RAGAA's first public event: highlighting the struggle of Afghan women

The term gender apartheid describes systematic oppression based on gender, such as that suffered by women under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan in the 1990s. Although not yet codified in international law, Afghan women are leading a courageous movement to achieve its recognition and global condemnation.

In November 2024, the United Nations Sixth Committee began drafting a specific treaty on crimes against humanity , formalized by General Assembly Resolution 79/122. This four-year process includes sessions of the Preparatory Committee in 2026 and negotiation rounds in 2027 and 2028. For Afghan women, it represents a historic opportunity to advance the inclusion of gender apartheid in international law, with Spain actively supporting a gender perspective.

To mark the first meeting of the Preparatory Committee and Working Group of the UN Conference of Plenipotentiaries, to be held in New York from January 19 to 30, 2026, RAGAA, together with Casa Asia, FIBGAR, People, Esperanza de Libertad, and the Assembly of Young Leaders of Afghanistan (AYLA), is organizing this roundtable discussion in Madrid . The event aims to highlight the work of Afghan women and demonstrate that the fight against gender apartheid is a collective responsibility of all of society.

Register to attend: https://www.casaasia.es/actividad/mesa-redonda-la-lucha-de-las-mujeres-afganas-contra-el-apartheid-de-genero-una-responsabilidad-colectiva/

6:00 p.m. – Welcome remarks

José Pintor Aguilar , general director of Casa Asia

Ana Alonso Giganto , Ambassador for Feminist Foreign Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation

María Garzón , president of FIBGAR

Representative of People Help

6:15 p.m. – Opening speech: “Collective Accountability for the Future of Gender Justice in Afghanistan” (speech in English, no translation)

Natasha Arnpriester , Senior Legal Counsel, Open Society Foundations

6:30 p.m. – Round table discussion “The struggle of Afghan women against gender apartheid: a collective responsibility”

Batol Gholami , founder and CEO of the Assembly of Young Leaders of Afghanistan (AYLA) and member of the board of directors of the Association of Afghan Women in Spain (AMAE)

Khadija Amin , journalist and president of the Hope for Freedom Association

Alessia Schiavon , director of FIBGAR and coordinator of RAGAA (Raise Against Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan)

Presented and moderated by:

Yasmin Paricio Burtin , Coordinator of Policy, Society and Educational Programs, Casa Asia

7:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Networking: connecting voices, ideas and actions

The event will be conducted in Spanish, except for the opening speech “Collective Accountability for the Future of Gender Justice in Afghanistan” which will be in English without translation services.