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What is
gender apartheid?
Gender apartheid arises when a regime systematically oppresses and dominates a specific gender group to maintain its own power and privilege.
Gender apartheid has yet to be recognized as an international crime, but the term has been known and used by, among others, the UN Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance, Afghan human rights defenders, and feminists since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 1996.
On March 8, 2023, a group of prominent Afghan and Iranian human rights activists, along with international legal experts, launched a campaign called “End Gender Apartheid Today.” This campaign calls for the global recognition of gender apartheid as a crime, inspired by the worsening situation of girls and women in Afghanistan and the worldwide attention surrounding the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Iran.
Gender apartheid in Iran and Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, gender apartheid manifests itself in the Taliban banning women and girls from virtually all education and jobs, and preventing girls and women from traveling long distances without a male companion. Women are also forced to follow a strict dress code and are barred from public places such as parks, gyms and beauty salons. The Taliban recently introduced a new law that prohibits women from showing their voices and faces in public. In addition, women and girls are not allowed to leave the four walls of their homes without a male guardian, who can be as young as 12 years old.
In Iran, women are subjected to gender apartheid through laws that deny them the right to divorce, custody, and travel without the permission of a male guardian. Women’s educational opportunities are limited and they are barred from sports stadiums. The law also values women’s lives at only half that of a man’s, meaning that a woman is considered to be worth half as much in the eyes of the law, both when it comes to testifying in court and receiving inheritance. They are also forced to wear the hijab.
RECOGNITION OF GENDER APARTHEID
As it stands, Article 7(2)(h) of the Rome Statute contains a definition of apartheid. This means that the concept of apartheid is subject to universal jurisdiction. This means that states are obliged to investigate and prosecute perpetrators and, where appropriate, provide compensation to victims. If gender apartheid is legally recognized, it would also enable the prosecution of those responsible and establish a historical precedent that the systematic form of oppression and domination of girls and women is not tolerated by the international community.
Official recognition of gender apartheid as a separate crime would strengthen the legal tools needed to dismantle the laws imposed by authoritarian regimes. By replacing racial discourses with gender-based discourses, definitions of apartheid become precise descriptions of serious forms of gender-based discrimination, underscoring the harmful effects of gender apartheid and promoting action against these injustices.
Since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August 2021 and the clerical regime took control of Iran after the 1979 revolution, women's rights have experienced a significant decline in both countries. Women's struggles for equality have historically been closely linked across national borders. Although Iran and Afghanistan may seem far away to us Danes, the struggle for women's rights is relevant to all of us. By showing international solidarity, we not only support the women in these regions, but also the global movement for justice and equality.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Become part of the fight for gender equality and against gender apartheid by:
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Support our initiatives as a volunteer.
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Contribute financially through donation or membership.
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Spread the word and participate in our awareness programs.
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Get involved in events and campaigns for change.
