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

Dec 16, 2015

Cunningham Testifies on Obama Administration’s Strategy in Afghanistan

By South Asia Center

Ambassador James B. Cunningham, Khalilzad Chair, South Asia Center, testifies at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Afghanistan

In the News

Dec 16, 2015

Cunningham Testifies on US Strategy in Afghanistan

By James Cunningham

Zalmay Khalilzad Chair on Afghanistan and Resident Senior Fellow James B. Cunningham testifies before the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on the US strategy in Afghanistan:

Afghanistan

In the News

Dec 2, 2015

Cunningham on Security for Diplomats

By James Cunningham

The Hill quotes Atlantic Council Zalmay Khalilzad Chair on Afghanistan James Cunningham on his experience as ambassador to Afghanistan and the security risks involved and precautions taken by the State Department:

Afghanistan

In the News

Nov 17, 2015

Cunningham on ISIS in Afghanistan

By James Cunningham

PBS quotes Zalmay Khalilzad Chair on Afghanistan and Resident Senior Fellow James B. Cunningham on the origins of ISIS and how the militant group’s increasing presence in Afghanistan is causing concern:

Afghanistan

In the News

Oct 23, 2015

Herbst on Russian Troops in Afghanistan

By John Herbst

Voice of America quotes Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center Director John Herbst on speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin would send Russian troops to Afghanistan: 

Afghanistan Russia

In the News

Oct 22, 2015

Bensahel on President Ghani

By Nicole Hobbs

US News and World Report quotes Brent Scowcroft Center Nonresident Senior Fellow for Military Affairs and National Security Policy Nora Bensahel on President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani’s first year in office:

Afghanistan

Event Recap

Oct 20, 2015

Will the Afghan State Survive?

By South Asia Center

On October 20th, the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center hosted a discussion with the Special Representative of the European Union Ambassador Franz-Michel Mellbin. With a fresh view from the ground in Kabul, Ambassador Mellbin discussed the slow, but consistent progress that the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) have made, and argued that contrary to the […]

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Oct 20, 2015

In Afghanistan, an Opportunity for the United States to Work with China and Iran

By Ashish Kumar Sen

EU Special Representative says Islamic State’s rise has created common ground for Washington, Tehran, and Beijing Franz-Michael Mellbin is the European Union’s Special Representative in Afghanistan. In a wide-ranging interview with the New Atlanticist’s Ashish Kumar Sen on Oct. 20, Mellbin discussed the need for a sustained US and NATO troop commitment in Afghanistan, the […]

Afghanistan China
German soldiers in Afghanistan, Sept. 11, 2009

NATOSource

Oct 20, 2015

NATO Nations to Keep Presence in Afghanistan, Officials Say

By Robin Emmott, Reuters

Germany, Turkey and Italy are set to keep their deployments in Afghanistan at current levels, senior NATO officials said on Monday after the U.S. government decided to prolong its 14-year-old military presence there.

Afghanistan Germany

In the News

Oct 17, 2015

Cunningham on US Troops Remaining in Afghanistan

By James Cunningham

Zalmay Khalilzad Chair on Afghanistan and Resident Senior Fellow James B. Cunningham joins MSNBC to discuss President Obama’s decision to maintain US troops in Afghanistan through 2017:

Afghanistan

Experts

Events