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Statement on International Women's Day
8 March 2026 – New York
On this International Women’s Day, we stand in solemn solidarity with the women and girls of Afghanistan, whose fundamental rights to education, to work, to freedom of movement, and to public life, have been systematically stripped away.
Since August 2021, the Taliban regime has imposed what amounts to gender apartheid: banning girls from secondary and higher education, excluding women from most forms of employment, and silencing their voices in every sphere of public life. These acts are neither Islamic nor cultural, they are grave violations of international human rights law and stand in stark contrast with Islamic values.
UN Member States and leadership have repeatedly reaffirmed that the rights of Afghan women are non-negotiable. They have called for the immediate and unconditional reversal of all discriminatory decrees, and for those responsible to be held accountable. A society that erases half its population cannot build lasting peace or prosperity.
The women of Afghanistan have not been silenced. They resist, they persist, and they deserve the world’s unwavering support, not only today, but every day.
Statement at the Security Council Meeting on the Situation in Afghanistan
9 March 2026 – New York
Mr. President,
Let me begin by congratulating you on assuming the Presidency of the Council and for your leadership during the month of March. I also thank you for convening this important meeting on the situation in Afghanistan. We also appreciate the strong joint press stakeout statement issued prior to this meeting. I’m grateful to Ms. Georgette Gagnon, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Officer-in-Charge of UNAMA, for her detailed briefing. I thank the previous speakers for reaffirming their support for the people of Afghanistan, particularly women and girls.
Madam President,
Yesterday marked International Women’s Day, an important moment to reflect on the challenges faced by millions of women around the world. I wish to pay tribute to the courage and determination of all women, especially the women of Afghanistan, who are engaged in a historic struggle for freedom, justice and lasting peace. The most meaningful way to honor their commitment and sacrifice is to support their efforts to reclaim their rightful place in society and in the international community…Read more.
Statement at the 70th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70)
16 March 2026 – New York
Madam Chair,
Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,
We wish to draw the attention of this Commission to an issue that lies at the very heart of its mandate: confronting systems of discrimination that deny women and girls access to justice, protection, and equal participation in public life.
For Afghanistan, the priority theme of this session is not theoretical. Today, Afghan women and girls are living under one of the most severe systems of institutionalized gender discrimination in the world. What we are witnessing is not merely restricted access to rights. It is the systematic dismantling of those rights.
As documented by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, women and girls are subjected to an institutionalized system of genderbased discrimination, oppression, and domination that may amount to crimes against humanity. Institutions that should safeguard justice have instead been transformed into instruments of repression.
Madam Chair,
Access to justice cannot exist where the legal system itself is weaponized. Since 2021, constitutional protections have been suspended, the legal framework dismantled, and the Law on the Elimination of Violence Against Women abolished.
Women judges and prosecutors have been removed from the justice system, and statutory law has increasingly been replaced by decrees rooted in ideological control. Recent legal developments, including newly introduced penal and criminal procedure codes, further institutionalize discriminatory hierarchies and weaken due process guarantees, undermining equality before the law.
Women who attempt to seek justice frequently face dismissal of complaints, forced mediation, intimidation, and retaliation. Shelters for survivors of gender-based violence have been closed, and credible reports continue to document torture and illtreatment of women detainees. In such conditions, the denial of justice is not incidental, it is systemic.
Madam Chair,
The erosion of justice cannot be separated from the broader erosion of women’s rights. The ban on education beyond grade six has deprived more than 2.2 million girls of their right to learn. Restrictions on employment, mobility, and public participation have rendered women economically marginalized and socially isolated.
The Special Rapporteur’s recent report on women’s right to health further demonstrates how these restrictions undermine access to life-saving healthcare, including maternal and reproductive services, with profound consequences for women’s physical and mental wellbeing. When a woman cannot travel without a mahram, cannot consult a lawyer, cannot safely report violence, and cannot seek healthcare without fear, justice is structurally denied.
Madam Chair,
The international community must also confront the legal characterization of what is occurring. The Working Group on discrimination against women and girls has called upon States to consider recognizing gender apartheid within the framework of crimes against humanity. The Special Rapporteur has likewise characterized Taliban policies as gender persecution and supported the recognition of gender apartheid as an international crime. Naming this system is not rhetorical, it is essential for accountability.
Madam Chair,
Encouragingly, important accountability pathways are beginning to emerge. The establishment of an independent investigative mechanism for Afghanistan represents an important step toward preserving evidence and supporting future criminal proceedings. This mechanism complements ongoing work by the International Criminal Court and other accountability processes and must be fully resourced and operationalized.
Afghan women, legal experts, and civil society actors are also documenting decrees, judicial decisions, and survivor testimonies to meet international evidentiary standards. Their work is vital to ensuring that these violations are neither forgotten nor normalized.
Madam Chair,
A victim-centered and survivor-informed approach must remain at the core of this Commission’s work. Afghan women consistently remind us that justice is not limited to courtroom proceedings. Justice also means safety, dignity, recognition of harm, economic autonomy, access to healthcare, and meaningful participation in shaping their country’s future.
The review theme of this session, women’s full and effective participation in public life and the elimination of violence, cannot be realized while women are excluded from governance, silenced in public discourse, and punished for non-compliance with discriminatory edicts.
Madam Chair,
We therefore call on Member States to:
- Reject the normalization of systemic gender persecution;
- Support efforts to recognize gender apartheid within international law;
- Strengthen and adequately resource accountability mechanisms, including the independent investigative mechanism;
- Sustain support for Afghan women human rights defenders, legal professionals, and civil society actors.
Ultimately, access to justice in Afghanistan will only be possible through a legitimate, responsible, and inclusive system of governance grounded in the rule of law and reflecting the will of the Afghan people. Justice delayed risks becoming injustice normalized.
We remain committed to working with Member States, UN mechanisms, and Afghan women in all their diversity to advance an approach that restores legality, equality, and dignity.
Thank you, Madam Chair.