Afghan Protesters in Chicago Demand Recognition of ‘Gender Apartheid’ and International Action

A group of Afghan citizens in Chicago, United States, held a protest rally demanding the recognition of gender apartheid in Afghanistan and immediate action by the international community to stop it. In a resolution they issued, they emphasized that the systematic oppression of women and girls by the Taliban administration has reached a level that requires urgent political, legal, and diplomatic response.

The resolution states that the broad restrictions on women’s education, work, and social presence are part of a deliberate policy to exclude women from public spaces. The protesters believe this approach clearly constitutes gender apartheid and is a blatant violation of the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and other valid international documents.

Participants in the rally deemed silence and inaction regarding the current situation unacceptable and called on the UN Security Council, the UN Human Rights Council, the International Criminal Court, and other relevant bodies to establish an independent international mechanism to document and investigate human rights violations against Afghan women. They also stressed the need to investigate, prosecute, and hold accountable the perpetrators and commanders of these violations.

Another part of the resolution urges governments and international organizations to refrain from any actions or policies that would normalize or legitimize the Taliban’s discriminatory policies. The protesters warned that granting immunity or international acceptance to human rights violators would lead to the continuation of women’s oppression.

They further emphasized ensuring women’s and girls’ access to education, work, and social participation and called for practical support for women, civil activists, and human rights defenders.

This rally took place amid a wave of protests by Afghan citizens in various countries following the Taliban administration’s arrest of dozens of women accused of violating the hijab regulations and the suppression of protesters in Herat. Participants in these demonstrations stress that without coordinated and serious global pressure, the systematic exclusion of women from Afghan society will continue.