New IHRP Report Shines Spotlight on the Situation of Human Rights for Women and Girls of Afghanistan and Recommends Action on the Part of Canada

IHRP’s Report Launch Event – March 31, 2026 | Pictured left to right: Veronica Axenova and Cassie Heward (IHRP Gender Justice in Afghanistan Working Group Co-Leaders). Photo credit: Marcela Roman 

This week, the University of Toronto Jackman Law’s International Human Rights Program (IHRP) released its latest report “Gender Injustice in Afghanistan and Canada’s Responsibilities.” The IHRP student-led Gender Justice in Afghanistan Working Group, through the guidance of Constitutional Lawyer and Afghanistan’s first Ombudsperson, Ghizal Haress,  examines the ongoing human rights crisis faced by women and girls in Afghanistan and Canada’s responsibilities under international law to address gender injustice in the country. 

Since the Taliban’s return in 2021, Afghanistan has become the only country in the world where girls are banned from education beyond Grade 6; where women are excluded from most employment; and where movement, association, and public participation are tightly restricted—clear violations to multiple international law obligations to protect and promote women’s rights.  

These are not isolated infringements—they form what many advocates and experts now describe as a system of gender apartheid. 

The IHRP report was launched at a public event that brought together Faculty, students, and members of Afghanistan’s civil society and diaspora—people whose expertise and lived experience ground this conversation in both urgency and hope. Following opening remarks from IHRP Director Sandra Wisner, Shinkai Karokhail, former Member of Parliament in Afghanistan and former Afghan Ambassador to Canada, now living in exile, delivered the keynote address.  

The IHRP was joined virtually by Hawa Azaad from Afghanistan, who bravely spoke to the realities facing women and girls on the ground and shared her own lived experience as a woman and student under Taliban rule. Other panelists included GJA Working Group co-leaders Veronica Axenova and Cassie Heward; Ghizal Haress; Zarqa Yaftali; and Dr. Haroon Mutasem. 

The event presented the report’s findings and recommendations and explored existing and emerging accountability mechanisms.  

The report examines Canada’s role and responsibilities to address systemic gender discrimination in Afghanistan, considering Canada’s historical involvement in the country and its international human rights commitment and obligations, particularly with respect to women’s rights.    

While Canada has previously supported Afghan women through humanitarian assistance and diplomatic support, the report urges Canada to take decisive action to support Afghan women in the current context, particularly amid a growing trend by certain states of normalizing the Taliban.  

You can read our full report here.