Amnesty: “There is a war against women in Afghanistan”

Since the Taliban took power in the summer of 2021, the situation of women in Afghanistan has deteriorated significantly: they are threatened with intimidation, kidnapping and torture. Human rights activists even speak of a “war against women”.

The human rights organization Amnesty International has accused the Taliban, who rule in Afghanistan, of crimes against humanity for disregarding basic women’s rights. Together with the International Judicial Commission (ICJ), Amnesty called for the International Criminal Court to be involved. According to a report published in Geneva, all the criteria for gender-specific persecution and thus a crime against humanity have been met.

Since the militant Islamists returned to power in the summer of 2021, women and girls in Afghanistan have once again been pushed out of public life. They are not allowed to attend universities or higher schools. They are also no longer allowed to practice many professions. Other restrictions include a ban on visiting public parks and gyms.

persecution based on gender

ICJ Secretary General Santiago Canton said, “The Taliban severely and systematically persecute women and girls based on their gender.” Women protesting the restrictions faced arbitrary arrest, disappearance or torture. Amnesty has also documented cases where women and girls have been threatened into marrying Taliban members.

Amnesty expert Theresa Bergmann spoke of an “organized, large-scale and systematic crime against humanity”. Both organizations appealed to the federal government to speed up the admission of people from Afghanistan.

International community called for action

“We simply cannot afford to abandon the women and girls of Afghanistan,” Canton said. His Amnesty colleague Agnès Callamard judged that there was a “war against women” in Afghanistan that amounted to an “organized, widespread and systematic international crime”. The international community must end this “system of oppression and persecution”. Callamard did not elaborate on how this should be done. An international combat mission against the Taliban failed in 2021 after 20 years.