KABUL, Afghanistan — Amnesty International says the Taliban have refused to engage in any dialogue on women’s rights in Afghanistan, as their sweeping restrictions on women and girls continue to draw global condemnation.
In a video released on X, Amnesty highlighted six major bans imposed on Afghan women and girls, describing the Taliban’s actions as “gender apartheid.” The organization stated, “The Taliban disregard any discussion on women’s rights, dismiss findings on gender persecution, and continue to violate international laws.”
Amnesty called for urgent action, urging the international community to hold the Taliban accountable for their systematic denial of women’s rights.
The statement comes amid what human rights advocates describe as a deepening crisis for Afghan women under Taliban rule.
Bans on education, employment, and public participation have left women marginalized, with many international organizations labeling the situation as one of the most severe crackdowns on gender equality in recent history.
Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, voiced similar concerns on Friday in a video message marking the start of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. Türk described the Taliban’s policies as a “brazen affront to half the population” and said they amounted to “self-inflicted harm on a national scale.”
“The Afghan women are facing an unrelenting erosion of their fundamental rights under Taliban rule,” Türk said, calling on the Taliban to reverse its discriminatory policies immediately.
As global pressure builds, watchdog groups and international organizations continue to advocate for stronger accountability measures to address what Amnesty International and others have termed an urgent human rights crisis.
