IHRP Working Group: Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan

By: Manreet Brar (3L) and Cassie Heward (2L)Credit: Creative Commons

Group Leads:  Manreet Brar and Cassie Heward

Group Members:  Daniella Springer, Veronica Axenova, Rachel Brouwer, Chrisoula Angelis, Romina Hajizadeh, Paul Huang, Agata Spiewakowski, and Samraggi Hazra 

When and why was this working group instituted? What are the objectives of this working group?

In the words of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, “nowhere else in the world has there been an attack as widespread, systematic and all-encompassing on the rights of women and girls as in Afghanistan.” 

The Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan (“GAA”) working group was established in the 2023-2024 academic year. Last year, the group produced a report documenting the Taliban’s human rights abuses against women and girls since its rise to power in 2021 – identifying specific violations of relevant international law in the areas of employment rights, civil rights, education, and socioeconomic rights. The report also sheds light on Canada’s international human rights commitments towards Afghan women and children in view of Canada’s legal obligations and longstanding peacekeeping role in Afghanistan. The report's purpose was primarily to inform the discussions between Canada’s Special Representative to Afghanistan, David Sproule, and the Taliban. 

This year, the GAA working group aims to produce a second report on gender apartheid in Afghanistan considering the ongoing ICJ case around the Taliban’s violations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (“CEDAW”) brought by Australia, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands. The working group is compiling research on the different CEDAW articles that the Taliban has violated and wants to produce a legal tool with this research that the Canadian government and civil society can reference as the International Court of Justice (“ICJ”) case moves forward. Additionally, we will be integrating case studies in our report through discussions with Afghan women who have come to Canada and are willing to share their experiences under the Taliban regime. We hope these case studies can inform our advocacy and overall recommendations we are integrating in the report directed at the Canadian government. 

How does this working group contribute to the IHRP experience?

The GAA working group enhances the International Human Rights Program (IHRP) experience by providing students with hands-on opportunities to address a pressing human rights crisis. Through rigorous research, students document the Taliban’s human rights violations of CEDAW. Students will learn how to build a case against the Taliban based on the ICJ framework and human rights principles protected by CEDAW. 

Moreover, by collaborating with experts like Ghizal Haress, Afghanistan’s former presidential ombudsperson, students gain insights into the legal and social dimensions of gender apartheid. This project allows students to develop essential skills in legal research, advocacy, and policy writing while contributing to meaningful change, bridging the gap between academic study and international human rights advocacy.