"Masculinism today is structured, transnational and deeply political. It is not confined to online platforms, but has become part of the public debate, shaping perceptions and paving the way for very real attacks on women and their rights." Important work by @france24.com ⤵️

A conversation about civilian protection, civilian harm, legacy of international forces, impunity and international law, drawing on Afghanistan's context with Katharine Fortin, Florian Weigand and Thomas Gregory

Forced hijab is part of the Taliban’s policy of controlling women’s bodies to make women invisible. Afghan women and United Nations human rights experts have called this “gender apartheid.” www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

To see the team rebuilt and competing again gives hope for future generations of Afghan women and girls that they too can reclaim their rights, not only in sports but in all aspects of their lives. www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...

Terrible women's rights news from Iraq: "The new Personal Status Code further institutionalizes discrimination against women, legally relegating them to second class citizens. It takes away women’s and girls’ agency over their lives and instead gives it to men. It should be repealed immediately."

1- جریان زنده ی دادگاه مردمی برای زنان افغانستان را می بینم. روایات و شهادت های قدرتمند و بی پرده بازماندگان و شاهدان تا مغز استخوان تکانم می دهند. شجاعت این زنان واقعن بی بدیل است. به جامعه ی مدنی ما که توسط زنان رهبری می شود افتخار می کنم.

Oct 31 is the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, & Security. Resolution 1325 has never been more important than today, as we face a global backlash against women’s rights & escalating wars & crises around the globe. www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...

#HRC60 just created investigative mechanism on past & on-going crimes in #Afghanistan so that those responsible face justice Kudos to @eudiplomacy.bsky.social @euatun.bsky.social for leading landmark initiative, strong message for victims & clear warning to perpetrators www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...

There are very rare wins for survivors and activists in the current climate. Uplifting to see the establishment of an independent investigative mechanism for #Afghanistan following over 4.5 years of advocacy by Afghan & international civil society. Unsurprisingly, the US has always been opposed.

Attacks against @open-society.bsky.social are not about us, but about the United States slowly losing its democracy, as we have seen in different parts of the world. We remain true to our values to promote rights, equity, and justice. My interview with NPR: n.pr/3VE54wr

Country-wide protests initiated by the youth group GenZ212 have gripped Morocco, as protesters criticize the government over corruption and spending. Morocco’s government should hear protestors’ demands. Learn more ⤵️

My country is made offline and for tens of thousands of young women who connected to learning, to hope, to community, to aspirations through Internet, all of that is gone by the orders of a small group of tyrannical, fearful men. #Afghanistan

Last week, the Taliban ordered an internet ban across several of Afghanistan’s northern provinces. On September 30, they fully shut down the internet. This ban yet is another way for the Taliban to control women and girls.

“The Taliban claim the ban is to “prevent immorality.” In Afghanistan, authorities have long used “morality” as a tool of oppression applied predominantly to women and girls.” www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...

The Taliban claim the ban is to “prevent immorality.” In AFG, authorities have long used “morality” as a tool of oppression applied mostly to women & girls. When Taliban say “immorality,” they often mean immorality caused, seen, or promoted by women, or men being corrupted through the fault of women

September 17 marks four years since the Taliban banned secondary education for girls in Afghanistan. It is a devastating anniversary that should make everyone angry – furious even. www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...

Today marks a devastating anniversary that should make everyone angry – furious even. The education ban is cruel, harmful, and unlawful. It tells girls their dreams end when the classroom door slams shut when they reach age 12, simply because of their gender.

Important initiative by Afghan civil society. I have followed the work of many of the organisations and individuals involved from my time in Afghanistan. #Afghanistan

#Afghanistan: Since July 16, the Taliban have arrested dozens of women and girls in Kabul for allegedly violating Taliban dress codes. The arrests deepen the Taliban’s enforcement of their outrageous “vice and virtue” decree. @hrw.org's @saharfetrat.bsky.social www.hrw.org/news/2025/07...

By arresting women for alleged “bad hijab,” Taliban impose physical & psychological violence, aiming for systematic erasure of women’s autonomy & total female obedience. “No matter what tactics or power authorities use, we will still find ways to go out.” www.hrw.org/news/2025/07...

" Afghan Women Continue to Fight for Bodily Autonomy Recent Arrests Highlight Need to Confront ‘Gender Apartheid’ Sahar Fetrat / @saharfetrat.bsky.social > www.hrw.org/news/2025/07... #BanTaliban #Misogyny #GenderApartheid

I know there is much to capture our outrage these days, but the silence around what the Taliban is doing is also appalling...

Since July 16, the Taliban have arrested dozens of women and girls in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, for allegedly violating Taliban dress codes. The slew of arrests mark yet another continuation of the Taliban’s relentless attack on women’s autonomy.

Every country that cares about women, girls, and their rights should do more to stand with Afghan women, including supporting their call for the creation of an international crime of gender apartheid. www.hrw.org/news/2025/07...

Recent Arrests Highlight Need to Confront ‘Gender Apartheid’ www.hrw.org/news/2025/07...

The right to work is essential to dignity and equality. On #IWD we stand with Afghan women.

“An Afghan woman who risked her life to defend human rights in her home country before fleeing to the UK has been told by the Home Office it is safe for her to return after officials rejected her asylum claim.” www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

EJIL: The Podcast! Episode 32: No Country for Women – Lawyering for Gender Justice in Afghanistan | by Neha Jain and Michal Saliternik

Honored to take part in this @ejiltalk.bsky.social podcast on international law & the rights of #Afghan women w @saharfetrat.bsky.social of @hrw.org She said women use the word "suffocating" to describe the situation under Taliban rule & argued that #Afghanistan may now be unlivable for #women

You’ll want to listen to this! @saharfetrat.bsky.social and @profkarimabennoune.bsky.social break down what international law can do for—and what it owes—Afghan women and girls. www.ejiltalk.org/ejil-the-pod...

به مناسبت روز جهانی زنان، ما مقاومت جسورانه زنان افغانستان را گرامی میداریم. از زمان تسلط طالبان بر افغانستان در ماه اگست سال ۲۰۲۱، زنان در کشوری که حتی صدایشان گناه و غیر قانونی پنداشته می‌شود و کنشگری شان با شکنجه مجازات شده، برای حقوق خود مبارزه می‌کنند. www.hrw.org/fa/news/2025...

Advocacy by Afghan women and their allies has driven increasing momentum toward defining gender apartheid as a crime under international law.One critical opportunity to achieve this is through the draft crimes against humanity treaty currently being discussed at the UN GA www.hrw.org/news/2025/03...

Women’s rights are human rights — this isn’t just a slogan, it’s a lived reality. Happy #InternationalWomensDay! #IWD2025

Close to International women's day we reflect on the progress and setbacks for women's rights since March 2024. www.hrw.org/news/2025/03...

“It’s important to remember that fighting for women’s rights means you’re fighting authoritarianism.” www.hrw.org/news/2025/03...

“Despite grave hardships, Afghan women have taken their fate into their own hands. They are organizing, protesting, and exposing the Taliban’s abuses, even as they continue to pay a devastating price for their quest for freedom.” @saharfetrat.bsky.social

The International Cricket Council should immediately suspend Taliban-run Afghanistan’s membership until women and girls can participate in the sport of cricket, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to the council’s chair, Jay Shah, that was made public today. www.hrw.org/news/2025/03...

This #IWD we celebrate Afghan women’s bold resistance…Over the last year, thanks to their relentless courage and advocacy, we have witnessed important – if insufficient – steps toward holding the Taliban accountable. www.hrw.org/news/2025/03...

This #IWD we celebrate Afghan women’s bold resistance…Over the last year, thanks to their relentless courage and advocacy, we have witnessed important – if insufficient – steps toward holding the Taliban accountable. www.hrw.org/news/2025/03...

What else needs to happen to women and girls in Afghanistan for world leaders to do more than gasp and shake their heads? www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...

“The situation is critical. No new female doctors are being trained, and those who remain are either confined to their homes or fleeing the country. Afghanistan is on the brink of a healthcare catastrophe.” www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...