Historic Legal Action Against Taliban for Gender Discrimination

Canada, Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands have announced plans to take the Taliban to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for gender discrimination, marking the first instance of one country suing another over gender issues at the ICJ, The Guardian reported yesterday.

This unprecedented case, revealed during the UN General Assembly, is grounded in the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, which Afghanistan ratified in 2003.

The Taliban will have six months to respond to the allegations before a hearing is scheduled. Advocates believe that a ruling from the ICJ could deter other nations from normalizing relations with the Taliban, especially in light of recent decrees that have further suppressed women’s rights. The situation has prompted widespread protests and calls for action from activists.

In a joint statement, over 20 countries, including the four leading the charge, condemned the Taliban for systematic human rights violations against women and girls in Afghanistan. They are seeking to hold the Taliban accountable for their actions, which have included severe restrictions on women’s education, public presence, and employment, as well as mandates requiring women to cover their faces and remain silent in public.