UN experts: Suppression of women in Afghanistan is 'gender apartheid'

Elaha Fri Aug 2026 1 month ago 280

They have urged countries to work toward recognizing gender apartheid as a distinct crime under international law and to refrain from normalizing relations with the Taliban until there is a tangible change in the group's policies.


Experts have said that over the past five years, restrictions on women and girls have steadily increased, depriving an entire generation of girls of secondary education. They have also criticized Taliban regulations on violence against women, child and forced marriages, restrictions on women's access to hospitals due to dress codes or lack of a male guardian, and the rise in corporal punishments. According to this statement, the Taliban in 2025 flogged at least 1,110 people in public, including 170 women.


The United Nations has simultaneously described Afghanistan's humanitarian situation as dire. According to experts, more than 17 million people face acute food insecurity, and nearly four million children suffer from severe malnutrition. Declining humanitarian aid, economic weakness, drought, and the widespread return of migrants from neighboring countries have exacerbated the crisis, while Taliban restrictions on women's work, movement, and access to services have made them more vulnerable to poverty and hunger.


UN experts have also emphasized that Afghanistan is currently not safe for the forced return of its citizens and have called for a halt to the compulsory deportation of Afghan nationals.


They have identified individuals affiliated with the former government, human rights defenders, and LGBTQ people as among the groups at risk. Regarding the Afghanistan-Pakistan conflicts, they have stated that since October 2025, 499 civilians have been killed and more than 1,200 injured, calling for independent investigations into potential violations of the laws of war.


These experts have urged the international community to increase pressure on the Taliban to be held accountable for human rights violations, to support the International Criminal Court, and to maintain an independent investigation mechanism on Afghanistan with adequate resources. They have also stressed that humanitarian aid must be increased and that women must both play a role in its distribution and have access to it; according to them, the world must not abandon the people of Afghanistan once again.

Dozens of UN special rapporteurs and experts have criticized Taliban policies, stating that the systematic repression and discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan could constitute "gender apartheid" and a crime against humanity.

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