Apartheid de género en Afganistán: el rol de la sociedad civil en la consolidación de normas

Marta Dato-Caballero

doi:10.22490/26655489.10881

Vol. 8 No. 15 (2026): Enero - Junio

Published 2026-01-30

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Gender apartheid in Afghanistan: the role of civil society in consolidating norms

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22490/26655489.10881

Marta Dato-Caballero Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

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Since the Taliban takeover in 2021, Afghanistan has become one of the most illustrative cases of gender backlash. Given the systemic nature of the violence and discrimination inflicted on women and girls in the country, various civil society actors have identified the situation as “gender apartheid” in order to draw the attention of the international community and advocate for effective measures, such as its codification. Considering this context, the present study examines the role of civil society in the recognition of gender apartheid as an issue on the international agenda and assesses the factors that may shape its consolidation as an international norm. The analysis is grounded primarily in Finnemore and Sikkink’s (1998) norm life cycle theory,
which understands norms as social constructs that emerge, diffuse, and become internalized. To this end, a range of documents produced by different types of actors were analysed to observe how civil society actors articulate their demands and how these are received. The findings suggest the role of civil society is crucial, particularly in the emergence of the norm. While some intergovernmental and state actors have responded positively to the discourse of gender apartheid, its potential consolidation as an international norm will depend on broader acceptance by a greater number of influential actors within the international system.

keywords: Afghanistan, Civil society, Gender Apartheid, Gender backlash, International norms

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Dato-Caballero, M. (2026). Gender apartheid in Afghanistan: the role of civil society in consolidating norms. Análisis Jurídico Político, 8(15), 123-159. https://doi.org/10.22490/26655489.10881

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