After the Taliban’s return to power on August 15, 2021, women in Afghanistan are treated as second-class citizens, systematically stripped of their rights. Over eighty decrees issued by the Taliban confine women to their homes and ban girls from attending school, turning Afghanistan into a prison for women and girls.

This gender apartheid is reinforced by new educational curricula and severe restrictions on women’s participation in every aspect of society. Women’s protests against these injustices have been met with harsh repression, including imprisonment, torture, and accusations of being influenced by foreign entities.

Inside the Taliban’s gender apartheid, a joint project of the Civic Engagement Project and the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center, highlights the stories of women who have courageously resisted these injustices—women who have endured imprisonment and brutality for their peaceful demands for basic rights. By refusing to remain silent and shedding light on the violence they face, their testimonies serve as evidence in the fight for justice.

The women who have survived this regime are now calling for international recognition of the Taliban’s gender apartheid as a crime against humanity. This recognition would not only validate their suffering but could also challenge the Taliban’s grip on power and pave the way for transitional justice, offering a potential path to healing and justice for Afghan women and girls. 

The South Asia Center is the hub for the Atlantic Council’s analysis of the political, social, geographical, and cultural diversity of the region. ​At the intersection of South Asia and its geopolitics, SAC cultivates dialogue to shape policy and forge ties between the region and the global community.

Content

New Atlanticist

Jun 28, 2011

Afghanistan Handoff: NATO to SCO?

By Nikolas Gvosdev

While the United States and its North Atlantic partners have reaffirmed their commitment to Afghanistan through to 2014, the Western alliance has also clearly signaled it is not willing to offer an unlimited “blank check” to Kabul. The president’s approach to Afghanistan is guided by what I’ve described as the “just enough” doctrine designed to “keep al-Qaida […]

Afghanistan

Transcript

Sep 27, 2010

Transcript: NATO Beyond Afghanistan Conference – Third Panel

Transcript of the third panel from the NATO Beyond Afghanistan conference held September 27, 2010.

Afghanistan NATO

Transcript

Sep 27, 2010

Transcript: NATO Beyond Afghanistan Conference – Lunch Keynote

Transcript of the lunch keynote from the NATO Beyond Afghanistan conference held September 27, 2010.

Afghanistan

Transcript

Sep 27, 2010

Transcript: NATO Beyond Afghanistan Conference – Second Panel

Transcript of the second panel from the NATO Beyond Afghanistan conference held September 27, 2010.

Afghanistan

Transcript

Sep 27, 2010

Transcript: NATO Beyond Afghanistan Conference – Welcome and First Panel

Transcript of the conference welcome and first panel from the NATO Beyond Afghanistan conference held September 27, 2010.

Afghanistan

Event Recap

Sep 27, 2010

NATO Beyond Afghanistan Conference: Strategic Implications for NATO and the ISAF Mission

On September 27, the Atlantic Council and its Strategic Advisors Group hosted an all-day conference on the long-term political and military implications for NATO stemming from the ISAF mission.

Afghanistan

Event Recap

Sep 17, 2010

Second Annual Members’ Conference – Afghanistan Beyond 2011: How do we get it right?

Summary of the breakout conversation “Afghanistan Beyond 2011: How do we get it right?” at the 2010 Annual Members’ Conference. Participants: Clare Lockhart, Co-Founder and CEO, Institute for State Effectiveness John Tien, Senior Director for Afghanistan and Pakistan, National Security Staff, Executive Office of the President, the White House Moderated by Shuja Nawaz, Director, South […]

Afghanistan
Pakistan soldiers

External

Jun 11, 2010

The Afghanistan-Pakistan theater: Militant Islam, security & stability

What is the optimal strategy for the United States and its allies to pursue in Afghanistan? Observers across the political spectrum agree that military operations alone are not enough to secure Afghanistan against a powerful insurgency linked to global jihadism. There is increasing consensus as well that Pakistan – a refuge for important al-Qaeda figures, […]

Afghanistan Extremism
STOCK - NATO-OTAN

Issue Brief

Apr 9, 2010

Afghanistan, Pakistan and NATO’s Strategic Concept

In the latest Issue Brief, Strategic Advisors Group (SAG) members Boyko Noev and Harlan Ullman analyze NATO’s three options for how the Strategic Concept should deal with Afghanistan: ignore and defer; finesse; or confront. Download the PDF

Afghanistan NATO

Event Recap

Feb 18, 2010

Brigadier-General Jonathan Vance: Canada in Afghanistan

Canadian Brigadier-General Jonathan Vance, the former Commander of Joint Task Force 5-09 who until recently commanded all Canadian and NATO Forces in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, spoke before the Atlantic Council on counterinsurgency in Afghanistan from a Canadian perspective.

Afghanistan International Security Assistance Force

Experts