UN Rights Council to address worsening situation for Afghan women at 59th session

UN Rights Council to address worsening situation for Afghan women at 59th session
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The United Nations Human Rights Council will open its 59th session on Monday, June 16, in Geneva, with a spotlight on Afghanistan’s deteriorating human rights situation, particularly for women and girls under Taliban rule. Running through July 9, the session will include reports and interactive dialogues on rights violations in more than a dozen countries, including Iran, Sudan, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A key focus will be the presentation by UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett, whose report argues that Taliban policies restricting Afghan women’s rights amount to gender apartheid. The report urges the international community to treat these actions as crimes under international law. Human rights advocates are calling for stronger international accountability.

Since 2021, the Taliban have banned most Afghan women from education, employment, and free movement. Activists say the situation represents a human rights emergency. Though Afghanistan will be addressed early in the session, broader issues — including climate impacts, racial discrimination, and digital rights — will also be discussed across several high-level dialogues.