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

Oct 19, 2018

Why Afghanistan’s parliamentary election matters

By Roshni Majumdar

Holding the election is “an important measure of progress that underscores how far Afghanistan’s nascent democracy has come,” said Javid Ahmad, a nonresident fellow with the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center.

Afghanistan Democratic Transitions

New Atlanticist

Oct 11, 2018

Deciphering the Afghan riddle

By Omar Samad

Despite the gains and sacrifices made by Afghans and their allies, mounting human losses, growing ethnic rifts, economic woes, and weakened political consensus have disrupted part of the “self-reliance” agenda.

Afghanistan Conflict

In the News

Oct 5, 2018

Manning in Foreign Policy: The United States Needs an Afghanistan Exit Strategy

By Robert A. Manning

Read the full article here.

Afghanistan

In the News

Sep 19, 2018

Ahmad in WSJ: The Mafia That Threatens Afghanistan

By Javid Ahmad

Read the full article here.

Afghanistan

In the News

Sep 14, 2018

Ahmad in Washington Post: I Will Still Support the US Presence in Afghanistan. But Now it’s Time to Fight for Peace in my Country.

By Javid Ahmad

Read the full article here.

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Sep 13, 2018

The war for peace in Afghanistan

By Fatemeh Aman

An enduring peace in Afghanistan is only possible if it involves a deal between the Afghan government and the Taliban, and addresses the challenge posed by these other insurgent groups.

Afghanistan Conflict

New Atlanticist

Sep 11, 2018

Can peace be won in Afghanistan?

By Omar Samad

How will key regional stakeholders—Pakistan, Russia, Iran, China, and India—manage shifting interests and threat perceptions at a time when the United States is pushing for a peace deal, and is there a contingency plan if talks fail?

Afghanistan Conflict

New Atlanticist

Sep 11, 2018

#StrongerWithAllies: The day NATO stood with the United States

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Since 2001, US NATO allies have lost more than 1,000 troops in Afghanistan. “They died in solidarity with us, for the Alliance and the values it defends,” said Daniel Fried, distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council's Future Europe Initiative and Eurasia Center.

Afghanistan NATO

NATOSource

Sep 7, 2018

US General Miller Takes Over NATO Mission in Afghanistan

By NATO

General Austin Scott Miller assumed command of the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission from General John ”Mick” Nicholson at a ceremony at mission headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Afghanistan NATO

New Atlanticist

Sep 5, 2018

Trump picks Zalmay Khalilzad, Atlantic Council board director, as special representative on Afghanistan

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Khalilzad’s appointment is a “good sign that the administration recognizes that if it’s going to be serious about trying to achieve a negotiated settlement, that requires having some real diplomatic muscle applied to the task,” said Laurel E. Miller, a senior foreign policy expert at the RAND Corporation.

Afghanistan Pakistan

Experts

Events