Tomorrow, Wednesday at 6:00 p.m., Casa Asia-Madrid (calle Mayor, 69) is organizing a round table entitled The struggle of Afghan women against gender apartheid: a collective responsibility. Free activity upon registration.
The term gender apartheid has been used for decades to describe systematic gender-based oppression and domination, even by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan in the 1990s, but it has not been formally codified in international law. Afghan women are leading the international struggle for gender apartheid to be recognized as a crime against humanity, combining legal action, political advocacy and international mobilization.
In November 2024, the Sixth Committee of the United Nations agreed to initiate the elaboration of a specific treaty on the prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity, a process formalized by Resolution 79/122 of the General Assembly of the United Nations, To lay the foundations and establish a Working Group of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries. The negotiation process was set for four years, with the Preparatory Committee meeting in two sessions in 2026, followed by two negotiations in early 2027 and 2028.
The debate and negotiation of the future treaty, which seeks to strengthen international law by addressing new challenges and contexts, offers Afghan women a key opportunity to push for recognition of gender apartheid. Spain participates actively in this process, supporting the inclusion of a gender perspective.
On the occasion of the first meeting of the Preparatory Committee and Working Group for the UN Conference of Plenipotentiaries, held in New York from 19 to 30 January 2026, Casa Asia, FIBGAR, RAGAA (Raise Against Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan), People Help, Esperanza de Libertad, Netwomening, the Assembly of Young Leaders of Afghanistan (AYLA) and the Association of Afghan Women in Spain (AMAE) organize this round table to make visible the work of Afghan women and their initiatives against gender apartheid, as well as the importance for civil society and the international community to support them.
José Pintor Aguilar, director general of Casa Asia; Ana Alonso Giganto, ambassador for Feminist Foreign Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation; María Garzón, RAGAA (Raise Against Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan), President of FIBGAR, and Sílvia Sala, RAGAA (Raise Against Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan), Vice-President of People Help.
The inaugural address: «Collective Accountability for the Future of Gender Justice in Afghanistan» (speech in English without translation) will be given by Natasha Arnpriester, Senior Legal Counsel, Open Society Foundations, and will participate in the round table Batol Gholami, Founder and CEO of the Assembly of Young Leaders of Afghanistan (AYLA) and board member of the Association of Afghan Women in Spain (AMAE); Khadija Amin, journalist and president of the Asociación Esperanza De Libertad and board member of NetwomeningAlessia Schiavon, Director of FIBGAR and coordinator of RAGAA (Raise Against Gender and Apartheid in Afghanistan). Presented and moderated by Yasmin Paricio Burtin, Policy, Society and Educational Programs Coordinator, Casa Asia.
From 19.30 to 20 hours will take place a networking: connecting voices, ideas and actions.
The event will be held in Spanish, except for the inaugural speech “Collective Accountability for the Future of Gender Justice in Afghanistan” which will be delivered without translation service.
