- Before the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, “donor development aid for Afghanistan’s public health system was approximately six times the government’s own expenditure on health.” Since August 2021, after the Taliban took power by force, international funding has significantly decreased as many donors pulled their funds. Given Afghanistan’s heavy dependence on international aid to […]
- In 1973, after decades of racist policies by South Africa’s National Party, the United Nations ratified a document that officially defined racial apartheid. This convention defined the crime of apartheid as “inhuman acts committed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial group of persons […]
- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has invited six Afghan athletes – three women and three men – in “consultation with Afghanistan’s largely exiled national Olympic committee.” However, the spokesman for the Taliban government’s sports directorate, Atal Mashwani, said “only three athletes are representing Afghanistan.” He continued, “in Afghanistan girls’ sports have been stopped. When girls’ […]
- In March of this year, the Taliban’s Supreme Leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, announced that the Taliban regime would resume the public stoning of women for crimes like adultery. The Taliban argues that this is “in line with Sharia and Islamic law” and will also punish other “moral crimes” in a similar fashion. Since the Taliba […]
- On June 18, the United Nation’s Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, presented a mandated report to the U.N.’s High Commissioner for Human Rights. The report states that the “phenomenon of an institutionalized system of discrimination, segregation, disrespect for human dignity and exclusion of women and girls,” is Gender Apartheid. […]
- In a letter to the UN, the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security – expressed the growing concern about how the international community lacks the “necessary resolve to defend and advocate for the human rights of Afghan women and girls.” This will be the third Doha meeting, taking place in Doha, Qatar on […]
- June 30th will mark over 1,000 days since the closing of secondary schools for girls and 500 days since the edict banning women from receiving a university education. The United Nations will be hosting the annual Doha Meeting in Qatar on June 30th where various countries and special envoys, including the UN will discuss various […]
- This article is adapted from an opinion piece by Dr. Sima Samar, originally published in Ms. Magazine. Dr. Sima Samar is a human rights advocate and medical doctor who belongs to Afghanistan’s ethnic Hazara minority group. Dr. Samar served as Minister of Women’s Affairs from 2001 to 2003 and was the highest ranking woman in […]
- In times of conflict, political instability, and social unrest, women and children have always been the ones who face the most dire consequences compared to the rest of the population. It is nearly three years since the Taliban returned to power and their extremist views and restricting edicts against Afghan women has been one of […]
- In a country-wide women’s consultation conducted by three UN agencies, Afghan women have expressed “dread” and “anxiety” at the possibility of international recognition of the Taliban. 67% of women have said that recognition would severely affect their lives, especially as the Taliban is now often referred to as the de facto authorities (DFA). The consultations […]