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

In the News

Mar 2, 2022

Plitsas in Voice of America on Afghan evacuation

By Atlantic Council

Forward Defense's Alex Plitsas estimates the number Afghans that have escaped the Taliban in the last six months.

Afghanistan Extremism

SouthAsiaSource

Mar 1, 2022

Afghanistan’s future after the Taliban takeover: Civil war or disintegration?

By Natiq Malikzada

Amid the withdrawal of foreign troops, the lingering issue of ethnic discord once again is rearing its ugly head across Afghanistan. 

Afghanistan Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

SouthAsiaSource

Feb 28, 2022

An aid-trade corridor is key to the Afghan economy’s revival

By Gul Maqsood Sabit

Humanitarian assistance is a temporary solution to a long-term problem in Afghanistan. To reduce aid dependency and give hope to a suffering population, it is essential that the economy remains somewhat functional and the Afghan currency holds some value.

Afghanistan Economy & Business

In the News

Feb 18, 2022

Manning in The Hill: Ukraine, Taiwan and the credibility dilemma

By Atlantic Council

On February 18, Manning published his biweekly column in the Hill on the fallacy of linking the credibility of the United States on decisions made regarding Ukraine and Taiwan. Manning argues that equating the two situations oversimplifies the differing strategic value of the areas, and that the same calculus applied to the US withdrawal from […]

Afghanistan Defense Policy

In the News

Feb 18, 2022

Manning in The Hill: Ukraine, Taiwan and the credibility dilemma

By Atlantic Council

On February 18, Manning published his biweekly column in the Hill on the fallacy of linking the credibility of the United States on decisions made regarding Ukraine and Taiwan. Manning argues that equating the two situations oversimplifies the differing strategic value of the areas, and that the same calculus applied to the US withdrawal from […]

Afghanistan Defense Policy

In the News

Feb 17, 2022

Preble in Reason: Public Confidence in the military Is slipping

By Atlantic Council

On February 17, Preble was quoted in Reason regarding declining public trust in the military. “‘Trust in everything is down, and the obvious answer is that post-9/11 wars have not gone well,’ the Atlantic Council’s Christopher Preble tells Reason. Preble also feels that the question’s oversimplification doesn’t fully capture the issue. He wonders whether the recent decline […]

Afghanistan Defense Policy

SouthAsiaSource

Feb 16, 2022

Experts react: Biden administration decision to split frozen Afghan funds

By Atlantic Council Experts

On February 11, 2022, US President Joe Biden issued an executive order paving the way for the splitting of $7 billion in frozen funds controlled by the former Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. This move has caused significant controversy.

Afghanistan Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Feb 15, 2022

On Afghanistan’s $7B question, Biden gets it right

By Brian O’Toole

The administration has been playing kabuki to ensure at least some cash makes it to the Afghan people.

Afghanistan Democratic Transitions

Report

Feb 15, 2022

The Afghan refugee crisis: How to resurrect the global refugee resettlement coalition

By Rory Stewart

Six months after the fall of Kabul, the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated at an alarming rate. The threat of famine and economic collapse looms over the entire country. Consequently, many Afghans are fleeing both these appalling conditions and the oppressive Taliban that now control the country.

Afghanistan Europe & Eurasia

SouthAsiaSource

Feb 3, 2022

Navigating Pakistan’s Afghanistan conundrum 

By Syed Ali Zia Jaffery

While Pakistan is rightly highlighting the need for the international community to engage with the Afghan government, it must ensure that the Afghan Taliban do not ignore Pakistan’s vital security interests.

Afghanistan Pakistan

Experts