University of Pittsburgh Hosts Conference on Legal Recognition of Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan
Updated: Jun 8
On April 17, 2026, the University of Pittsburgh's School of Public and International Affairs and the Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies, in partnership with Women Leading Peace, convened scholars, legal experts, practitioners, and advocates for a full-day conference on one of the most urgent frontiers in international human rights, the legal recognition of gender apartheid in Afghanistan.
Held at the William Pitt Union Ballroom at the University of Pittsburgh and streamed virtually, the conference brought together leading voices in the field for a keynote address, two expert panels, and a presentation by the SPIA and Ridgway Center Gender Apartheid Documentation in Afghanistan Working Group. Discussions spanned the conceptual and historical foundations of gender apartheid as a governing ideology, Afghan women's resistance, the state of international legal mechanisms including the Crimes Against Humanity Treaty negotiations, and the evidentiary standards required to hold the Taliban accountable.
The conference was moderated by Zakira Rasooli, founder of Women Leading Peace and Program Manager at the Ridgway Center.
Read the full conference summary, watch the panel recordings, and learn more about the working group's research below.
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