Islamabad: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai has called on Muslim leaders to support efforts to classify gender apartheid as a crime under international law. Speaking at a summit on girls’ education in Muslim communities, held in Islamabad, Pakistan, Yousafzai urged leaders to denounce the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan.
“In Afghanistan, an entire generation of girls will be robbed of its future,” Yousafzai said. “As Muslim leaders, now is the time to raise your voice, use your power.”
The summit, hosted by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Muslim World League, gathered ministers and scholars from Muslim-majority countries to discuss educational challenges and opportunities for girls in the Muslim world. Yousafzai emphasized the need for Muslim voices to lead the charge against the Taliban’s restrictive policies, which include barring teenage girls from schools and women from universities.
The Taliban maintain that their policies align with their interpretation of Afghan culture and Islamic law. However, international condemnation has been widespread, with no foreign government formally recognizing the Taliban since their takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. Diplomatic recognition has been tied to improvements in women’s rights, a condition the Taliban have so far resisted.
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Yousafzai, who survived a near-fatal attack by a gunman in Pakistan at the age of 15 for advocating girls’ education, urged scholars at the summit to “openly challenge and denounce the Taliban’s oppressive laws.” She also called on political leaders to support adding gender apartheid to the list of crimes against humanity under international criminal law.
The summit occurred amid strained relations between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of harboring militants responsible for cross-border attacks. The Taliban have denied these allegations, further complicating the regional dynamic.
