The Kabul Tribune (KT)— Human rights organizations on Friday welcomed growing international support for recognizing gender apartheid as a crime under international law, describing recent proposals by several countries as a major step toward strengthening protections for women and girls worldwide.
In a joint statement, Amnesty International, the End Gender Apartheid Campaign and Human Rights Watch said the movement reached a "historic milestone" after multiple governments formally proposed including gender apartheid in a draft United Nations treaty on crimes against humanity.
The proposals, released June 3 as part of the U.N. treaty process, will serve as the basis for negotiations scheduled to begin in January 2028. Advocates said securing support from at least one country was necessary for the issue to be included in the negotiations, but several governments ultimately submitted proposals.
Australia, Spain and Uruguay each proposed recognizing gender apartheid in their national submissions. Iceland, Mexico and Timor-Leste jointly submitted a proposal defining gender apartheid as "inhumane acts" committed within "an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one gender group over any other gender group or groups," with the intent of maintaining that system.
According to the organizations, 14 countries have now publicly expressed support for recognizing gender apartheid as an international crime through treaty proposals or previous statements made during discussions at the U.N. General Assembly's Sixth Committee.
The groups urged other governments to back the effort ahead of negotiations in 2028 and 2029, arguing that decisions made during the treaty process could shape international law for decades.
The statement highlighted the role of Afghan women in advancing the campaign, saying they have led calls for the international community to recognize gender apartheid as the legal term that best describes the systematic discrimination and repression they face.
Quoting the joint proposal by Iceland, Mexico and Timor-Leste, the organizations said the effort to criminalize gender apartheid stems from the "decades-long leadership of the women of Afghanistan," who argue that the term most accurately reflects the "distinct and transgenerational harms" inflicted upon them.
The campaign has gained momentum since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021 and imposed sweeping restrictions on women and girls, including bans on secondary and higher education, limits on employment, restrictions on movement without a male guardian and prohibitions on many public activities.
The Taliban have repeatedly defended their policies as consistent with their interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan culture, while the United Nations and rights organizations have condemned the measures as severe violations of women's rights.
