Afghanistan is experiencing the most severe and systematic attack on gender equality in the world today, according to Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan. Presenting his report to the UN General Assembly, Bennett warned that the situation demands urgent and principled international action rather than normalisation of the Taliban regime. He emphasised that women’s rights, voices, and participation must remain central to all political and decision-making processes concerning Afghanistan’s future.
The report outlines a growing list of human rights abuses, including an alarming rise in corporal punishment, disappearances, and mistreatment of former government officials and security personnel. Freedom of the press and civil society spaces continue to shrink, while the country’s humanitarian crisis worsens due to severe funding cuts. Bennett noted that the reduction in humanitarian and human rights support removes vital lifelines for millions of Afghans already living in desperate conditions and called for renewed commitments to long-term funding, especially for Afghan and women-led organisations.
The Taliban’s restrictions on women humanitarian workers have further weakened the response to the crisis. Bennett described the ban on national women UN staff from workplaces as unprecedented and unacceptable. He also raised concerns over growing discrimination against ethnic, linguistic, and religious minorities, warning that the Taliban’s exclusionary governance risks deepening social divisions and instability.
The Special Rapporteur cautioned that the Taliban’s rigid ideology could radicalise a new generation amid widespread oppression and poverty, with repercussions extending beyond Afghanistan’s borders. He condemned the forced return of Afghan refugees from neighbouring countries and deportations from Europe, urging states to uphold international laws that protect asylum seekers from being returned to danger.
Despite the worsening situation, Bennett insisted that Afghanistan should not be considered a lost cause. He pointed to progress in international accountability efforts, including arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court, the creation of an Independent Investigative Mechanism, and moves to classify gender apartheid as a crime against humanity. Concluding his report, Bennett warned that abandoning Afghanistan now would not only betray its people but also weaken the moral and legal foundations of the global human rights system.
