In a landmark development, Canada, Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands are taking the Taliban to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over allegations of gender discrimination. Announced during the UN General Assembly, this marks the first instance of a nation suing another for gender discrimination at the ICJ. The case is grounded in the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979, which Afghanistan ratified in 2003 before the Taliban’s resurgence in 2021.
The Taliban will have six months to respond before the ICJ holds a hearing and may propose provisional measures. Advocates believe that even if the Taliban disregards the court’s authority, a ruling could deter other nations from normalizing relations with them. Recent Taliban laws further restrict women’s freedoms, igniting protests and highlighting ongoing violations of women’s rights in Afghanistan. Female foreign ministers from the involved countries expressed a willingness to negotiate with the Taliban to address these concerns.
