Before the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, “donor development aid for Afghanistan’s public health system was approximately six times the government’s own expenditure on health.” Since August 2021, after the Taliban took power by force, international funding has significantly decreased as many donors pulled their funds. Given Afghanistan’s heavy dependence on international aid to […]
Apartness: How South Africa’s History of Apartheid Guides the Future for Afghanistan’s Women and Girls
In 1973, after decades of racist policies by South Africa’s National Party, the United Nations ratified a document that officially defined racial apartheid. This convention defined the crime of apartheid as “inhuman acts committed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial group of persons […]
Taliban: Female athletes do not represent Afghanistan at the Paris Olympics this month.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has invited six Afghan athletes – three women and three men – in “consultation with Afghanistan’s largely exiled national Olympic committee.” However, the spokesman for the Taliban government’s sports directorate, Atal Mashwani, said “only three athletes are representing Afghanistan.” He continued, “in Afghanistan girls’ sports have been stopped. When girls’ […]
Increased Flogging of Women by the Taliban: The Urgent Need for International Accountability to End the Brutality
In March of this year, the Taliban’s Supreme Leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, announced that the Taliban regime would resume the public stoning of women for crimes like adultery. The Taliban argues that this is “in line with Sharia and Islamic law” and will also punish other “moral crimes” in a similar fashion. Since the Taliba […]
U.N. Report: Taliban’s Treatment of Women is Gender Apartheid
On June 18, the United Nation’s Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, presented a mandated report to the U.N.’s High Commissioner for Human Rights. The report states that the “phenomenon of an institutionalized system of discrimination, segregation, disrespect for human dignity and exclusion of women and girls,” is Gender Apartheid. […]
International Human Rights Groups Demand Afghan Women’s Participation in the Third Doha Meeting
In a letter to the UN, the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security – expressed the growing concern about how the international community lacks the “necessary resolve to defend and advocate for the human rights of Afghan women and girls.” This will be the third Doha meeting, taking place in Doha, Qatar on […]
At the Doha Conference, the Decision to Give Afghan Women Their Seats at the Table Must Be Clear
June 30th will mark over 1,000 days since the closing of secondary schools for girls and 500 days since the edict banning women from receiving a university education. The United Nations will be hosting the annual Doha Meeting in Qatar on June 30th where various countries and special envoys, including the UN will discuss various […]
Afghanistan: Where history repeats itself at the expense of women
This article is adapted from an opinion piece by Dr. Sima Samar, originally published in Ms. Magazine. Dr. Sima Samar is a human rights advocate and medical doctor who belongs to Afghanistan’s ethnic Hazara minority group. Dr. Samar served as Minister of Women’s Affairs from 2001 to 2003 and was the highest ranking woman in […]
Malnutrition: The Hidden Struggle of Afghan Women and Children
In times of conflict, political instability, and social unrest, women and children have always been the ones who face the most dire consequences compared to the rest of the population. It is nearly three years since the Taliban returned to power and their extremist views and restricting edicts against Afghan women has been one of […]
Afghan Women Express Dread and Anxiety at the Possibility of Taliban Recognition
In a country-wide women’s consultation conducted by three UN agencies, Afghan women have expressed “dread” and “anxiety” at the possibility of international recognition of the Taliban. 67% of women have said that recognition would severely affect their lives, especially as the Taliban is now often referred to as the de facto authorities (DFA). The consultations […]
The Taliban Leader’s Order to Resume Public Stoning of Afghan Women Must Serve as an Urgent Call to End Gender Apartheid
In a distressing new statement released from Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban chief condones the public stoning of women for committing what the Taliban deems as adultery and other ‘crimes and violations’ of strict Taliban edicts. Such harsh and barbaric violence against women is the next step taken by the Taliban and their ruler […]
A new academic year begins in Afghanistan without girls as the Taliban continues to deny their education
Spring is a season that signifies fresh opportunities, growth and hope. This month is also marked with the celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8th. However, for Afghan women and girls, the reality is very different as they continue to be oppressed by an extreme gender apartheid. In Afghanistan, the school year begins in […]
International Women’s Day: Afghan Women Endure Gender Apartheid
As the world marked March 8th, International Women’s Day, women in Afghanistan feel they have “nothing to celebrate.” Women’s Day is meant to be a day dedicated to the fight to achieve gender equality and advance women’s well-being and progress in various social, political and economic aspects of life. But in Afghanistan, the increasingly austere […]
The UN Meeting in Doha on Afghanistan Concluded, but Will it be Enough to bring Freedom for Afghan Women and Girls?
In February, the UN Special Meeting on Afghanistan in Doha, Qatar concluded discussions on the way forward for Afghanistan. In a press address, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres shared key concerns and discussion topics, including ensuring inclusivity in all Afghan structures and institutions, as well as ways in which to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a […]
The Taliban Misuses Religion And Culture To Promote Their Ideology
The Taliban has launched attacks against women and girls by using religion and culture to promote their ideology of suppressing women and girls. By altering meanings and conservatively interpreting Islam and Afghanistan’s culture, they have created a severe case of gender apartheid in Afghanistan. Recently, in a public engagement, Sirajuddin Haqqani, the interior minister of […]
Gender Apartheid Constantly Expanding in Afghanistan
Since the Taliban returned to power two and a half years ago, the regime has persisted in finding ways to curtail women’s rights and lives, with its most recent ban on women contacting radio stations. The Taliban has issued over 100 edicts to limit and ban women and girls’ access to employment, education, travel, and […]
In Afghanistan, the Absence of Education for Women and Girls has Long Term Implications
Women’s rights to an education have been under attack by the Taliban since the terrorist group took over in August 2021. The group continues to roll out restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan everyday. At this moment, girls are not allowed to go to university or secondary school. Even private courses are banned for […]
International Day of Education requires us to fight for women’s education everywhere. In Afghanistan, the Taliban has denied women and girls access to education.
“I love school. It brightens my future, builds up my education, and I learn about life,” Fariza, Afghan girl, UNICEF. As the world celebrates International Day of Education, this day serves as a grim reminder of the restrictions on Afghan women’s and girls’ opportunity to pursue an education. Afghan women and girls have been forced […]
Taliban Leader: Afghan Women’s Rights “have been fully secured” despite ongoing gender apartheid
Mullah Hibatullah, the Taliban’s leader, said in a recent statement that women’s rights in Afghanistan “have been fully secured.” The Taliban leader who has never been seen in public or by any official except Taliban members, claimed that women have been given their full rights under Sharia. It is unclear which standards the Taliban is […]
A coalition of Afghan women, Together Stronger, defends women’s rights despite the Taliban’s gender apartheid
The Taliban has been punishing women with arrests and physical violence citing claims of what the group calls “bad hijab.” Abdul Ghafar Farooq, the spokesman for the Taliban, has stated that women “violated the Islamic values and rituals, and encouraged society and other respected sisters to go for bad hijab. In every province, those who […]
