Human rights activists launch network to combat gender apartheid in Afghanistan

A group of women’s rights activists and human rights defenders from Afghanistan and several other countries have launched the “Network on the Elimination of Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan (NEGA)” at an event in Toronto, Canada.

The event, supported by The Rights Monitor Media (RM Media) and SRMO, was held both in person and online, bringing together international human rights figures. Participants included Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan; Heather Barr, Associate Director of the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch; as well as human rights activists Horia Mosadiq and Mitra Mehran, alongside other representatives of rights organizations and civil society actors.

According to the organizers, the initiative is the result of more than two years of dialogue among Afghan women’s rights activists inside the country and in exile. It aims to draw global attention to the situation of women in Afghanistan and advocate for the recognition of “gender apartheid” as a distinct crime under international law.

Members of the network say the lack of a clear legal definition has allowed systemic discrimination against women to continue without effective accountability, limiting victims’ access to justice.

Welcoming the initiative, Bennett said:

“Accountability cannot be achieved without supporting those on the front lines, particularly Afghan civil society and women’s organizations.”

The network’s founders expressed hope that sustained advocacy will lead to the recognition of gender apartheid as a crime against humanity and ensure accountability for those responsible.