The resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan some two years ago has marked a devastating setback for women’s rights in the country. The severity of the situation is highlighted by a joint report by Richard Bennett, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, and Dorothy Estrada-Tanck, Chair of the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls. Their report unequivocally states that women and girls in Afghanistan are enduring extreme discrimination that amounts to gender persecution and can be characterised as gender apartheid. In this article I want to describe the harrowing realities faced by Afghan women and emphasise the urgent need for international intervention.
