The Platform for Women’s Equality (EŞİK) based in Turkey, has sent a letter to the Special Coordinator for Afghanistan by the UN Secretary-General and the Permanent Representative of Turkey to the UN. The letter communicates their demands regarding the report he is leading on Afghanistan.
On the second anniversary of the Taliban regime seizing power in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, the Platform for Women’s Equality (EŞİK) reported that the country has transformed into a prison for women and girls.
In a statement by EŞİK, it was highlighted that despite claiming to abandon their harsh policies of the 1990s and attempting to gain international support through “moderate” messages about women’s rights, the regime that came to power has now forgotten its commitments. Under the Taliban’s rules, women in Afghanistan are prohibited from attending school, working, participating in sports, singing, visiting parks or going on picnics, going to hair salons, attending places of worship, taking taxis without a male relative, seeking medical attention, traveling alone beyond 72 kilometers, and driving cars. The statement described the situation as “essentially a prohibition on breathing.”
In a statement, it was highlighted that the situation in Afghanistan has evolved into a gender-based persecution and a form of “gender apartheid,” which is deemed a crime against humanity. The statement emphasized:
“The global women’s movement has initiated a campaign to recognize the concept of gender-based apartheid as a crime under international law, drawing a parallel to the struggle against racially based apartheid in the Republic of South Africa. The concept of gender apartheid, as outlined in the report ‘International Obligations Against Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan’ prepared by Karima Bennoune, offers a significant advancement in the context of crimes against women and humanity.
The success of this campaign and the condemnation of entities like the Taliban and ISIS-like formations in Afghanistan and other regions would contribute significantly to making the world a more equal, free, and peaceful place.”
A letter to UN
EŞİK also sent a letter to Feridun Sinirlioğlu, who has been appointed as the Special Coordinator for Afghanistan by the UN Secretary-General and is the Permanent Representative of Turkey to the UN. The letter conveyed their requests regarding the report he is leading on Afghanistan.
In the process of preparing the report, which is expected to be completed in November, the women’s group has requested to have discussions with Afghan women’s rights and human rights advocates.
EŞİK members pointed out that the Sharia regime in Afghanistan has established a “gender apartheid” regime similar to the concept of “apartheid” used to describe the segregation between black and white populations in South Africa, and they suggested that the UN should consider implementing “decisions that prohibit indirect assistance.”
In their letter, EŞİK stated:
“The political vision of the Taliban poses a threat not only to Afghanistan but also to peace and security in the entire region and globally. Therefore, in the report you will be preparing, we request that you call upon all UN member states to make decisions that prohibit direct or indirect assistance to the gender-discriminatory Taliban regime, both in Afghanistan and in the broader region.”