The expert recommended that states accept the concept of “gender apartheid” and support its codification, as Afghan women argue that this term best describes their situation. Afghanistan: UN expert calls for using the international criminal system to combat the oppression of women in the country Human Rights
Systematic violations of the fundamental rights of women and girls by the Taliban have intensified, causing enormous harm to Afghan society. This was stated on Tuesday by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in this country, Richard Bennett. He presented his report to the Human Rights Council.
“The Taliban’s institutionalization of a system of oppression against women and girls and the harm it continues to cause should shock the conscience of humanity,” the UN expert said, speaking to members of the HRC alongside Afghan women. He said the violations were so serious and widespread that they likely amounted to crimes against humanity.
Bennett called on Taliban officials to take immediate action to fully change a system that denies women and girls their basic rights.
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The Special Rapporteur also called for the use of “all tools” to dismantle the institutionalized system of gender oppression in Afghanistan and bring those responsible to justice. This approach includes the use of international mechanisms such as the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, as well as the consideration of cases at the national level under the principle of universal jurisdiction.
The independent expert also recommended member states to accept the concept of “gender apartheid” and support its codification, as Afghan women argue that this term best describes their situation.
According to Bennett, it is critical that representatives of the country’s civil society, including human rights defenders, actively participate in the meeting of special envoys for Afghanistan in Doha later this month, and that the rights of women and girls are discussed there both directly and as part of discussions on other topics.
The Special Rapporteur added that for any normalization or legitimation of the de facto authorities in Afghanistan, there must be concrete improvements in the field of human rights.
Special Rapporteurs are part of the so-called Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN employees and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent of any government or organization and act in an individual capacity.