Women | Amnesty International Australia will run a 16-day campaign for Afghan women from Nov. 25, urging Canberra to back recognition of gender apartheid

ACW | November 11, 2026 — Amnesty International Australia said on Wednesday it will run a 16-day campaign for women and girls in Afghanistan from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10, pressing the Australian government to act on what it calls gender apartheid.

The campaign coincides with the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the rights group said on its website. It called on the Australian government to use its diplomatic influence to support recognition of gender apartheid under international law and to pursue accountability for the Taliban.

Amnesty asked supporters to sign an open letter. "Gender apartheid is an unacceptable attack on the rights of women and girls, and it cannot continue in Afghanistan or anywhere in the world," the letter says.

An exhibition of art by women and girls in Afghanistan, titled "Through Our Eyes," will tour Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne, the group said. A rally is planned outside Parliament House in Canberra on Nov. 25.

Amnesty published comments from several Afghan girls, identified by first name only. One said the doors of girls' schools above sixth grade had been closed for more than five years.

The Taliban have not responded to the campaign.

Background: Amnesty says that since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have barred girls from secondary school and university and restricted women's work and movement. ACW earlier reported that a former Afghan lawmaker urged EU legislators to recognize gender apartheid.

Why it matters: Amnesty says the Taliban have "systematically stripped women and girls of their fundamental rights" since 2021, calling the curbs "deliberate, institutionalised policies designed to exclude women and girls from every aspect of society."

ACW will continue to follow this story.

Source: Amnesty International Australia — 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan

Photo: Amnesty International Australia ("Through Our Eyes" exhibition poster)