Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, has reiterated that the Taliban's policies towards women amount to "gender apartheid" and "crimes against humanity”.
Bennett stated that the International Criminal Court is investigating these issues, which could lead to the prosecution of responsible individuals.
During a panel discussion at a Norwegian think tank, Bennett praised the "peaceful and courageous" protests by women against the Taliban's gender policies, noting that such bravery is rarely seen worldwide.
He also mentioned that while street protests have become extremely difficult due to the Taliban's harsh crackdown, protests in private spaces and on social media continue.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Afghanistan highlighted that the human rights situation in the country is deteriorating, with gender-based violence against women on the rise. Bennett noted that the Taliban have increased the enforcement of Hudud and Qisas punishments in public.
According to Bennett, the Taliban are rigorously enforcing dress code laws, primarily targeting women and girls.
In a video published by the Civita think tank on Tuesday, Bennett added that Afghanistan is currently the only country in the world where girls are banned from education beyond the sixth grade and university.
He also pointed out that the prohibition of women's employment makes Afghanistan the only country where women are not allowed to work.
The UN Special Rapporteur emphasised that the Taliban's directive for female UN staff in Afghanistan to stay home and not work was not only shocking, but also violated the UN Charter. He said that the UN needed to confront the Taliban's directive.
Bennett noted that the prohibition of women's employment in other international organisations in Afghanistan is also being enforced, with limited exceptions.
Bennett's criticism of the Taliban's policies towards women comes as the third Doha meeting is set to be held without the presence of women. The UN Secretary-General's special representative confirmed that women would not be present on the first day of the Doha meeting.
This exclusion has sparked widespread criticism, with several critics calling for a boycott of the meeting.
