By Colombe Cahen-Salvador

“The Taliban’s goal is clear: they want to erase women entirely. No school, no work, no voice.” 

These words from Dr. Habiba Sarabi were spoken during a town hall I had the honour of hosting last week, and capture the stark reality for Afghan women. Since the Taliban regime regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, "the Taliban have suspended all political and civic rights and have demonstrated their intolerance for political opposition." Until August 2021, "millions of girls were in school. More than a quarter of the members of parliament were women. Women were government ministers and helicopter pilots. All of that is gone now." Yet, lately, "Taliban officials have scored a series of diplomatic victories this year that have started a subtle shift toward normalizing their government."

The world cannot leave women and girls behind. Our countries and the United Nations cannot turn a blind eye to the ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis. So what should we do?

Find out by watching the full event here:

Who is Dr. Habiba Sarabi? Besides being a former member of the Peace Negotiation Team of Afghanistan, "Dr. Habiba Sarabi (born 1956) is a haematologist, politician, and reformer of the post-Taliban reconstruction of Afghanistan. In 2005, she was appointed as governor of Bamyan Province, becoming the first woman to ever be a governor of any province in the country. She previously served in Karzai's government as Minister of Women's Affairs as well as Minister of Culture and Education. Sarabi has been instrumental in promoting women's rights and representation and environment issues."

To put this back in context, the 2020 U.S.-Taliban agreement prioritized troop withdrawal over creating sustainable peace for all. “Women were sidelined from the beginning. The U.S. agenda was withdrawal, not peace. Without women at the center, failure was inevitable.” she said.

This exclusion has continued. In June 2024, the UN held talks with Taliban officials in Doha without inviting Afghan women or civil society. “When the UN accepts the Taliban’s terms to exclude women, it legitimizes their regime. Women’s rights are treated as negotiable, and that is unacceptable.” Dr. Sarabi said.

Despite these grim realities, Dr. Sarabi offered a clear, actionable roadmap to address the crisis, that both countries and the UN must push forward:

1. Reject Taliban Recognition

Dr. Sarabi was adamant that the Taliban must not be recognized as the legitimate government of Afghanistan: “Recognition is one of the biggest tools. All the UN and state members shouldn’t think about recognizing the Taliban.” She warned that recognizing the Taliban would grant them legitimacy while they continue to oppress half the population.

2. Codify Gender Apartheid as a Crime

She highlighted ongoing efforts by Afghan civil society and several countries to push for gender apartheid to be recognized as a crime against humanity: “Afghan women in the diaspora are advocating to define gender apartheid as a crime against humanity. This is real. This is happening.” Dr. Sarabi urged broader international support to turn these efforts into binding legal action.

3. Impose Targeted Sanctions on Taliban Leaders

Dr. Sarabi advocated for targeted sanctions on Taliban leaders, not broad measures that could worsen the humanitarian crisis: “I’m not in favor of sanctions on aid or the people, but sanctions should be applied to Taliban leaders. They travel freely while ordinary Afghans suffer.”

4. Strengthen Monitoring of Humanitarian Aid

She stressed the need for robust oversight to ensure aid reaches those who truly need it, bypassing Taliban-controlled organizations: “The Taliban have registered fake organizations for their supporters. Aid distribution is not fair. We need strong monitoring systems.” Dr. Sarabi also emphasized the importance of collaborating with trusted local organizations to avoid aid mismanagement.

5. Include Women in All Talks and Decision-Making

Dr. Sarabi criticized the exclusion of Afghan women from key discussions, such as the UN’s June 2024 Doha talks: “Any talk with the Taliban needs to include Afghan women and civil society to represent those silenced by the regime.” She called on the UN and governments to prioritize women’s voices in every negotiation about Afghanistan’s future.

Now is the time to act. For this to become a reality, we must impose political pressure on the Taliban! 

What now? 

• This townhall helped us understand how to ensure the UN can better stand by Afghan women & girls! Our teams at Atlas will now further develop our policies to incorporate this feedback.
• Throughout my campaign for the United Nations Secretary-General, I'll push this agenda forward until countries have no choice but to change their ways.
• For this, I need you. Change will only happen if we unite, fast! So join us: volunteer, donate, or simply support my campaign by signing it here!

Check out this town hall, let us know your thoughts, and join our work to #Unite4Survival!