. We speak for you when you are silenced,” Baerbock said, echoing the ministry’s commitment.
In an unprecedented move, the foreign ministers of the four nations warned that if the Taliban do not cease their human rights violations, particularly against women, within six months, they will file a formal complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for violations of CEDAW.
The Taliban’s actions, including banning women from education and public life, have been widely condemned by the international community. These nations now threaten to hold the Taliban accountable in the Hague-based court for their systematic oppression of women and girls.
Afghanistan ratified CEDAW in 2003, obligating it to uphold the protection of women’s rights, though the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 has led to a severe rollback of those rights.
