The Coalition of Afghan Women’s Protest Movements in a statement on Sunday condemned the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls as a clear example of “gender apartheid,” calling for global pressure on the Taliban.
“The Taliban’s three-year rule has brought nothing but poverty, unemployment, insecurity, the exclusion of women and girls from work and education, arbitrary arrests, killings, looting, property seizures, and assaults on the lives, property, and dignity of the people, leading to the exodus of millions from the country,” the statement declared.
The coalition strongly condemned these actions and called on the international community to exert pressure on the Taliban to prevent the “ongoing oppression” from erasing women entirely from public life in Afghanistan. The women warned that the continued deprivation of women’s rights could lead to a “humanitarian catastrophe” with far-reaching consequences for the region and the world.
The coalition also urged the people of Afghanistan to break their silence and support the struggle of women fighting for their most basic human rights. Furthermore, they called on the global community to formally recognize the “gender apartheid” occurring under Taliban rule and hold the group accountable for violating international human rights laws.
This call to action comes as Afghan civil society and human rights activists around the world have also organized for mass protests against the Taliban on August 15, the anniversary of the group’s return to power. These activists have labeled the Taliban’s rule as a form of “apartheid” and have urged the United Nations to formally recognize it as such.
Since the Taliban took power on August 15, 2021, no country has officially recognized their government. Under their rule, women and girls have been systematically stripped of their basic rights, with severe restrictions imposed on many aspects of their lives. Girls above the sixth grade have been banned from continuing their education, and universities have been closed to female students.
