Amnesty urges Australia to recognise Afghan 'gender apartheid'
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Voice of America
Amnesty International Australia is calling on the Australian government to support international recognition of 'gender apartheid', a term that NGOs and Afghan women’s groups use to describe Taliban policy. The appeal forms part of the global '16 Days of Activism' initiative against gender-based violence, observed each year from 25 November to 10 December, according to Voice of America.
Amnesty International Australia is calling on the Australian government to support international recognition of 'gender apartheid' and back efforts to hold the Taliban accountable for violations of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. The organisation made the appeal in an open letter addressed to Canberra, according to Voice of America.
Amnesty Australia’s campaign is part of the '16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence and Persecution in Afghanistan', launched alongside the global 16 Days initiative against gender-based violence, which runs from 25 November to 10 December. The organisation also urges the public to sign its open letter and to amplify the voices of Afghan women, according to Voice of America.
Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, women have been denied access to secondary and higher education and face restrictions on employment, travel and participation in public life, according to Voice of America. UN Women has recorded more than 100 decrees targeting women and girls since 2021, while the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reported in October arrests and detentions of women in Kabul and Herat for alleged breaches of dress code rules.
'Gender apartheid' is not currently recognised as a distinct crime under international law, but human rights organisations and Afghan women’s groups are calling for its formal recognition, according to Voice of America.
