Escalating Mental Health Crisis Among Afghan Women Prompts Calls for UN to Recognize ‘Gender Apartheid’

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The United Nations’ most influential entity is being urged to support nations in formally recognizing the escalating suppression of women and girls by Afghanistan’s Taliban regime as “gender apartheid,” according to Sima Bahous, the head of the UN agency dedicated to advancing gender equality.

Speaking before the Security Council, Bahous indicated that the Taliban is ramping up enforcement of over 50 increasingly stringent decrees, sometimes involving male relatives, which is aggravating mental health conditions and encouraging suicidal tendencies particularly among younger women. This is also undermining women’s autonomy even within their households.

“Women have reported to us that they feel as though they are confined in perpetual darkness, imprisoned in their own homes, devoid of any hope or future prospects,” Bahous remarked.

The term “apartheid” is traditionally associated with the legalized system of racial segregation that was established in South Africa. However, a growing body of international experts, officials, and activists contend that the term can be extended to encompass gender-based discrimination, as seen in the current situation in Afghanistan.

“We urge you to wholeheartedly back an intergovernmental initiative aimed at officially incorporating ‘gender apartheid’ into international legal frameworks,” Bahous implored the Security Council, which includes its five permanent members— the United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France.

At present, there is no international law that directly addresses widespread, government-sanctioned gender oppression, Bahous noted. She argued that the calculated, systematic attack on women’s rights by the Taliban must be identified, articulated, and outlawed within global standards to facilitate appropriate action.

The Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021 amid the final stages of the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces, ending a 20-year conflict. Similar to their previous governance from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban have re-imposed their stringent interpretation of Islamic law, barring girls from education beyond the sixth grade and restricting women’s access to most employment, public spaces, and recently even beauty salons.

The discussion at the Security Council coincided with the last day of the annual meeting of the 193-member U.N. General Assembly. The Taliban regime has yet to gain recognition from any nation, primarily due to its oppressive policies toward women and its failure to establish an inclusive government.

Bahous disclosed that UN Women, in collaboration with the UN’s political mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the UN International Office for Migration, conducted interviews with over 500 Afghan women over the past year. Key findings revealed that 46% believe the Taliban should never be recognized, while 50% think recognition should only come after the restoration of women’s and girls’ rights.

Increasing poverty, diminished financial contributions, and the “Taliban’s enforcement of extreme patriarchal norms” have led to women’s shrinking influence not only on a national or provincial scale but also within their communities and homes, Bahous observed.

In a disturbing indication of the worsening isolation women face, Bahous reported that only 22% of the interviewed women said they had social interactions with women outside their immediate family at least once a week. The majority reported deteriorating relations within their family and community.

The limitations placed on women have also contributed to a rise in child marriages, child labor, and deteriorating mental health conditions. Bahous highlighted that with the declining percentage of employed women, 90% of young female respondents reported poor mental health, with pervasive suicidal thoughts.

Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Special Envoy for Afghanistan, welcomed recent efforts by Islamic scholars from Organization of Islamic Cooperation member nations to address girls’ education and women’s rights in Afghanistan. The scholars asserted that these issues are fundamental to Islamic governance globally.

Asked about the possibility of a change in the Taliban’s extreme policies, Otunbayeva noted that while a majority of Cabinet members support education for girls, these efforts are consistently obstructed by the group’s leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada.

Otunbayeva also urged the international community to fulfill the $3.2 billion humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan, which has so far received only $872 million, or about 28% of the required funds. Failure to meet these needs risks pushing 15.2 million Afghans toward famine in the coming months, she warned.

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Edith M. Lederer, the chief U.N. correspondent for The Big Big News, has more than five decades of experience in covering international matters.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan

More about Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan

• United Nations Women
• UN Security Council
• International Law on Apartheid
• Taliban’s Policies on Women
• Organization of Islamic Cooperation
• Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan
• Report on Women’s Mental Health
• Overview of Sharia Law
• Previous Government of Afghanistan under Ashraf Ghani
• Islamic Scholars and Gender Equality