Gordon Brown: The UN Will Recognize Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan

In a press conference, Mr. Brown said, “The restrictions against girls and women in Afghanistan are a clear form of oppression that leads to gender apartheid.” He called on the international community, especially Muslim-majority countries, to unite to end the oppression of girls and women in Afghanistan.

These remarks come as Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, and Australia recently issued a joint statement warning that if the Taliban do not stop gender discrimination, they will file a complaint against the group at the International Court of Justice for violating the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. More than 20 countries have supported this statement so far.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has also recently supported efforts by these countries to refer the Taliban’s policies against Afghan women and girls to the International Court.

It is worth noting that since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, they have imposed severe restrictions on women and girls. Women’s and human rights activists consider the group’s policies towards women as gender apartheid and demand its recognition and criminalization.