FIBGAR, as part of the RAGAA initiative, is taking part in the conference ‘Afghanistan: Refugees and Human Rights in the Face of Gender Apartheid’

On 25 June, to mark World Refugee Day (20 June), FIBGAR, as part of the RAGAA initiative – Raise Against Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan – took part in the conference “Afghanistan: Refugees and Human Rights in the Face of Gender Apartheid”, organised in Madrid by the Social Policies Secretariat of UGT Madrid and the Progreso y Cultura Foundation.

The aim of the event was to highlight the challenges and realities faced by millions of refugees and forcibly displaced people, as well as to focus on the situation of Afghan women and girls, who are subjected to a system of institutionalised exclusion and discrimination that severely restricts their fundamental rights and has been described by numerous international actors as a form of gender-based apartheid.

As part of the panel discussion ‘Afghan women: violated rights, refuge and the international response’, Federica Carnevale, project manager at FIBGAR and a collaborator with RAGAA, joined Afghan women human rights defenders, legal experts and activists to address the consequences of the systematic policies of exclusion and discrimination imposed by the Taliban regime against women and girls from various perspectives: first-hand accounts from exile, international protection, legal advocacy and support work for refugee women.

During her presentation, she outlined the work carried out by RAGAA to raise awareness of, document and denounce the systematic violence perpetrated against Afghan women and girls, as well as to promote protection mechanisms and access to justice. She also highlighted the importance of moving towards the recognition of gender apartheid as a distinct category within international criminal law and of expressly incorporating this concept into the future Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Humanity, currently under discussion at the United Nations.

The statement also emphasised that the restrictions imposed on Afghan women do not constitute isolated acts of discrimination, but rather form part of a structured and institutionalised system of gender-based domination and exclusion. In this regard, the legal recognition of gender apartheid would make it possible to describe the nature of these violations more accurately, strengthen accountability mechanisms and provide the international community with more effective tools to respond to this phenomenon.

Also speaking at the roundtable was Khadija Amin, an Afghan journalist, feminist activist and president of Esperanza de Libertad, who shared her experience of exile and the work carried out by her organisation in support of Afghan women and girls. Speaking on behalf of Netwomening, María López focused her remarks on the legal aspects of international protection and the main challenges faced by Afghan women in accessing asylum and their rights, whilst Anusha Safi presented the support programmes and network that the organisation runs to promote the integration and autonomy of Afghan women once they arrive in Spain. Finally, Hamida Andisha, a member of AMAE’s Board of Directors, outlined the association’s work in the areas of reception, support and social inclusion, emphasising the importance of creating pathways that enable refugee women to rebuild their lives with autonomy and dignity.

Moderated by Laura Muñoz Ibáñez, Secretary for Social Policies at UGT Madrid, the session highlighted the need for coordinated responses between public institutions, civil society organisations and the international community to tackle the systematic violations of rights suffered by Afghan women and girls.

In addition to the panel of experts, the event included a networking session between organisations and attendees, accompanied by the exhibition ‘Women and Girls in Afghanistan at Risk’, produced by Amnesty International, as well as a charity craft fair organised by the associations Esperanza de Libertad and AMAE. These activities sought to highlight the ongoing erosion of Afghan women’s rights and to support initiatives aimed at strengthening their economic and social autonomy.

The programme concluded with a reflection on the significance of the veil as a tool for controlling women’s lives, led by Nilufar Saberi, spokesperson for the Madrid-based group Mujer, Vida y Libertad, and with the presentation of the book *Sin velo. A Free Woman Against the Taliban, written by Khadija Amin and Mónica Nion. Both events provided an opportunity to explore in greater depth the experiences of resistance, exile and the defence of Afghan women’s human rights, reinforcing the central message of the day: the need to maintain international attention on the situation in Afghanistan and to strengthen mechanisms for protection, justice and accountability in the face of gender apartheid.

FIBGAR and RAGAA reaffirm our commitment to defending the rights of Afghan women and girls and to efforts aimed at securing international recognition of gender apartheid as a crime against humanity. We also welcome the organisation of forums for dialogue and advocacy such as this event, which help to raise awareness of the situation facing Afghan women and strengthen the international community’s response to violations of their rights. We will continue to support and participate in initiatives that promote justice, equality and accountability in the face of gender-based systems of oppression.