The attention of the international community has once again turned to human rights in Afghanistan following the latest report by Richard Bennett, the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan. In his report, Bennett recommended that member states consider the concept of gender apartheid and support its codification, noting that Afghan women regard this term as the most accurate description of their situation. This initiative emerged in response to the tightening restrictions on women and girls imposed by the Taliban.
The renewed focus on gender issues is not exactly what Central Asian countries expect in the context of Afghan settlement. For them, it is far more important to address pressing issues of security, economic cooperation, and control of migration flows, which directly affect regional stability. Therefore, Central Asian states prefer to concentrate on practical steps and avoid over-politicizing issues that could complicate dialogue with the Taliban and exacerbate the situation in neighboring Afghanistan.
Today, women’s rights have become a cornerstone in the international community’s attempts to establish dialogue with the Taliban.
The rights of women in Afghanistan have been a journey, with different periods bringing different challenges. Back in the 1920s, Amanullah Khan was a real game-changer, giving Afghan women the official equal status they deserved. But then things changed a bit during King Zahir Shah’s reign (1933–1973) when education became a priority, and girls started going to school. By 1973, a heartening number of 150,000 girls were proudly enrolled in schools across the country. And let’s not forget the momentous step of Kabul University opening its doors to women in 1947.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, women’s rights in Afghanistan have been significantly curtailed. Women are banned from attending educational institutions, working in most sectors, traveling without a male escort, and participating in public life. These measures have already received widespread international condemnation — rightfully so — but the official recognition of “gender apartheid” as a crime against humanity could give this issue a new legal status and increase pressure on the Islamic Emirate.
The question is: How productive is this approach? The politicization of Afghan settlement, especially through the lens of women’s rights, may only worsen the situation. Making gender issues a precondition for dialogue severely limits the space for negotiations with the Taliban regime. In the United Nations itself, the Taliban are considered the “de facto authorities” of Afghanistan, and dialogue with them takes place at various bilateral and multilateral levels. In this context, strict demands on women’s rights could delay or even halt the process of engagement. This is because the Taliban perceives such conditions as interference in their internal affairs and cultural norms.
Dialogue at an Impasse: Is an Inclusive Government Being Set Aside?
The international community — primarily its Western segment — and the Islamic Emirate have taken extremely rigid positions. For international actors, women’s and girls’ rights have become the top priority, while the issue of forming an inclusive government in Afghanistan has receded into the background. The Taliban, in turn, shows inflexibility, using women’s rights as a bargaining tool.
In this context, it is important to ask: What should the parties do when their expectations of each other are clearly inflated? Perhaps it would be wise to abandon global ambitions and focus on addressing the urgent and realistic issues that matter most to the Afghan people, neighboring countries, and the international community.
A Realistic Approach: Humanitarian Agenda and Security
Among the priority areas are humanitarian issues, socio-economic problems, and ensuring security. According to UN data, more than 28 million people in Afghanistan require humanitarian assistance, and the country’s economy remains in crisis. Addressing these issues requires cooperation with the Taliban government, which currently remains the only channel for delivering aid to those in need.
Here, attention should be paid to the opinion of the International Crisis Group, which emphasizes the importance of a pragmatic approach. According to these experts, the most principled response to the Taliban’s discriminatory policies should be engagement with the regime. While this may seem illogical, in practice, it is the only way to provide effective and sustainable assistance to Afghan women and girls.
Time for Change: The Taliban and the Bargaining Over Women’s Rights
Looking ahead, it is reasonable to assume that the Taliban may eventually make concessions on women’s and girls’ rights. However, they will need time to save face with their conservative electorate and peacefully resolve internal disputes between “moderates” and “radicals.” It is important to understand that for the Islamic Emirate, this issue is part of political bargaining rather than a consequence of deep ideological convictions.
Instead of setting rigid conditions, the international community should adopt a more flexible stance, assisting Afghanistan in addressing its immediate humanitarian and socio-economic problems. Such an approach would not only create the conditions for dialogue but also gradually soften the Taliban’s internal policies toward women and girls.
The influence of a mother on a child’s cognitive development goes beyond genetics. Educated mothers create an environment conducive to learning, which positively affects children’s intellectual development. Studies show that a mother’s level of education correlates with a child’s cognitive abilities, especially at an early age. Ensuring equal access to education for women is critically important not only for their personal development but also for the intellectual and social prosperity of future generations.
Pragmatism vs. Politicization
Women’s rights are undoubtedly one of the fundamental principles of international law and democracy. However, their politicization in the context of Afghan settlement may exacerbate the problem and further worsen the humanitarian situation in the country.
It is necessary to abandon global slogans and unrealistic conditions. Instead, efforts should focus on achievable goals that will help stabilize the situation in Afghanistan and ensure regional security. In this case, pragmatism will become the key to resolving one of the most acute humanitarian and political crises of our time.
