Global Action Needed to End Taliban's Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan

The Taliban's rule in Afghanistan has resulted in a systematic denial of basic human rights for women, amounting to gender apartheid. The international community must formally recognize this as a crime against humanity in order to legally combat the discrimination faced by Afghan women and girls. The Taliban's ideology erases women from the public sphere, dismantling women's rights institutions and imposing severe restrictions on their rights. Afghanistan is currently facing a severe humanitarian crisis, with widespread food insecurity and increased gender-based violence. Recognizing gender apartheid as an international crime would provide a legal framework to effectively respond to Taliban abuses and uphold international commitments to women's rights.