UN calls ‘gender apartheid’ in Afghanistan a key concern

UN Secretary-General’s Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq has called gender apartheid in Afghanistan a key concern and called for the rights of Afghan women to be respected.

Addressing a press conference, Haq said the UN does not see the Islamic Emirate as the legal and official government of Afghanistan.

Earlier, Richard Bennett, the special rapporteur for human rights of the United Nations, warned at the 56th meeting of the United Nations Security Council that violence against Afghan women has become strong and widespread under the control of the Islamic Emirate.

“We want to ensure that women’s rights in Afghan society are respected just as they are necessary everywhere in the world,” said Haq.

He called gender apartheid in Afghanistan a key concern.

In response to Bennett’s recommendation that the IEA should not be treated as the legal and official government, Haq said: “We treat them [IEA] as the de facto authorities, they are not treated as the recognised government of Afghanistan.”

Bennett warned at the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council that violence against Afghan women under IEA control has become strong and widespread.

He described the exclusion of women from public life and the deprivation of Afghan women and girls from work and education as crimes against humanity and gender apartheid.

Bennett called on the international community to stop legitimizing and normalizing relations with the IEA and not to treat the IEA as a legitimate government.

This is while the Islamic Emirate has rejected any violation of women’s rights under its rule in Afghanistan and considers the concerns in this case to be groundless.

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