RASC News Agency: A cohort of distinguished human rights advocates and notable figures have recently issued an open letter to the United Nations’ member states, urging them to amend the definition of “apartheid” in the convention on crimes against humanity to encompass “gender apartheid”. The letter, released on Thursday, October 6, emphasizes the limited scope of the current definition of “apartheid” as defined in the Rome Statute of 1998, which exclusively pertains to race-based apartheid and excludes “gender apartheid”. The signatories of this letter comprise prominent individuals such as Hillary Clinton, Shirin Ebadi, Karima Banun, Malala Yousafzai, Sima Samar, Shaharzad Akbar, Fouzia Kofi, and over ten organizations actively involved in the advancement of women’s and human rights.
Human rights advocates contend that while strides have been made in recognizing gender-based crimes, the recognition of “gender apartheid” within the Crimes Against Humanity Convention would represent a significant advancement. The letter specifically cites the Taliban’s oppressive and systematic mistreatment of Afghanistani women and girls as a prime illustration of “gender apartheid”. According to the correspondence, the Sixth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly is slated to deliberate on the draft Convention on Crimes Against Humanity on the 11th and 12th of this month, and member states are expected to submit their written opinions and perspectives by year’s end.
It is noteworthy that in the wake of the Taliban’s imposition of numerous restrictions on women in Afghanistan, women’s rights advocates both within and outside of the country have persistently called for the recognition of “gender apartheid” to combat the oppression inflicted upon women by this group.
