The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution condemning the treatment of women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, calling for the recognition of “gender apartheid” as a crime against humanity.
In the resolution, the Parliament demanded an end to the “eradication of women from public life in Afghanistan” and expressed alarm over the worsening conditions for women and girls following the Taliban’s adoption of a law on the “promotion of virtue and prevention of vice.”
The resolution strongly denounced the Taliban’s recent decrees enforcing Sharia law and the continued exclusion of women and girls from education, employment, and public spaces. It also highlighted the extreme abuses faced by Afghan women, including forced and early marriages, sexual violence, flogging, and stoning.
“Women in Afghanistan are subjected to horrific abuses,” the resolution noted, while praising the courage of Afghan women and expressing solidarity with their struggle.
The European Parliament called on the European Union to advocate for the recognition of gender apartheid as a crime against humanity and urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the Taliban’s actions. It also called for an independent U.N. investigative mechanism to hold the current Afghan authorities accountable. In addition, the resolution demanded new EU sanctions against the Taliban and criticized governments that have normalized relations with the regime.
The resolution, passed with 565 votes in favor, 8 against, and 43 abstentions, also urged the EU and donor nations to increase humanitarian aid and support for Afghan civil society.
The full version of the resolution will be made available on September 19, 2024.
