condemned this as “gender apartheid,” a deliberate act that threatens to paralyze Afghanistan’s societal progress for generations.77 The Taliban have barred women from most jobs across Afghanistan, allowing only those in specific sectors to work, such as health. In the private sector, the policy has been to replace women with men wherever possible.78 Women who protested this systemic discrimination faced harassment, beatings and electric shocks, along with assassinations – they were also forced to sign agreements to stop protesting and remain silent about their detention experiences, in an attempt to build a new, modern image of the Taliban.79 In March 2024, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada announced the return of public flogging and stoning of women for adultery. Describing the reinstatement as a struggle against Western influences, in his announcement he said: “The Taliban’s work did not end with the takeover of Kabul, it has only just begun.”80 Several calls have been made for the international community to delegitimize the Taliban regime, emphasizing that to truly protect and promote women’s rights, it is essential for global actors to refrain from any engagement with the Taliban that contradicts their commitments and obligations under international law.81 77 Rukhshana Media. Human Rights Observers Call Out Taliban’s Ongoing Ban of Girls from Tertiary Entrance Exam. Rukhshana Media, 2023. https://rukhshana.com/en/human-rights-observers-call-out-talibans-ongoing-ban-of-girls-from-tertiary-entrance-exam 78 Amnesty International. Women and Girls Under Taliban Rule in Afghanistan. Amnesty International. https://www. amnesty.org/en/latest/research/2022/07/women-and-girls-under-taliban-rule-afghanistan/ 79 Ibid. 80 The Guardian. Taliban Edict to Resume Stoning Women to Death Met with Horror. The Guardian. Accessed March 28, 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/mar/28/taliban-edict-to-resume-stoning-women-todeath-met-with-horror 81 ZANTV. “To effectively protect and promote women’s rights, it is imperative that members of the international community first agree to refrain from any form of engagement with the Taliban that contradicts their commitments and obligations under international law.” X (formerly Twitter), 18 Aug. 2024, https://x.com/ZANTV/status/1821128859405701156 31