Human Rights Watch: Recognizing gender apartheid could strengthen justice for Afghan women.
Afghan women’s rights advocates have called on UN member states to recognize “gender apartheid” as a crime against humanity under international law.
The demand comes as the UN General Assembly is discussing a draft convention on crimes against humanity.
So far, at least eleven countries have expressed their readiness to discuss the issue, and several others have informally expressed their support.
Afghan activists emphasize that such a move, while not an immediate solution to the situation of women in Afghanistan, could send a strong message to the Taliban and other governments that violations of women’s rights will not go unanswered.
They have also announced three main demands: ensuring women’s equal participation in decision-making, preventing the Taliban from being recognized as a legitimate government, and holding the group accountable for widespread violations of the rights of women and girls.
Legal experts have warned that ratification of the treaty is a long process and could take at least four years and even be inconclusive.
However, the Global Campaign Against Gender Apartheid has garnered widespread support.
Human Rights Watch says recognizing the phenomenon as an international crime could keep hope alive for Afghan women and girls;
As Afghan activists insist, no better term than “gender apartheid” can describe the current situation.
