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

Issue Brief

Nov 9, 2017

Iran’s bottom line in Afghanistan

By Alex Vatanka

Due to proximity and historical ties, no other country is as well placed as Iran to play a dominant role in Afghan society, as Middle East Institute senior fellow Alex Vatanka shows in his new paper, Iran’s Bottom Line in Afghanistan. However, Tehran is focused on short-term tactical gains at the expense of a sustainable, […]

Afghanistan Iran

In the News

Sep 15, 2017

Wormuth Quoted in NY Times about Drone Strikes in Afghanistan

By Christine Wormuth

Read the full article here.

Afghanistan

In the News

Sep 3, 2017

Manning in Global Times: Trump’s Afghan Strategy: Old Wine, New Bottles

By Robert A. Manning

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Afghanistan

In the News

Sep 1, 2017

Ahmad and Gopalaswamy in The Hill: India Has a Featured Role in Trump’s New Afghan Plan

By Javid Ahmad and Bharath Gopalaswamy

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Afghanistan India

In the News

Aug 31, 2017

McFate in POLITICO: I Was a Mercenary. Trust Me: Erik Prince’s Plan is Garbage.

By Sean McFate

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Afghanistan

In the News

Aug 28, 2017

Ullman in UPI: No Good Choices In ‘Ungrateful Volcano’ of Afghanistan

By Harlan Ullman

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Afghanistan

In the News

Aug 27, 2017

Alfoneh in Arab Weekly: Washington and Tehran on Collision Course in Afghanistan

By Ali Alfoneh

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Afghanistan

In the News

Aug 27, 2017

Castello Joins Univision to Discuss the Surge of US Troops in Afghanistan

By Carles Castello-Catchot

Watch the full discussion here.

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Aug 24, 2017

Trump’s Afghanistan Strategy Turns Up the Heat on Pakistan

US President Donald J. Trump’s new strategy for Afghanistan effectively puts the onus on Pakistan to end its support for terrorists. If this strategy is to succeed, the United States must “adopt a very serious policy toward Pakistan,” said C. Christine Fair, the provost’s distinguished associate professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. […]

Afghanistan Pakistan

In the News

Aug 24, 2017

Castello-Catchot Joins Corresponsales en Linea to Discuss Trump’s New Strategy for Afghanistan

By Carles Castello-Catchot

Listen to the full discussion here.

Afghanistan

Experts