UN Rights Chief Calls for Criminalization of Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan

UN High Commissioner Volker Turk urges global recognition of gender apartheid in Afghanistan.

Volker Turk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, on Thursday, February 26, stated in Geneva that Afghanistan’s women and girls face systematic gender-based oppression amounting to gender apartheid, calling for international legal recognition.

He warned that recent Taliban laws formalize discrimination, expand domestic violence, and grant state-like legitimacy to abuses, undermining women’s and children’s rights across Afghanistan.

The High Commissioner stressed that ending gender apartheid requires clear definitions under international law, robust accountability mechanisms, and immediate intervention to protect the rights of Afghan women.

Recent Taliban decrees have banned women from multiple sectors, restricted movement, and imposed male guardianship, further isolating women and denying them education, employment, and civic participation.

Turk also highlighted cross-border tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, expressing deep concern over civilian casualties and the broader humanitarian consequences of these ongoing confrontations.

The United Nations and multiple member states, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, have condemned these laws, urging compliance with international human rights standards to protect Afghan civilians.

The UN warns that without urgent action, systemic abuse will continue, escalating gender inequality and leaving millions of Afghan women and girls vulnerable to violence.

International oversight, legal accountability, and humanitarian support are critical to counter Afghanistan’s growing gender apartheid, safeguard children, and restore fundamental human rights in the country.

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