Report: Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan – A Toolkit for Advocates (English and Farsi)
Author: Civic Engagement Project
Summary: This comprehensive advocacy toolkit examines the systematic and institutionalized oppression of women and girls under the Taliban as a form of gender apartheid. It outlines the legal, political, and historical foundations of the term, situating Afghanistan’s situation within broader frameworks of apartheid as recognized under international law. The toolkit details the Taliban’s decrees which directly target women’s rights and the dismantling of protective institutions, resulting in the complete exclusion of women from education, work, movement, and public life. It also explores opportunities to codify gender apartheid as a crime against humanity in a forthcoming Crimes Against Humanity Treaty, and provides actionable advocacy strategies for individuals, civil society, and states.
Key Highlights:
- Definition & Context: Explains gender apartheid as an institutionalized system of domination comparable to racial apartheid in South Africa.
- Documented Violations: Outlines Taliban decrees banning education, employment, cultural participation, and access to justice for women.
- International Legal Pathways: Describes ongoing UN discussions and state support for explicitly codifying gender apartheid under international law.
- Advocacy Tools: Offers guidance for petitions, public education, engagement with policymakers, and influencing treaty negotiations.
- Potential Impact: Codification could compel states to prevent, punish, and hold perpetrators accountable, while mobilizing coordinated international responses.
Call to Action:
Encourages readers to sign the End Gender Apartheid petition, engage in public discourse, lobby for recognition of gender apartheid, and support Afghan women-led advocacy during critical UN treaty negotiations.