On Tuesday 29th October, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women, Peace and Security (APPG-WPS) and the Malala Fund hosted a discussion: Countering Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan: Policy Options for Accountability. 

The following speakers took part: Malala Yousafzai, Co-founder of the Malala Fund; Sahar Halaimzai – Afghanistan Director of the Malala Fund; Horia Mosadiq, Founder and Director of SRMO; Hamish Falconer MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan; and Baroness Helic from the House of Lords.   The event was very well attended. 

The discussion, chaired by Baroness Hodgson, co-chair of the APPG-WPS, considered the impact of the Taliban on the rights and freedoms of Afghan woman and girls.  

Malala Yousafzai provided a powerful intervention, outlining the context of Afghanistan as the most pressing human rights crisis of our time, where the voices rights and futures of women and girls are being ripped away. Since the Taliban took control, Malala explained, Afghan girls have been banned from education and systematically driven from public life. Malala urged international response to be strong and decisive. As part of this, the UK must recognise gender apartheid in the context of Afghanistan, as a mechanism to understand the Taliban’s actions in a context where gender discrimination falls short. She urged that the UK must push to codify gender apartheid and play a convening role to bring a system of accountability. Malala thanked the attendees of the event for their commitments to women’s rights and pointed to the leadership of the UK as a beacon for future possibilities.  

The other speakers, Sahar Halaimzai and Horia Mosaqid, emphasised the need to tackle the root causes and ensure long-term accountability for the women and girls of Afghanistan. They highlighted the continual resistance of Afghan women who are turning to online education and marching on the streets on the daily basis, despite the threat of torture and imprisonments. In turn, It was felt that the international community holds a responsibility to apply the language of gender apartheid and concluded by stating, ‘we cannot be selective on international law application- inaction is not an option”.  

Hamish Falconer MP spoke about the priorities of the new Government and its effort to meet with Afghan woman groups and establish a review of the position taken by the previous Government. Falconer stated that the UK recognises that the rights of Afghan women and girls are extinguished and is doing what it can to support, including through the education of Afghan women. With relation to gender apartheid, Falconer expressed that the UK does not have a determined position currently and will be reviewing this.  

The floor opened up to a discussion between attendees on topics including, the potential to codify gender apartheid, the resistance to this term by South African activists and other legal mechanisms that the UK should be using, including the ICC. Baroness Helic importantly expressed, ‘there is a hard way ahead of us, the sooner we start, the sooner we get there’. Baroness Hodgson thanked the speakers, the Malala Fund and Baroness Helic who helped organise the event and all who attended.  

*For further information, please email appg-wps@gaps-uk.org.*