Afghanistan's Taliban Face New International Pressure on Rights of Women and Girls

NEW YORK—The Open Society Justice Initiative welcomes the declarations from the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands indicating that they will initiate a legal effort to call the Taliban regime to account for ongoing abuses of the rights of Afghan women and girls.

At a news conference in New York, the four foreign ministers announced that their respective states expect the Taliban regime to adhere to Afghanistan’s international obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)—which the country ratified in 2003.

Following the announcement, a group of additional countries expressed support for this effort, including Albania, Belgium, Chile, Iceland, Malawi, Morocco, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, and Spain.

The move launches a process that could lead to action against Afghanistan before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which adjudicates disputes between UN member states.

One hundred and eighty-nine countries have ratified CEDAW, making it one of the most widely endorsed UN human rights treaties. Members that have agreed to the convention’s dispute mechanism can challenge other members over alleged breaches of the convention. While no country in the world recognizes the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, the Taliban are still liable for Afghanistan’s commitments under international treaties.

Natasha Arnpriester, a senior lawyer at the Justice Initiative, urged other CEDAW member states to join the bid to invoke the convention against the Taliban’s record of abuse, and to ensure a central role in the process for Afghan women:

“Holding the Taliban accountable for Afghanistan’s treaty obligations to protect the rights of women and girls is long overdue. This effort follows the courageous leadership and resistance of Afghan women, who continue to fight for their rights in the face of oppression. It offers a path toward a more sustainable future for Afghan women and girls, showing that they will not be forgotten, but supported in their pursuit of justice and equality."

Afghanistan is now the only country in the world that has banned girls from secondary and higher education, while imposing a series of draconian restrictions on women, including bans on their employment, political participation, and even their presence in public. Their movement from the home is constrained and there is a prohibition on their voices being heard and their faces being seen in public spaces.C

CORRECTION November 5, 2024: an earlier version of this news release incorrectly included Malaysia, Panama, and Sierra Leone in the list of countries expressing support for this effort, and omitted Chile, Malawi, Republic of Korea, and Spain.