Imagine waking to the realization that your dreams are no longer your own. You are told you cannot go to school, pursue a career, travel freely, or even make decisions about your own life not because of anything you have done, but simply because you are a woman. This is not a nightmare but a reality for the girls of Afghanistan.
The phrase gender apartheid refers to a systematic arrangement in which people are systematically segregated, discriminated against, and denied fundamental rights on the ground of their gender, typically through laws, policies, and institutional practices.
After the Taliban regained control in August 2021, restrictions on women and girls have expanded dramatically. Girls have been forbidden from attending secondary schools and universities, blocking an entire generation from obtaining higher education.
Women have been banned from working in many government offices, nongovernmental organizations, and various sectors of the economy. Their freedom of movement has been limited by rules such as needing to travel accompanied by a male guardian over long distances, while access to parks, gyms, and several public spaces has also been curtailed. Collectively, these policies have fostered an environment where women are denied equal participation in society.
These moves have attracted widespread criticism from the international community. Organizations like the United Nations, UN Women, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and many governments have described the Taliban's actions as serious violations of human rights. Meanwhile, campaigns are ongoing in support of officially recognizing gender apartheid in the international law regime since, according to its proponents, the current regime is inadequate in dealing with systems of gender domination imposed by a state.
Currently, approximately 24,500 people are detained in Taliban prisons; among them, 1,825 women are held without trial, without access to a lawyer, and without the right to defend themselves.
Recognizing gender apartheid, on its own, does not restore the lost rights of millions of Afghan women and girls. But according to the advocates, recognizing it will create a clearer legal definition of gender oppression, enhance accountability in the international community, and send a strong message that excluding women from society is not just discrimination but a grave violation of human rights.
Therefore, the battle for recognition is about much more than language. It is about recognizing the experience of millions of women whose identity has been used as an excuse to exclude them from society.
Currently, approximately 24,500 people are detained in Taliban prisons; among them, 1,825 women are held without trial, without access to a lawyer, and without the right to defend themselves.
This is not only a fight for women but humanity itself. As Nelson Mandela once said “To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity”. If half of any given community is deprived of education, freedom, justice, and a chance to be a part of society, then the consequences go well beyond just those individuals who have been deprived of such things. Advocating for women's rights is isn't just an act of solidarity, it is a fundamental commitment to equality and justice for all.
Speaking up can help liberate the millions who are oppressed solely for their gender. Our words and actions may not directly affect the Taliban rule but it tells them that we are watching and we refuse to accept this injustice. Each and every time you speak up, you build the power for those who have not been able to speak up for themselves. Let's stand together, speak up, and lift up those oppressed by the Taliban.
(Ipkshita is a ninth grader studying in Bhudhanilkantha School.)
(Nepalkhabar encourages students to send in their articles on any issues of their interest. The article should be around 500 to 700 words in English and sent via [email protected]. We will select, edit and duly publish them in our blog section.)
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