Source: United Nations – Geneva

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the fourth periodic report of Afghanistan, with Committee Experts extending profound appreciation to the women and girls of Afghanistan demanding justice, while raising concerns about the discriminatory laws and edicts imposed since the military takeover by the Taliban in 2021, and the ban on education. 

Bandana Rana, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, extended profound appreciation to the women and girls of Afghanistan, whose voices continued to resonate across the world, demanding justice.  Another Expert urged all States parties to amplify the voices of Afghan women. 

A Committee Expert said the dismantling of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and replacing it with the Ministry of Vice and Virtue was a violation of article 3.  The law on vice and virtue silenced women’s voices in public and muffled their voices in private.  A March 2024 announcement enforced public flogging, and there had been numerous women publicly flogged for crimes ranging from adultery to dress code violations.  The reinstation of the stoning edict constituted torture and violated the rights to women’s liberty. 

Another Committee Expert said education was one of the most important conditions for securing women and girls’ rights to equality.  Hence, it was deeply concerning that all eight sub-articles under article 10 were being violated by the State party.  Following the de facto authorities order to close secondary schools in 2021, schools today remained closed.  A shocking 30 per cent of girls in the State party did not even receive primary education.  All Afghan women and girls were entitled to receive full education.  Another concern was that young boys and girls were sent to religious madrasas where the curriculum was aligned with the most extreme versions of Islam. 

In response to these comments and questions, the delegation said the edicts imposed by the de facto authorities amounted to gender apartheid.  The discrimination that women in Afghanistan faced was unparalleled globally.  There were no laws ensuring human rights in the country.  Women had been left to view these values as unattainable.  The Taliban de facto authorities had stated that Sharia law was the applicable legal framework in Afghanistan.  The Taliban had abolished mechanisms promoting gender equality, and projects promoting gender equality had ceased operations. 

The delegation said the issue of education had been at the forefront of all of Afghanistan’s struggles and the international community’s demands.  The international community had continually emphasised the need for schools to open, and now there was no hope this would occur. There were currently efforts to implement small-scale education programmes on the ground.  This was better than nothing but could not address a systematic ban and an increasing number of jihadi madrasas.  There needed to be a mechanism to push the education project into Afghanistan, going over the Taliban’s restrictions, using technology. 

Introducing the report, Nasir Ahmad Andisha, Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that during the last review before the Committee in 2020, the delegation had been led by a woman from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, which had since been abolished from the Government and replaced by the Ministry of Virtue and Vice.  Since August 2021, there had been over four years of systematic, widespread assault on every aspect of life of women and girls, a complete and total erasure and dehumanisation of women and girls in Afghanistan.

The laws, policies and institutions that were once enacted to promote and protect women’s rights had been replaced with an intentionally designed edifice of oppression, including discriminatory edicts, decrees, declarations, orders, culminating in a so-called law on the promotion of virtue and the prevention of vice, Mr. Andisha said. 

In closing remarks, Nahla Haidar, Committee Chair, said every member of the Committee was concerned and stood in solidarity with Afghanistan. This had been one of the most important considerations of a country report.  Ms. Haidar thanked all those from Afghanistan who came to share their views. 

In his closing remarks, Mr. Andisha appreciated the opportunity to engage with the Committee. The Committee had created a vital pathway to ensure the voices of Afghan women and girls were heard.  Since August 2021, the situation for Afghan women and girls had deteriorated into a system of gender apartheid, which went against every article of the Convention.  It was time to listen, support and stand in solidarity with the women and girls of Afghanistan. They must be at the centre of every solution. 

The delegation of Afghanistan was comprised of representatives of the National Human Rights Commission of Afghanistan; the Afghanistan Parliament; the Afghanistan Senate; the Ambassador of Afghanistan in Canada; the Ambassador of Afghanistan in Australia; the Ambassador of Afghanistan in Austria; the Administrative Reform Commission; Afghan diplomats; human rights activists; and the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s ninety-first session is being held from 16 June to 4 July.  All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage.  Meeting summary releases can be found here.  The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

The Committee will next meet at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 25 June to begin its consideration of the combined initial to fifth periodic reports of San Marino (CEDAW/C/SMR/1-5).

Report

The Committee has before it the fourth periodic report of Afghanistan (CEDAW/C/AFG/4).

Presentation of Report

NASIR AHMAD ANDISHA, Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations Office at Geneva, thanked the Committee for undertaking this exceptional process despite the extraordinary situation in Afghanistan, where dark clouds overshadowed the lives of women and girls.  Afghanistan had ratified the Convention in 2003, without reservation, marking a landmark step forward for women’s rights in the country. 

During the last review before the Committee in 2020, the delegation had been led by a woman from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, which had since been abolished from the Government and replaced by the Ministry of Virtue and Vice.  Since August 2021, there had been over four years of systematic, widespread assault on every aspect of life of women and girls, a complete and total erasure and dehumanisation of women and girls in Afghanistan.  The laws, policies and institutions that were once enacted to promote and protect women’s rights had been replaced with an intentionally designed edifice of oppression, including discriminatory edicts, decrees, declarations, orders, culminating in a so-called law on the promotion of virtue and the prevention of vice. 

Despite challenges in the preparation of the report, it aimed to provide a comprehensive and accurate account of the situation on the ground since 15 August 2021, reflecting an inclusive and participatory approach.  The report strove to ensure the international community took effective action based on verified information by proposing concrete recommendations for the path forward.  These recommendations aimed to offer hope, a vision, and a path forward towards the transformation of Afghanistan’s society through practical pathways for change in the lives of women and girls at a time when the Taliban de facto authorities had called the situation of women and girls an ‘internal’ matter”.   

The Committee would hear how girls who still could attend school felt they needed to make the desperate choice to end their lives or were forced into marriage.  The dialogue today aimed to fulfil Afghanistan’s commitment to the international system.  Regardless of the Taliban’s approach, Afghanistan was taking its commitments to the international system seriously. 

SIMA SAMAR, Former President of the National Human Rights Commission, said the dialogue today was exceptional.  The staff of the Afghanistan embassy did not have to defend themselves regarding the implementation of the Convention in the country.  The Committee and the Ambassador were on the same page.  The situation in Afghanistan was exceptional. After the removal of the Taliban in 2001, use of the word gender apartheid had stopped, and everyone thought they would never have to deal with this regime again.  Unfortunately, there was no other definition for what was happening in Afghanistan today. 

Afghanistan had a unique situation.  The de facto authority aimed to erase women from public life and put restrictions on women without accountability and justice; this was a key core of their policies. All protection mechanisms established over the past 20 years had been abolished by the Taliban.  Afghanistan was the only Islamic country which had ratified the Convention without reservation.  The normalisation of the present violations of the human rights situation in Afghanistan was a scary concept.  The way Afghanistan now treated women led to a continuation of conflict. 

FAWZIA KOOFI, Former member of the Afghanistan Parliament, thanked the Committee for listening to the women and girls of Afghanistan.  The women before the Committee were in a unique and tragic position; they were here to represent a State but they did not have a State.  It was emotional and heart wrenching.  Since the Taliban returned to power, women had been systemically excluded from every sphere of political and public life.  All mechanisms enabling women to participate in governance had been dismantled.  The Ministry of Women’s Affairs had been abolished and replaced by the Ministry of Vice and Virtue, which used the police to supress women’s autonomy. Women had been entirely excluded from the civil justice system.  Female prosecutors had been dismissed and faced security threats, particularly from former Taliban prisoners released on 15 August. 

No female leaders were engaged in any decision-making processes at any level in Afghanistan. Women and girls were deliberately excluded from diplomatic negotiations and from international forums and engagements. Just one month after the Doha meeting, where no women were included, the law on vice and virtue was instigated, which effectively rendered women as second class citizens.  Girls could not attend school after a certain age but could attend madrasa schools which promoted radicalisation.  The Taliban needed to be held accountable for violations of the Convention. 

SHUKRIA BARAKZAI, Former member of the Afghanistan Parliament, said today, Afghanistan was facing the worst system of gender apartheid. The de facto authorities had erased the legal identity of women and removed their presence from work and public life.  These were clear violations of international law and the Convention.  Yet despite this situation, Afghan women were showing resilience; their bravery must not go unnoticed.  The Committee was urged to recognise gender apartheid as a grave violation of the Convention; hold the de facto authorities accountable for systematic discrimination; and to support Afghan women inside and outside of the country. 

In Iran, Afghan women could not buy food or use their credit cards.  Embassies had been shut down and were not providing simple documents. Recently, a new order was announced by the Taliban that female doctors and nurses could not go to their work without a male member of their family accompanying them (mahram).  The Convention should not just be a Convention, but an obligation. 

Questions by a Committee Expert

BANDANA RANA, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, extended profound appreciation to the women and girls of Afghanistan, whose voices continued to resonate across the world demanding justice.  The dialogue transcended mere procedure; it unfolded against the stark reality of one of the gravest human rights catastrophes confronting women and girls.  It was hoped that today’s exchange would prove constructive, anchored in mutual respect, steadfast commitment to strengthening accountability for the rights of Afghan women and girls.

Since the de facto authorities assumed control, Afghan women and girls had suffered an unprecedented and systematic obliteration of their rights.  The prohibition of girls’ education beyond primary school, limitation to access to justice and healthcare, the wholesale exclusion of women from public and civic participation, and the systematic dismantling of constitutional protections constituted flagrant violations of the Convention’s fundamental principles.

The Committee bore a solemn obligation, a legal, international and moral imperative, to examine these developments with unflinching clarity and uncompromising resolve. The Committee remained steadfast in its openness to future engagement.  To the de facto authorities, to States wielding influence, and to the international community at large: silence was complicity, not neutrality. It was hoped that today’s dialogue would serve to deepen the accountability of all stakeholders, and galvanise a renewed and unified commitment to restore the inalienable human rights of Afghan women and girls. 

Since the takeover in August 2021, the de facto authorities had issued a sweeping series of edicts and decrees that institutionalised gender-based discrimination, directly violating article 1 of the Convention.  This discrimination was systemic and far-reaching, affecting every aspect of public, political, social, economic and cultural life.  Women and girls were barred from secondary and tertiary education, excluded from most forms of employment, severely restricted in their freedom of movement, and denied participation in political and public life. The Committee expressed its profound concern regarding these deep and entrenched violations.  The abolition of Afghanistan’s 2004 Constitution, and the dismantling of key legislative protection, including the law on the elimination of violence against women, were grave violations of article 2.  The inconsistent and opaque application of religious and customary law reinforced patriarchal norms, especially in areas such as family law, inheritance, and protection from violence, further entrenching gender inequality.

The Committee was deeply alarmed by the erosion of legal institutions and access to justice. The dissolution of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, closure of family courts, termination of women’s protection centres, and the cessation of legal aid services, dismantled essential accountability mechanisms for survivors of gender-based violence. Since August 2021, many non-governmental organizations had been forced to cease operations, suspend activities, or function underground.  Women human rights defenders were subjected to arbitrary detention, harassment and threats. 

Prior to the 2021 takeover, Afghanistan had adopted a national action plan on United Nations Security Council resolution 1325, establishing a foundational framework for women’s participation in peacebuilding, conflict prevention, and reconstruction.  This framework had now been dismantled.  Afghanistan currently ranked last on the global women, peace and security index, reflecting the acute deterioration in women’s inclusion, access to justice, and personal safety.  The Committee remained gravely concerned about the systematic and institutionalised discrimination endured by women and girls in Afghanistan, and urgently called upon the de facto authorities and the international community to intensify its efforts, and to uphold the rights of Afghan women and girls in compliance with the Convention.

Responses by the Delegation 

The delegation said that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation had categorically rejected the Taliban’s assertion that its actions were based on Sharia law.  The 2004 Constitution had been dismantled by the Taliban.  Since August 2021, the Taliban had issued over 100 decrees which had the effect of segregating women and girls.  Every new decree aimed to further oppress women.  The Taliban had contravened every article in the Convention.  In its recommendations to the international community, the Committee was urged to refrain from normalising the Taliban’s activities; ensure any engagement with the Taliban de facto authorities was contingent on respect for the human rights of all, and promoted an equitable gender government; recognise and codify gender apartheid as an international crime; and adopt a new legitimate Constitution through a consultative process, among other measures. 

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert said the dismantling of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and replacing it with the Ministry of Vice and Virtue was a violation of article 3.  The law on vice and virtue silenced women’s voices in public and muffled their voices in private.  A March 2024 announcement enforced public flogging, and there had been numerous women publicly flogged for crimes ranging from adultery to dress code violations.  The reinstation of the stoning edict constituted torture and violated the rights to women’s liberty.  Impunity in the criminal justice system eroded international law.  There were numerous punishments of women being beaten with whips, for cases such as making eye contact with men who were not family members. 

The application by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for arrest warrants broke new grounds, marking the first time gender persecution had been charged as a standalone charge.  Rape and other forms of sexual violence and forced marriage were violations of the Rome Statute.  These crimes may rise to the level of what was increasingly being recognised as a form of gender apartheid, which must be codified in the draft Convention on crimes against humanity.  All States parties were asked to amplify the voices of Afghan women. 

Another Expert said the Committee expressed its deep concerns regarding the abolished efforts in the State party to increase women’s participation in public life through temporary special measures.  Between 2001 and 2021, several special measures were introduced by the previous government with the goal of achieving greater equality for women.  Among other policies, the election law reserved at least 25 per cent of the seats in each Provincial, District, and Village Council for female candidates.  Such laws and policies managed to increase the representation of women in Community Development Councils to almost 50 per cent in 2019 and in civil service from almost zero per cent during the previous regime (1996–2001) to 28 per cent in 2020. Yet, since taking power in 2021, the de facto authorities had dismantled all measures and programmes aimed at eliminating gender-based prejudices and promoting equality.

The Committee called for all countries to employ whatever tools at their disposal to aid Afghan women and girls, including by putting in place special measures to deliver funding to local and international aid organizations, increasing quotas for resettlement of Afghani female refugees, and cooperating with neighbouring countries to ensure the safety of Afghani women in their territories.

Responses by the Delegation

The edicts imposed by the de facto authorities amounted to gender apartheid, the delegation said.  The discrimination that women in Afghanistan faced was unparalleled globally.  There were no laws ensuring human rights in the country.  Women had been left to view these values as unattainable.  The Taliban de facto authorities had stated that Sharia law was the applicable legal framework in Afghanistan.  The Taliban had abolished mechanisms promoting gender equality, and projects promoting gender equality had ceased operations.  All gender offices had been eliminated.  Women were left with no legal recourse.  Women faced considerable challenges to legal representation. 

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert said Afghan women underwent the worst forms of violence.  The Committee was alarmed by information provided by United Nations Women, including that instances of gender-based violence against women and girls had increased substantially.  The decrees published by the de facto authorities had remained dead letters due to the culture of impunity surrounding these acts.  These harmful practices did not respect the implementation of article 5 of the Convention and were flagrant violations of international law. 

Another Expert said Afghanistan continued to serve as a transit and destination country for forced labour and sexual exploitation.  Many women had been coerced into prostitution and forced marriage. There were now not merely inadequate trafficking efforts, but the creation of conditions which made trafficking inevitable.  The December 2024 ban on women attending medical institutions had eliminated their last pathway to higher education.  This systematic exclusion violated several articles of the Convention and created a desperate situation which drove women towards trafficking. 

The criminalisation of trafficking victims was highly alarming.  Women and girls could be charged for “zina” (sex outside of marriage) after being forced into trafficking.  It was acknowledged that the de facto authorities issued a decree around trafficking, however, this decree was inadequate compared to previous legislative frameworks.  The previous government’s efforts to coordinate trafficking efforts had been dismantled and there were no forms of victim identification.  There could be no effective trafficking response without full restoration of women’s rights. 

Responses by the Delegation 

 

The delegation said Islam and Sharia recognised and supported the rights of women and girls. The Taliban de facto authorities had weaponised their interpretation of culture and religion and systematically restricted every part of women’s lives.  These interpretations undermined the agency of women and girls.  Space for women was being limited under the pretence of “culture”.  The term “gender apartheid” should be codified. 

Women and girls made up the majority of trafficking victims inside and outside Afghanistan. The de facto authorities made no effort to stop these crimes; shelters had been shut down and systems to prosecute traffickers had been dismantled.  Girls faced a higher risk due to being denied their rights to education. Many women were especially vulnerable, including those who were internally displaced.  The recent statement by some countries in support of women in Afghanistan was welcomed.  The Committee was urged to recommend that the international community took strong actions to protect women at risk.  The right to live free from violence, exploitation and trafficking was not optional.   

Digital abuse had not received proper attention, and this was something which needed to be addressed. 

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert said previously, Afghan women had been active participants in politics, and by 2020 women comprised around one fifth of civil servants.  However, even during this period of progress, women had faced numerous threats in political life.  Women’s voices in peace processes remained largely ceremonial.  Since August 2021, the erasure of Afghan women from public and political life was deeply concerning.  The Expert condemned the dismantling of the Constitutional guarantee for 27 per cent of female political participation.  Not a single women served in the de facto administration. This stance starkly contravened the Convention.  The complete exclusion of women from the judiciary was extremely concerning. 

Another Expert said the Committee was deeply concerned at the ongoing violations of Afghan women regarding their right to identity, including their inability to have access to identity documents.  Women in Afghanistan could not register the birth of their children and had to rely on a man to do it for them.  They were denied the possibility of transmitting their nationality to their children.  This situation was complicated when it came to women in situations of heightened risk. The lack of civil documentation affected a high percentage of women, putting them at a major risk of ending up as a victim of human trafficking.  There was a pressing need for States, multilateral organizations and those with a presence on the ground to work on a coordinated basis to support documents relating to civil documentation with a gender perspective. It was essential to roll out awareness raising campaigns targeting community and religious leaders. 

BANDANA RANA, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, said the Committee expressed concern regarding the exclusion of Afghan women from international discussions, including the Doha talks.  Refugee and asylum-seeking women must have access to gender sensitive asylum procedures. All host and transit States were urged to uphold their obligations under the Convention. 

Responses by the Delegation 

The delegation said female representation across Afghanistan had previously been comprised of 35 per cent of women and was now at zero per cent.  Now that public space was completely closed to women, this space was only provided by the United Nations.  Recently, there had been reports that United Nations female staff were detained by the Taliban. 

It was currently much more difficult for women in Afghanistan to receive a passport.  If they were single, then they needed a man to go with them to apply.  This had stripped women from fully enjoying their rights as country nationals.  It was difficult to see the de facto authorities appointing females to represent Afghanistan on an international level. 

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert said education was one of the most important conditions for securing women and girls’ rights to equality.  Hence, it was deeply concerning that all eight sub-articles under article 10 were being violated by the State party.  In 2017, more than one third of the student population were girls.  The Constitution and national law provided the right to education without discrimination, and women regularly entered higher education. Following the de facto authorities order to close secondary schools in 2021, schools today remained closed.  A shocking 30 per cent of girls in the State party did not even receive primary education.  All Afghan women and girls were entitled to receive full education. 

Another concern was that young boys and girls were sent to religious madrasas where the curriculum was aligned with the most extreme versions of Islam.  The exclusion of half the population from education aimed to erase women and girls from public and intellectual life.  These restrictions had led to a rise in early marriage and child labour, and deepened poverty in an already poor country.  The de-facto authorities must reverse all education bans and allow girls to receive an education; there must be pressure from the international community to ensure this occurred. 

BANDANA RANA, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, said host countries were obliged under the Convention to ensure equal education opportunities for Afghan girls who were refugees. 

Responses by the Delegation 

The delegation said the issue of education had been at the forefront of all of Afghanistan’s struggles and the international community’s demands.  The international community had continually emphasised the need for schools to open, and now there was no hope this would occur. There were currently efforts to implement small-scale education programmes on the ground.  This was better than nothing, but could not address a systematic ban and an increasing number of jihadi madrasas.  In a few years, there would be female Taliban supporters leaving these institutions.  There needed to be a mechanism to push the education project into Afghanistan, going over the Taliban’s restrictions, using technology. 

Questions by a Committee Expert

A Committee Expert said the Committee expressed deep concern at the erosion of Afghan’s women’s right to work.  Most female civil servants had been barred from returning to their jobs since the de facto authorities assumed power in 2021.  In 2022, Afghan women were banned from working for non-governmental organizations, as well as United Nations organizations.  The requirement for a male guardian had resulted in women being stopped from commuting to work all together.  Women in formal labour dropped from around 14 per cent in 2021 to just five per cent in 2023.  Women headed households had been disproportionately impacted by poverty. This was a national development crisis requiring urgent international action.  The right to work was a core human right, fundamental to human dignity and social stability. 

Responses by the Delegation 

 

The delegation said the Taliban de facto authorities had banned women from working in non-governmental organizations.  The loss of this infrastructure had most severely affected the country’s most vulnerable.  Today the majority of Afghan women were excluded from income-generating activities. Unleashing women’s economic potential would unlock the future of the country.  Excluding women had cost the Afghan economy almost a billion dollars. Previously, women had been very active in the private sector and in the civil service.  It had been almost two years that women who had retired were not receiving their pensions, which made the situation even more difficult. 

Questions by a Committee Expert

A Committee Expert said the Committee was concerned about the health situation of women in Afghanistan and their access to basic health services.  The systematic restrictive measures taken by the de facto authorities had seriously impacted women’s access to health care.  They faced greater barriers to accessing health care owing to scarce resources and cultural norms, which only allowed women to be treated by women.  Afghanistan had one of the highest child mortality rates in the world, with around 625 deaths per 100,000 births.  This rate was higher in rural and remote areas.  Women had reported high rates of bad mental health and accounted for the majority of suicide attempts.  The Taliban’s disregard of the health of women was a violation of the Convention. The de facto authorities must lift relevant restrictions to create a social and cultural environment conducive to women’s physical and mental health.  It was also hoped that the international community would call on Afghanistan to rebuild its healthcare system and reintroduce the training of female health care professionals. 

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said access to health, and the reduction in maternal and child mortality had been areas where Afghanistan had made phenomenal progress before 2021. Unfortunately, the past four years of reversal had almost washed away all these achievements. 

Reports of desperation, anxiety and suicide were widespread and worsening.  No mental health support was available to women. The ability of women to access medical treatment had been severely constricted, as they were denied healthcare without a male guardian.  Many women in rural areas died during childbirth due to a lack of resources. The number of female doctors and midwives had already been insufficient before the ban.  The closing of midwife schools could mean that in 10 years, there would be no trained midwives.  The Committee was urged to consider increasing offers to support medical and consulting services and create a safe space, shelter and support centre for those in exile.     

Access to education was the strongest tool for empowerment; the Taliban was denying this access to restrict the empowerment of women and control them.  The connection between health and education was undeniable, as education gave women and girls the opportunity to choose their profession and their lives.  The radicalisation of girls in the family was also a frightening concept for the country. 

Questions by a Committee Expert

An Expert said following the Taliban takeover, sanitation and water infrastructure in Afghanistan had collapsed, drastically impacting women and girls.  The restriction of hammams had also restricted women’s hygiene.   

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the policies of the Taliban directly attacked the mental health of women in Afghanistan.  Young girls also did not receive iron tablets from the schools under Taliban rule, and periods were considered taboo.  Vaccinations had now been banned and Afghanistan was the only country with cases of polio. 

Questions by a Committee Expert

An Expert said it was alarming that over 90 per cent of the population had been plunged into poverty.  Women were banished from economic activity and struggled to meet basic needs.  The economy had sharply declined.  It was perturbing that only 6.8 per cent of women had a personal or joint bank account, compared to 21 per cent of men. There was grave concern that the lockout of women and girls from businesses had stifled the economy.  The international community and private sector trading partners were urged to increase pressure to uphold women and girls as critical contributors to the economy. 

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said since the Taliban’s military takeover, all economic activity by women had ceased after it had been driven underground or was conducted by male intermediaries.  Women-led households were confronting impossible choices, including forced marriage or the sale of children.  Families were trading household belongings or their daughters for survival.  There was no functioning social safety net; pensions had been stripped away.  Women were increasingly barred from inheriting or owning land, homes or other assets.  Over 40 public libraries and community art centres had been shut down since April. Female artists had fled to exile and those who remained lived in fear.  Women’s access to financial resources needed to be enhanced, as did women’s access to cultural opportunities.  These were essential to rebuilding Afghanistan. 

Questions by a Committee Expert

An Expert said rural women no longer had access to land or credit and had been nearly totally erased from public spaces.  The Committee was alarmed about the near collapse of maternal and reproductive healthcare in rural areas.  Women with disabilities faced systemic neglect and heightened exposure to abuse. The Committee was also concerned about the forced and mass return of Afghan nationals from Iran and Pakistan since 2023.  The plight of child widows and orphaned girls in rural regions was also alarming.  This violation represented a widespread denial of the rights recognised under the Convention.  Women and girls were also being excluded from technology, including artificial intelligence. 

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the discrimination faced by women in Afghanistan was even worse for rural women, and those from diverse ethnic groups.  Women human rights defenders were especially at risk.  Rural women were also hit harder by climate change and disasters, with no system to help them recover.  The Committee was urged to ensure that women and civil society inside Afghanistan were able to participate in the development of strategies conducive to the Convention.  Even a cell phone in Afghanistan was not considered personal property; all communications were checked.  All Afghan women were facing the same type of discrimination, whatever their ethnicity, religion or where they lived.  The Olympic Committee in Afghanistan was under the control of the Taliban; the Committee was called on to show support for Afghan athletes, who were largely based outside of Afghanistan. 

Questions by a Committee Expert

A Committee Expert said the access of women to inheritance was an area where there had been modest progress.  Courts were currently led by male religious leaders.  Forced marriage and child marriage were other concerning areas. Divorce for women had become almost impossible in practice.  Gender-based violence in Afghanistan had increased significantly in a context of impunity.  The authorities were recommended to establish basic guarantees for women and girls in line with international human rights standards.  The explicit prohibition needed to be outlined, and 18 needed to be laid out as the minimum age for marriage. 

Responses by the Delegation

 

The delegation said the arbitrary arrests of women human rights defenders and activists further undermined the Convention.  Nearly 80 per cent of young women were now excluded from education and employment opportunities.  As such, forced and child marriage increased significantly.  Forced marriage denied women autonomy and led to gender-based violence and risk of death.  The international community was urged to support grassroots organizations working for women’s equality, especially women-led organizations. 

The decline of gender equality was a global trend.  It was hard for Afghan women and girls to find their way; sometimes they were banned by their own international allies.  How could the women make themselves relevant?  The Committee had a huge responsibility in this regard.  Due urgency had not been given while Afghanistan was losing generations of women.  There needed to be space for the people of Afghanistan to create their own narrative for their country.  Women should be put in the driving seat; they knew how to fix their country. 

The Taliban had engaged in acts of polygamy with underage girls.  They had cancelled all court orders for women seeking divorce. There was no longer a body to make law in Afghanistan and there was no Constitution.  The Committee must be more than a monitoring body; it needed to be a defender of justice.  Afghan women needed more than a statement; they needed action. 

Closing Remarks

NAHLA HAIDAR, Committee Chair, said every member of the Committee was concerned and stood in solidarity with Afghanistan.  The Committee Experts did not represent Governments, but they could speak to all States parties.  Within their limited authority and mandate, they were doing all they possibly could to carry the voices of the women in Afghanistan to those who could take action. It was frustrating when the Committee’s concluding observations did not translate into action.  The action was not necessarily in the hands of the Committee, but they would pave the way for it.  This had been one of the most important considerations of a country report. Ms. Haidar thanked all those from Afghanistan who came to share their views. 

BANDANA RANA, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, said the Committee would do everything within its mandate to improve the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.  The Committee called on the de facto authorities to restore women’s rights as a matter of urgency, and for the international community’s support.  Ms. Rana thanked all those from Afghanistan who had shared their experiences with the Committee. 

SIMA SAMAR, Former President of the National Human Rights Commission, thanked the Committee for protecting women’s rights around the world.  Having a lack of female representation was a threat to peace and security.  Ms. Samar thanked the Committee Experts for their solidarity with the women of Afghanistan. 

NASIR AHMAD ANDISHA, Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said he appreciated the opportunity to engage with the Committee. The Committee had created a vital pathway to ensure the voices of Afghan women and girls were heard.  Since August 2021, the situation for Afghan women and girls had deteriorated into a system of gender apartheid, which went against every article of the Convention.  Afghanistan’s women and girls may be denied their dignity, but they were the strongest advocates of human rights. 

The Committee was urged to expand its procedures in response to the situation in Afghanistan, including to cooperate with the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which allowed for individual complaints.  States were urged to establish a gender response and accountability mechanism.  The human rights system should improve coordination across the United Nations system, with a view to promoting and protecting human rights.  It was time to listen, support and stand in solidarity with the women and girls of Afghanistan.  They must be at the centre of every solution. 

___________

Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; 
not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

CEDAW25.017E

MIL OSI United Nations News –