Resolution on the Erosion of Women’s Rights in Afghanistan

Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, which affirm the fundamental rights of all individuals, irrespective of gender;

Recognizing that since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, there has been a systematic and deliberate rollback of women’s rights, including severe restrictions on their freedom of movement, expression, employment, and dress, among other rights;

Noting with deep concern the decree issued by the Taliban on 21 August 2024, the so-called Law on Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which declared that Afghan women are now prohibited from speaking and singing in public and face increasingly stringent dress codes that mandate the complete covering of their faces outside their homes;

Supporting the findings of the UN Working Group on discrimination against women and girls that the pattern of large-scale systematic violations of women’s and girls’ fundamental rights in Afghanistan by the discriminatory and misogynistic edicts, policies and harsh enforcement methods of the Taliban constitutes an institutionalized framework of apartheid based on gender;

Affirming the right of Afghan women to live free from discrimination and to fully participate in all aspects of society, including the rugby to education, employment, and political involvement;

Noting the grave and persistent multidimensional humanitarian crisis that persists within the country, which leaves millions of people, including women, in need of humanitarian aid, and the need for engagement by international actors, in line with the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence;

Humanists International therefore:

1. Urges the international community to condemn and to apply pressure on the Taliban regime to immediately cease all practices that discriminate against women and to restore and protect their rights in accordance with international human rights standards;
2. Expresses solidarity with the women of Afghanistan and all individuals advocating for human rights and gender equality in the country, recognizing their courage and resilience in the face of oppression;
3. Calls on the United Nations and its agencies, as well as humanitarian NGOs, to continue their principled humanitarian engagement in Afghanistan, and for the international community to continue its funding efforts for this engagement;
4. Urges the Taliban to allow unimpeded access for humanitarian and human rights actors, including the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan and other international observers.

Adopted by consensus on 1 September 2024.

Suggested academic reference

'Resolution on the Erosion of Women's Rights in Afghanistan', Humanists International, General Assembly, Singapore, 2024