Canada Must Act to Support Afghan Women Amidst Humanitarian Crisis
It's been five years since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, making it the worst country in the world for women. The international community has been criticized for its response to the crisis, with some arguing that diplomatic engagement and humanitarian aid have only entrenched gender apartheid.
The United Nations says that 21 million Afghans require urgent aid, and 14 million face acute hunger. Afghan women are particularly vulnerable, facing severe restrictions on their freedoms, including being banned from attending school beyond Grade 6 or working to support themselves.
Some experts argue that the economic argument could be a way forward in engaging with the Taliban. Leaving half of Afghanistan's population out of society sets its economy up for certain failure, and Canada could join other G7+ countries and China in the UN's Doha process to make this case.
The Canadian government has provided over $143 million in support of basic health and education services in Afghanistan since 2021. However, the humanitarian crisis continues to deepen as international funding dwindles. The article argues that Canada should increase its commitment to working with UN agencies to provide aid and advocate for a trial at The Hague for Taliban leaders accused of gender-based crimes.
The authors also suggest that Canada could formally endorse the term 'gender apartheid' to describe the Taliban's systematic exclusion of women and girls, increasing pressure on the UN to codify it as international law. This would send a message to Afghan women that they have not been forgotten and help keep public pressure on the Taliban.