In July 2024, bodies emanating from the French state officially
recognized the notion of gender apartheid affecting Afghan women. What
is behind this term, what protections does it provide access to and what
are the international issues concerning the situation of women in
Afghanistan or Iran? ---- Gender apartheid is a recent notion theorized
first by Afghan human rights defenders. It is a system of apartheid that
systematically discriminates against women, girls and LGBTI people. This
type of system now governs all aspects of the lives of women and girls
in Afghanistan. They can no longer go out without being accompanied,
they can no longer even talk to each other.
These numerous discriminations are accompanied by a denial of access to
education for girls, banned since the Taliban took power in 2021. These
measures go hand in hand - as in the Iranian regime - with a ministry of
virtue: a police force responsible for monitoring "good morals", namely
perpetrating gender apartheid through coercion. In July 2024, the
National Court of Asylum and the French Office for the Protection of
Refugees and Stateless Persons recognized the systemic nature of gender
apartheid in Afghanistan.
Earlier, the Court of Justice of the European Union had ruled that this
type of regime gave rise to the right to refugee status. Afghan women
can therefore claim international protection if they arrive in Europe.
The journey of these women remains fraught with dangers between the
morality police and the crossing, at the risk of their lives, of the
mountains of Pakistan and Iran. They can only do so with the help of
"chaperones", members of NGOs who allow them not to travel alone.
International solidarity to be strengthened
This recognition nevertheless shows limits, some Iranian asylum seekers
in particular do not benefit from this status and are refused protection
by institutions. This is the case in France where for the moment
discrimination against women is not recognized as systemic anywhere
other than in Afghanistan[1].
The assassination in 2022 of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian Kurdish student
from the Iranian Kurdistan region, sparked numerous demonstrations
shouting Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (Woman, life, freedom). This slogan of
Kurdish origin was also taken up in Baluchistan (a region of Iran very
opposed to the regime) as well as in all demonstrations in support of
Iranian feminists. These demonstrations multiplied throughout the
country, to the point of making the regime tremble.
The movement continued despite the terrible repression and the hundreds
of injured and killed by the police or the Basijis[2]. This diffusion of
the Iranian women's struggle has allowed many mobilizations against
gender apartheid in Iran as well as in Afghanistan.
For several months, many NGOs have been mobilizing for the recognition
of gender apartheid as a crime against humanity, in order to be able to
have the regimes in question condemned by the international court of
justice. The mobilization of the diasporas must not fight alone to put
an end to apartheid, a truly internationalist feminist struggle freed
from orientalist and Islamophobic ideas can support the struggle of our
Iranian and Afghan comrades. It is no longer a question of watching the
mobilizations from afar, but of building alliances with our Afghan and
Iranian comrades to put an end to gender apartheid.
Thomas (UCL Alsace)
Validate
[1]Nejma Brahim and Rachida El Azzouzi, "France protects Afghan women
because of their gender, but not others", Médiapart, July 15, 2024.
https://www.mediapart.fr/journal/international/150724/la-france-protege-les-femmes-afghanes-en-raison-de-leur-genre-mais-pas-les-autres
[2]Paramilitary repression force of the regime.
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Femme-vie-liberte-Stop-a-l-apartheid-de-genre-a-Kaboul-comme-a-Teheran
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
recognized the notion of gender apartheid affecting Afghan women. What
is behind this term, what protections does it provide access to and what
are the international issues concerning the situation of women in
Afghanistan or Iran? ---- Gender apartheid is a recent notion theorized
first by Afghan human rights defenders. It is a system of apartheid that
systematically discriminates against women, girls and LGBTI people. This
type of system now governs all aspects of the lives of women and girls
in Afghanistan. They can no longer go out without being accompanied,
they can no longer even talk to each other.
These numerous discriminations are accompanied by a denial of access to
education for girls, banned since the Taliban took power in 2021. These
measures go hand in hand - as in the Iranian regime - with a ministry of
virtue: a police force responsible for monitoring "good morals", namely
perpetrating gender apartheid through coercion. In July 2024, the
National Court of Asylum and the French Office for the Protection of
Refugees and Stateless Persons recognized the systemic nature of gender
apartheid in Afghanistan.
Earlier, the Court of Justice of the European Union had ruled that this
type of regime gave rise to the right to refugee status. Afghan women
can therefore claim international protection if they arrive in Europe.
The journey of these women remains fraught with dangers between the
morality police and the crossing, at the risk of their lives, of the
mountains of Pakistan and Iran. They can only do so with the help of
"chaperones", members of NGOs who allow them not to travel alone.
International solidarity to be strengthened
This recognition nevertheless shows limits, some Iranian asylum seekers
in particular do not benefit from this status and are refused protection
by institutions. This is the case in France where for the moment
discrimination against women is not recognized as systemic anywhere
other than in Afghanistan[1].
The assassination in 2022 of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian Kurdish student
from the Iranian Kurdistan region, sparked numerous demonstrations
shouting Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (Woman, life, freedom). This slogan of
Kurdish origin was also taken up in Baluchistan (a region of Iran very
opposed to the regime) as well as in all demonstrations in support of
Iranian feminists. These demonstrations multiplied throughout the
country, to the point of making the regime tremble.
The movement continued despite the terrible repression and the hundreds
of injured and killed by the police or the Basijis[2]. This diffusion of
the Iranian women's struggle has allowed many mobilizations against
gender apartheid in Iran as well as in Afghanistan.
For several months, many NGOs have been mobilizing for the recognition
of gender apartheid as a crime against humanity, in order to be able to
have the regimes in question condemned by the international court of
justice. The mobilization of the diasporas must not fight alone to put
an end to apartheid, a truly internationalist feminist struggle freed
from orientalist and Islamophobic ideas can support the struggle of our
Iranian and Afghan comrades. It is no longer a question of watching the
mobilizations from afar, but of building alliances with our Afghan and
Iranian comrades to put an end to gender apartheid.
Thomas (UCL Alsace)
Validate
[1]Nejma Brahim and Rachida El Azzouzi, "France protects Afghan women
because of their gender, but not others", Médiapart, July 15, 2024.
https://www.mediapart.fr/journal/international/150724/la-france-protege-les-femmes-afghanes-en-raison-de-leur-genre-mais-pas-les-autres
[2]Paramilitary repression force of the regime.
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Femme-vie-liberte-Stop-a-l-apartheid-de-genre-a-Kaboul-comme-a-Teheran
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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