14 Countries Back Criminalization of Gender Apartheid at Global Level

Amnesty International, the End Gender Apartheid Campaign, and Human Rights Watch have announced that the recognition of gender apartheid as an international crime has entered a new phase, garnering official support from 14 countries. This move, if realized, could establish the legal basis for accountability against systemic discrimination toward women.

These organizations emphasized in a joint statement on Thursday, August 6, that criminalizing gender apartheid is a necessary step to strengthen gender justice worldwide and could serve as a shield against the recurrence of such structural oppression in other countries.

The statement highlighted that the initiative to recognize this crime stems from years of efforts and advocacy by Afghan women, who under Taliban rule have faced extensive educational, occupational, and social restrictions, repeatedly calling on the international community to recognize this situation as gender apartheid.

According to these organizations, countries should join the wave of support for this proposal in solidarity with Afghan women. The statement noted that formal negotiations at the United Nations for considering the addition of gender apartheid to the list of international crimes are scheduled to begin in 2028.

Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, broad restrictions on girls’ education, women’s employment, and their presence in public spaces have prompted ongoing reactions from human rights bodies, making the issue of international accountability a key topic of discussion in global forums.