Heather Barr, Deputy Director of the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, has called for “gender apartheid” in Afghanistan to be formally recognized as a crime against humanity and an international offense.
On Tuesday, August 19, in an article published by the Research and Support Network for Women and Children in Exile, Barr stressed that such recognition would not only enhance protection for women and girls in Afghanistan but also strengthen women’s access to fundamental rights worldwide.
Barr stated:
“Recognizing gender apartheid as an international crime is a powerful tool to confront systemic discrimination against women. This step will not be limited to Afghanistan—women and girls everywhere will benefit from it.”
Her appeal comes as Afghan women’s rights activists and protest movements have, over the past four years, repeatedly launched campaigns and initiatives urging the same recognition.
Earlier, United Nations special rapporteurs also confirmed that the Taliban, through sweeping restrictions, have institutionalized a system of “gender apartheid” in Afghanistan.
Available data indicates that over the past four years, the Taliban have issued at least 100 decrees aimed at restricting the rights of women and girls. These edicts have stripped them of even the most basic rights and confined them largely to their homes.
Despite mounting national and international criticism, the Taliban continue to claim that “the rights of all Afghan citizens, especially women and girls, are being upheld in accordance with Islamic Sharia.”
